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Partial nitrate nutrition amends photosynthetic characteristics in rice (Oryza sativa L. var. japonica) differing in nitrogen use efficiency

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Abstract

Partial nitrate nutrition (PNN) was found to improve rice (Oryza sativa L. var. japonica) growth. However, how PNN is related to photosynthesis in rice cultivars with different nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is still not clear. Two rice cultivars, Nanguang (high NUE) and Elio (low NUE), were grown under sole NH4 + and PNN at a total nitrogen concentration of 2.86 mM. The dry weight, leaf area, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and gas exchange parameters were measured. Nitrogen and Rubisco contents in the newly expanded leaves of cv. Nanguang were similar to those of cv. Elio when only NH4 + was supplemented in the nutrient solution. However, in cv. Nanguang, nitrogen and Rubisco contents increased under PNN than under sole NH4 + nutrition. Higher nitrogen and Rubisco contents were recorded in cv. Nanguang than in cv. Elio under PNN. The ratio of carboxylation efficiency (CE) to Rubisco content in cv. Nanguang was 11 and 14% higher than that in cv. Elio under NH4 + and PNN, respectively. CE was 14% higher in cv. Nanguang than that in cv. Elio. The results suggest that PNN causes an increase in photosynthesis in cv. Nanguang. It is concluded that differences in Rubisco activity, rather than stomatal limitation, are responsible for the differences in photosynthesis between the two cultivars. The presence of nitrate increases Rubisco content in rice with a high NUE, which leads to faster biomass accumulation at later growth stages.

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Abbreviations

A :

CO2 assimilation rate

A max :

Maximum photosynthetic rate

CE :

Carboxylation efficiency

C i :

Intercellular CO2 concentration

C o :

Ambient CO2 concentration

g s :

Stomatal conductance

g m :

Leaf mesophyll conductance

K C :

Michaelis–Menten constants for CO2

K O :

Michaelis–Menten constants for O2

l :

Stomatal limitation

NUE:

Nitrogen use efficiency

O:

Partial pressure of O2

PNN:

Partial nitrate nutrition

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

Tr:

Transpiration rate

V cmax :

Maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate

α:

Apparent quantum yield

Γ* :

CO2 compensation point without dark respiration

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Shiwei Guo and Dr. Yong Li for helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. We thank Prof. Kafakfi form the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for correct reading of this paper. This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 30771290), by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2005CB120903) and by State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science (Y052010013).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China

    Yali Zhang, Huajun Lv, Dongsheng Wang, Jingchao Deng, Wenjing Song, Kousar Makeen, Qirong Shen & Guohua Xu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 21008, Nanjing, China

    Yali Zhang

  3. Vegetable Science Institute, 210042, Nanjing, China

    Dongsheng Wang

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  1. Yali Zhang
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Correspondence to Yali Zhang.

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Zhang, Y., Lv, H., Wang, D. et al. Partial nitrate nutrition amends photosynthetic characteristics in rice (Oryza sativa L. var. japonica) differing in nitrogen use efficiency. Plant Growth Regul 63, 235–242 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-010-9520-7

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