Suboptimal nitrogen status sensitizes the photosynthetic apparatus in willow leaves to long term but not short term water stress

Abstract

The response to drought was compared for willow plants of optimal leaf nitrogen content (100 N) and those of 86% of this content (86 N). Gas exchange measurements revealed that the carboxylation efficiency (CE) of photosynthesis was more sensitive to drought than the photosynthetic capacity in both N regimes. Since the leaf content of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) was found to be much more resistant it is suggested that a decreased specific activity of Rubisco underlies the decreased CE. Although the rate of water consumption was the same for 86 N and 100 N plants the photosynthetic apparatus responded much more rapidly in the 86 N leaves. This increased sensitivity of 86 N leaves was not due to accelerated senescence as judged by comparison with parallel plants subjected to discontinued fertilization; the two categories of treatments resulted in the same loss of leaf nitrogen and Rubisco but drought induced a much more rapid photosynthetic depression. In contrast to the drought situation, 86 N and 100 N plants behaved similarly when compared under short term water stress. First, when single attached leaves were exposed to a sudden drop in air humidity the capacity of CO2 uptake in both N regimes decreased about 20% over 10 min while the leaf water potential remained high. Second, in freely transpiring leaf discs cut from 86 N and 100 N leaves the same relationship between capacity of O2 evolution and extent of dehydration was observed. The possible mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility of 86 N leaves to drought is discussed; the water status of the roots not the leaves is suggested to be the determining factor.