Abstract
The influence of drought stress (DS) upon whole-plant water content, water relations, photosynthesis, and water-use efficiency of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cv. Leprechaun (Hibiscus) plants at three levels of potassium (K) nutritional status were determined after a 21-d gradually imposed DS treatment. Compared to K-deficient plants, adequate K supply improved the leaf water content (LWC) and leaf water relations of Hibiscus by decreasing the Ψ π, and generally sustained rates of net photosynthesis (P N) and transpiration (E), and stomatal conductance (g s), both in DS and non-DS plants. In K-deficient Hibiscus, LWC, turgor potential (Ψ P), and P N, E, and g s as well as instantaneous water-use efficiency, WUE (P N/E) were consistently lower, compared to K-sufficient plants. Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) was lower (i.e. longterm WUE was greatest) in DS than non-DS plants, but K had no effect on Δ during the 21-d drought treatment period under glasshouse conditions. However, the trend in the Δ value of DS plants suggests that Δ could be a useful index of the response of Hibiscus to DS under glasshouse growing conditions. Thus the incorporation of a properly controlled fertilization regime involving sufficient levels of K can improve the acclimation of P N to low Ψleaf, increase P N/E of Hibiscus, and may have potential benefit for other woody plants species.
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Abbreviations
- DM:
-
dry mass
- DS:
-
drought stressed
- non-DS:
-
non-drought stressed
- E :
-
transpiration rate
- g s :
-
stomatal conductance
- K0 :
-
0 mM K
- K2.5 :
-
2.5 mM K
- K10 :
-
10 mM K
- LWC:
-
leaf water content
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- WUE:
-
water use efficiency
- Δ:
-
stable carbon isotope discrimination
- Ψl :
-
leaf water potential
- ΨP :
-
leaf turgor potential
- Ψπ :
-
leaf osmotic potential
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Egilla, J.N., Davies, F.T. & Boutton, T.W. Drought stress influences leaf water content, photosynthesis, and water-use efficiency of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis at three potassium concentrations. Photosynthetica 43, 135–140 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-005-5140-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-005-5140-2