Summary
Translocation of assimilates in plants of Echinochloa crus-galli, from Quebec and Mississippi, and of Eleusine indica from Mississippi was monitored, before and after night chilling, using radioactive tracing with the short-life isotope 11C. Plants were grown at 28°/22°C (day/night temperatures) under either 350 or 675 μl·l-1 CO2. Low night temperature reduced translocation mainly by increasing the turn-over times of the export pool. E. crus-galli plants from Mississippi were the most susceptible to chilling; translocation being completely inhibited by exposure for one night to 7°C at 350 μl·l-1 CO2. Overall, plants from Quebec were the most tolerant to chilling-stress. For plants of all three populations, growth under CO2 enrichment resulted in higher 11C activity in the leaf phloem. High CO2 concentrations also seemed to buffer the transport system against chilling injuries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bishop PM, Whittingham CP (1968) The photosynthesis of tomato plants in a carbon dioxide enriched atmosphere. Photosynthetica 2:31–38
Caldwell MM, Osmond CB, Nott DL (1977) C4 pathway photosynthesis at low temperature in cold-tolerant Atriplex species. Plant Physiol 60:157–164
Chatterton NJ, Carlson GE, Hungerford WE, Lee DR (1972) Effect of tillering and cool nights on photosynthesis and chloroplast starch in pangola. Crop Sci 12:206–208
Christy AL, Swanson CA (1976) Control of translocation by photosynthetic and carbohydrate concentrations of the source leaf. In: Wardlaw IF, Passioura JB (eds) Transport and transfer processes in plants. Academic Press, New York, pp 329–338
Drew AP, Bazzaz FA (1982) Effect of night temperature on day-time stomatal conductance in early and late successional plants. Oecologia (Berlin) 54:76–79
Fares Y, DeMichele DW, Goeschl JD, Baltuskonis DA (1978) Continuously produced, high specific activity 11C for studies of photosynthesis, transport and metabolism. Int J Appl Radiat Isot 29:431–441
Geiger DR (1969) Chilling and translocation inhibition. Ohio J S 69:356–366
Geiger DR (1976) Effect of translocation and assimilate demand on photosynthesis. Can J Bot 54:2337–2345
Hatch MD, Glasziou KT (1964) Direct evidence for translocation of sucrose in surgarcane leaves and stems. Plant Physiol 39:180–184
Hilliard JH, West SH (1970) Starch accumulation associated with growth reduction at low temperatures in a tropical plant. Science 168:494–496
Ho LC (1977) Effects of CO2 enrichment on the rates of photosynthesis and translocation of tomato leaves. Ann App Biol 87:191–200
Huber SC (1983) Role of sucrose-phosphate synthase in partitioning of carbon in leaves. Plant Physiol 71:818–821
Kramer PJ, Hellmers H, Downs RJ (1970) SEPEL: new phytotrons for environmental research. Bio Science 20:1201–1208
Ku SB, Edwards GE, Smith D (1978) Photosynthesis and nonstructural carbohydrate concentration in leaf blades of Panicum virgatum as affected by night temperature. Can J Bot 56:63–68
Lush WM, Evans LT (1974) Translocation of photosynthetic assimilate from grass leaves, as influenced by environment and species. Aust J Plant Physiol 1:417–431
Magnuson C, Fares Y, Goeschl JD, Nelson CE, Strain BR, Jaeger CH, Bilpuch EG (1982) An integrated tracer kinetics system for studying carbon uptake and allocation in plants using continuously produced 11CO2. Radiat Environ Biophysic 21:51–65
Minchin PEH, Lang A, Thorpe MR (1983) Dynamics of cold induced inhibition of phloem. J Exp Bot 34:156–162
Neales TF, Incoll LD (1968) The control of leaf photosynthesis rate by the level of assimilate concentration in the leaf: a review of the hypothesis. Bot Rev 34:107–125
Oquist G (1983) Effects of low temperature on photosynthesis. Plant Cell Environ 6:281–300
Pearson CJ, Derrick GA (1977) Thermal adaptation of Pennisetum: Leaf photosynthesis and photosynthate translocation. Aust J Plant Physiol 4:763–769
Potvin C, Goeschl JD, Strain BR (1984) Effects of temperature and CO2 enrichment on carbon translocation of plants of the C4 grass species Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. from cool and warm environment. Plant Physiol 75:1054–1057
Potvin C, Strain BR (1985) Photosynthetic response to cool temperature and CO2 enrichment in two species of C4 grasses. Can J Bot 63:483–487
Potvin C (1985) Amelioration of chilling effects by CO2 enrichment. Physiol veget (in press)
Strain BR, Armentano TV (1982) Environmental and societal consequences of CO2 induced climate change: response of “unmanaged” ecosystems. Nat Tech Inf Ser, US Dept Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, DOE/EV/10019-12, 46 pp
Wardlaw IF (1982) Assimilate movement in Lolium and Sorghum leaves. III. Carbon dioxide concentration effects on the metabolism and translocation of photosynthates. Aust J Plant Physiol 9:705–715
West SH (1973) Carbohydrate metabolism and photosynthesis of tropical grasses subjected to low temperatures. In: Slatyer RO (ed). Plant response to climatic factors. Unesco, Paris, pp 165–168
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Potvin, C., Strain, B.R. & Goeschl, J.D. Low night temperature effect on photosynthate translocation of two C4 grasses. Oecologia 67, 305–309 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384934
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384934