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In the actual cultivation process, blind fertilizer application was widespread, resulting in a serious decline in the yield of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. We used the 3414 fertilizer experiment design to study the effects of combined Boron (B), Molybdenum (Mo), and Copper (Cu) on the growth indexes, diurnal changes of photosynthesis, and rapid fluorescence induction dynamics in P. heterophylla. Our results show that the optimal combination of B, Mo, and Cu simultaneously promoted the growth of underground and aboveground parts, and significantly improved the quality of single root tuber and yield per unit area. The best combination was treatment 9 (T9 = B, 1 g/L; Mo, 0.08 g/L; Cu, 0.05 g/L), and resulted in a 35.1% increase in yield per unit area compared with the control group (T1). Although the optimal combined application of microfertilizers did not change the bimodal trend of diurnal variation of photosynthesis, it effectively increased the daily average, peak, and valley values of the photosynthetic rate by alleviating the nonstomatal limitation and the photosynthetic midday depression. Pseudostellaria heterophylla leaves showed greater photochemical activity and less photoinhibition of photosystem II in T9. Major effects were that it helped protect the activity of the oxygen-evolving complex to reduce the oxidative damage of chloroplasts and prevent the dissociation of thylakoid. The microfertilizer application also enhanced the electron receiving ability of the QB and plastoquinone (PQ) electronic pools, thereby increasing the ability of electron transfer from QA to QB. The number of reaction centers per unit area was promoted notably by the fertilization treatment.

Flowering crabapples are a series of precious ornamental woody plants. However, their growth and development are inhibited in the subtropical regions due to the weak photosynthesis under high-temperature environment in the summer. Chlorophyll a fluorescence transient and 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analyses were conducted to investigate the response characteristics of photosynthesis under simulated 38 &deg, C heat stress in leaves of Malus. &lsquo, Prairifire&rsquo, a spring-red leaf cultivar of flowering crabapple with strong thermal adaptability. In the present study, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) was significantly decreased during the heat shock process, which showed a similar trend to the stomatal conductance (Gs), indicating a sensitive stomatal behavior to heat stress. Moreover, an efficient reaction center in photosystem II (PSII), and a functionally intact oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) conferred strong photosynthetic adaptability under heat stress. The higher level of transketolase (TK) under 48-h heat shock treatment was considered a protective mechanism of photosynthetic apparatus. However, heat stress inhibited the functions of light harvesting complex II (LHCII), electron transport in PSII, and the levels of key enzymes in the Calvin cycle, which were considered as the reasons causing an increase in the proportion of non-stomatal restrictions.

The T.118 and T.406 seedlings showed strong adaptability under Cd concentrations ≤ 50 µM. The mechanisms of photoprotection in T.118 and T.406 differed in high-Cd concentrations. To explore the physiological response characteristics of Taxodium hybrids to cadmium (Cd) stress and provide basis for screening of Cd-tolerant species, the hydroponic cultivation of T.118 and T.406 seedlings was conducted to demonstrate the effects of Cd stress on seedling growth, antioxidant system, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. After 35 days of Cd stress at a concentration ≤ 50 µM, the dry weight biomass of the two clones did not significantly differ from that of the control. T.406 exhibited a significant increase in POD activity compared to T.118 and maintained high SOD activity after exposure to high concentrations of Cd, whereas MDA levels showed little changes. Under low-Cd stress, chlorophyll content and fluorescence parameters remained stable, especially for T.406. Under high-Cd concentration stress, the above parameters were lower than the control, with a more significant decrease in T.118 than in T.406. The non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) of both clones increased with increasing Cd concentration. T.118 showed a greater increase than T.406, particularly under high-Cd concentration stress. The T.118 and T.406 seedlings adapted to low-Cd concentration stress by enhancing their antioxidant enzyme activity to maintain the balance of reactive oxygen metabolism and reduce cellular damage. The photochemical activity of mesophyll cells remained high to maintain photosynthetic capacity and normal seedling growth. T.406 showed stronger resistance to Cd than T.118. T.406 prevented photodamage by promoting the photochemical utilization of the excitation energy and maintaining a strong antioxidant stress ability. Enhancement of heat dissipation capability may be the main photoprotection mechanism of T.118.