Effects of canopy structure on salinity stress in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Final Report Abstract
Salinity stress causes architectural alterations and physiological disturbances on plants, with tremendous implications for light interception and crop productivity. It is therefore important to study architectural and physiological limitations quantitatively in order to define in strategies aiming to overcome salinity-induced yield reduction. This is especially true for spatially heterogeneous crops such as cucumber, a salt-sensitive crop. The purpose of this project was to develop an integrated understanding of salinity-induced architectural alterations and physiological disturbances significant for the cucumber productivity and to study the interactions between salinity and light. To achieve this, we combined an static canopy architecture model of the cucumber growing under different salinity levels with the FvCB photosynthesis model and the quantitative limitation analyses at non-saturating light condition. Canopy architecture was modeled with geometrical details such as 3-D organ positioning, orientation and shape. The model was then used as a research tool to first evaluate the different photosynthetic limitations resulted from salinity quantitatively. The present model is a novel approach to quantify different components of the whole plant photosynthetic limitations. The analyses of this model indicated that plant architecture and stomatal regulation are the main factors limiting cucumber canopy photosynthesis under salinity. Further studies using this approach in other species would provide insights into physiological limits due to salinity and improve our understanding of salinity tolerance. For example, it may help in defining target traits of a crop species to be improved by breeder or in designing cropping systems (e.g. training system, intercropping or orchard) more suitable to saline conditions. In contrast to tomato plants, it was interesting to note that the architectural effects of salinity on cucumber growth increased with time. Therefore, it is important to stress that the results obtained from this study may not be generalized to all plant species and all cropping systems. However, these results highlight the differences in mechanisms of salinity tolerance between species. They also indicate that more insights to salinity tolerance could be obtained by applying our approach to other plant species with contrasting canopy structure (e.g. cereal crops versus greenhouse crops) or phenology (e.g. fruit tree versus annual crops).
Publications
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(2012): Architectural modelling in horticulture - quo vadis?, Acta Horticulturae 957: 207-214
Kahlen K, Chen T-W, Wiechers D, Stützel H
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(2012): Determining photosynthetic limitations under saturated and non-saturated light conditions, Kang M, Dumont Y, Guo Y, eds. Plant growth modeling, simulation, visualization and applications, Proceedings – PMA’12. IEEE Computer Society Conference Publishing Services, 93-95
Chen T-W, Kahlen K, Stützel H
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(2013): Applying quantitative limitation analysis of photosynthesis in crop production research. Mitteilung der Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissenschaften 25, Göttingen, 162-163
Chen T-W, Kahlen K, Stützel H
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(2013): Modelling temperature-modulated internode elongation in greenhouse grown cucumber canopies. In Lintunen A. FSPM2013 - 7th Workshop on Functional-Structural Plant Models. Helsinki, 168-170
Kahlen K, Chen T-W, Zinkernagel J, Stützel H
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(2013): Revealing the relative importance of photosynthetic limitations in cucumber canopy. In Lintunen A. FSPM2013 - 7th Workshop on Functional-Structural Plant Models. Helsinki, 124-126
Chen T-W, Henke M, de Visser PHB, Buck-Sorlin G, Stützel H
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(2013): Up-scaling salt effects in cucumber: trade-off between photosynthesis and toxic ion accumulation. In Lintunen A. FSPM2013 - 7th Workshop on Functional-Structural Plant Models. Helsinki, 131-133
Chen T-W, Kahlen K, Stützel H
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(2014): Modelling the effects of temperature, CO2 enrichment and water stress on photosynthetic limitations – a new approach to upscale from leaf to canopy level Mitteilung der Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissenschaften 26. Wien, Austria
Chen T-W, Kahlen K, Stützel H
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(2014): Quantifying photosynthetic limitations from leaf to canopy level. 13th ESA Congress. Debrecen, Hungary. 243-244
Chen T-W, Kahlen K, Stützel H
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(2014): What is the most prominent factor limiting photosynthesis? – A model study to quantify photosynthetic limitations in different layers of a cucumber canopy. Annals of Botany 114: 677-688
Chen T-W, Henke M, de Visser PHB, Buck-Sorlin G, Kahlen K, Wiechers D, Stützel H
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(2015): Architectural and non-architectural effects of salinity on canopy structure, light interception and dry mass production in greenhouse cucumber and tomato. Leibniz Universität Hannover
Chen T-W
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(2015): Disentangling the contributions of osmotic and ionic effects of salinity on stomatal, mesophyll, biochemical and light limitations to photosynthesis. Plant, Cell & Environment 38:1528-1542
Chen T-W, Kahlen K, Stützel H
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(2015): Strukturelle und funktionale Limitierungen der Bestandesphotosynthese unter Salzstress, Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissenschaften, Band 27, pp 143-146
Chen, T-W, Kahlen, K. and Stützel, H
