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Low-temperature stress has become an important abiotic factor affecting high and stable wheat production. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to enhance low-temperature tolerance in wheat. A pot experiment was carried out using Yannong19 (YN19, a cold-tolerant cultivar) and Xinmai26 (XM26, a cold-sensitive cultivar). We employed traditional phosphorus application (TPA, i.e., R1) and optimized phosphorus application (OPA, i.e., R2) methods. Plants undertook chilling (T1 at 4 °C) and freezing treatment (T2 at −4 °C) as well as ambient temperature (CK at 11 °C) during the anther differentiation period to investigate the effects of OPA and TPA on photosynthetic parameters and the accumulation and distribution of dry matter. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of flag leaves decreased in low-temperature treatments, whereas intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) increased. Compared with R1CK, Pn in R1T1 and R1T2 treatments was reduced by 26.8% and 42.2% in YN19 and 34.2% and 54.7% in XM26, respectively. In contrast, it increased by 6.5%, 8.9% and 12.7% in YN19 and 7.7%, 15.6% and 22.6% in XM26 for R2CK, R2T1 and R2T2 treatments, respectively, under OPA compared with TPA at the same temperature treatments. Moreover, low-temperature stress reduced dry matter accumulation at the reproductive growth stage. OPA increased dry matter accumulation of vegetative organs after the flowering stage and promoted the transportation of assimilates to grains. Hence, the grain number per spike (GNPS), 1000-grain weight (TGW) and yield per plant (YPP) increased. The low-temperature treatments of T1 and T2 caused yield losses of 24.1~64.1%, and the yield increased by 8.6~20.5% under OPA treatments among the two wheat cultivars. In brief, OPA enhances low-temperature tolerance in wheat, effectively improves wheat architecture and photosynthesis, increases GNPS and TGW and ultimately lessens yield losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was performed to explore the compensation effects of different nitrogen (N) regimes on the growth and photosynthetic capacity in different leaf layers of the summer maize hybrid of LuYu9105 under waterlogging at the seedling stage. The results showed that waterlogging significantly decreased the maximum green leaf area (gLA) by 10.0~15.3% and 9.3~22.5%, mainly due to the reduction in the below-ear layer leaves at the silking stage in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Waterlogging also significantly decreased the ear leaf photosynthetic rate (PN), and Fv/Fm, Fv/Fo, ΦPSII and qP at the below-ear layer leaves at the mid- and late-filling stages, which was accompanied by a reduction in the duration of grain-filling (T) by 2.6~5.9%, thus resulting in a loss of grain yield by 7.0~18.5%. Interestingly, a shift in N from basal application to topdressing at the big flare stage was shown to compensate the adverse effects of waterlogging by through increased gLA and leaf photosynthetic capacity at the ear layer and the above-ear layer, as well as a greater grain-filling rate, resulting in an increase in grain yield by 9.9~27.0% and 17.8~25.8% compared to other N treatments. Therefore, this study showed that optimal nitrogen regimes during maize growth are capable of compensating for the impacts caused by waterlogging at the seedling stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To gain a physiological understanding of the effects of high temperatures on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), we subjected seedlings to heat treatment at daytime temperatures of 28°C, 32°C, and 36°C for 7h a day for 30 days. The amount of active oxygen species, indicators of senescence, and photosynthetic properties in the second and third leaves were determined at the start of temperature treatment and on the 15th and 30th days of treatment. The amount of active oxygen species superoxide in leaves was greatest in the high temperature zones on the 15th day of treatment, and the amount of hydrogen peroxide was greatest in the high temperature zones on both the 15th and 30th days of treatment. The reduction in the amount of protein and the increase in the amount of malondialdehyde, both indicators of senescence, were greatest in the high temperature zones on both the 15th and 30th days of treatment, and the amount of chlorophyll was lowest in the 36°C zone on the 15th day, and lower in the high temperature zones on the 30th day. It is clear from these results that a large amount of active oxygen species is generated and accumulated in the leaves at high temperatures, and senescence is significantly accelerated. The photosynthetic properties of stomatal conductance, sub-stomatal CO2 concentration, and transpiration rate were at the same level on both the 15th and 30th days of treatment in all three temperature treatment zones. No significant difference was seen in the net photosynthesis rate between the 28°C and 32°C zones, was lower in the 36°C zone than the 32°C zone on the 15th day, and lowest in the 36°C zone on the 30th day. CO2 intake and water absorption are only mildly affected by high temperatures, and the reduction in net photosynthesis rate due to the 36°C high temperature stress suggests that the large amount of active oxygen species induces inhibition of photosynthesis and damage to the mechanism of photosynthesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]