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Rearrangement of leaf traits with changing source-sink relationship in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) leaves

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

The source-sink relationship is one of major determinants of plant performance. The influence of reproductive sink demand on light-saturated photosynthesis (P max), dark respiration (R D), stomatal conductance (g s), intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi), contents of soluble sugar (SSC), nitrogen, carbon, and photosynthetic pigments was examined in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. ‘Brigitta’) during the final stage of rapid fruit growth. Measurements were performed three times per day on developed, sun-exposed leaves of girdled shoots with 0.1, 1, and 10 fruit per leaf (0.1F:L, 1F:L, and 10F:L, respectively) and nongirdled shoots bearing one fruit per leaf (NG). Girdling and lower fruit amount induced lower P max, g s, N, and total chlorophyll (Chl) and higher WUEi, SSC, R D, Chl a/b ratio and carotenoids-to-chlorophylls ratio (Car/Chl) for the 1F:L and 0.1F:L treatments. The impact of girdling was counterbalanced by 10F:L, with NG and 10F:L having similar values. Variables other than P max, R D, g s, WUEi, and SSC were unaffected throughout the course of the day. P max and g s decreased during the course of the day, but g s decreased more than P max in the afternoon, while WUEi was increasing in almost all treatments. SSC increased from the morning until afternoon, whereas R D peaked at noon regardless of the treatment. Generally, P max was closely and negatively correlated to SSC, indicating that sugar-sensing mechanisms played an important role in regulation of blueberry leaf photosynthesis. With respect to treatments, P max and N content were positively related, while R D was not associated to substrate availability. The enhanced Car/Chl ratio showed a higher photoprotection under the lower sink demand. Changes in the source-sink relationship in ‘Brigitta’ blueberry led to a rearrangement of physiological and structural leaf traits which allowed adjusting the daily balance between carbon assimilation and absorbed light energy.

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Abbreviations

AM:

measurements at 08:00–10:40

Car:

carotenoids

Chl:

chlorophyll

Chltot :

total chlorophylls

DM:

dry mass

FM:

fresh mass

g s :

stomatal conductance to water vapour

NG:

nongirdled shoots

P max :

light-saturated photosynthesis

PM:

measurements at 17:00–19:40

R D :

dark respiration rate

SSC:

soluble sugar concentration

WUEi :

intrinsic water-use efficiency

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Doctorado y Magister en Ciencias de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile

    E. Jorquera-Fontena

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile

    M. Alberdi & M. Reyes-Díaz

  3. Center of Plant-Soil Interaction and Natural Resources, Biotechnology, Scientific, and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile

    M. Alberdi & M. Reyes-Díaz

  4. Centro de Estudios de Zonas Áridas, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 129, Coquimbo, Chile

    N. Franck

Authors
  1. E. Jorquera-Fontena
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  2. M. Alberdi
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  3. M. Reyes-Díaz
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  4. N. Franck
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. Franck.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: The first author thanks to ‘Agrícola Berries San Luis’ for facilitating the use and maintenance of the experimental plot. Aureliano Troncoso, Francisco Alfaro, and Jessica Yañez for their valuable help in the collection of data and Dr. Francisco Matus for his pertinent suggestions. E. Jorquera-Fontena was funded by CONICYT (Chile) through Ph.D. scholarship and FONDEF D06I1100, and by Universidad de La Frontera (Temuco, Chile) through Project FRO0601. N. Franck acknowledges FONDECYT grant 1130509.

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Jorquera-Fontena, E., Alberdi, M., Reyes-Díaz, M. et al. Rearrangement of leaf traits with changing source-sink relationship in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) leaves. Photosynthetica 54, 508–516 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0207-9

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