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Articles

Impairment of Photosynthesis by Chilling-Temperatures in Tomato ¹

Department of Botany, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration, Agricultural Research, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Chilling of attached tomato leaves (cv. Rutgers) in the dark for 16 hours at 1 C decreased both photosynthesis and transpiration. To separate the effects of chilling on stomatal CO₂ conductance from more direct effects of chilling on the chloroplasts' activities, measurements of photosynthesis and transpiration were made at atmospheric and saturating CO₂ levels. At atmospheric CO₂, the inhibition of photosynthesis was approximately 60%, of which about 35% was attributable to the impairment of chloroplast function and about 25% was attributable to decreased stomatal conductance. However, the affinity of the photosynthetic apparatus for CO₂ was not changed by chilling, since the dependence of the relative rate of photosynthesis on the intercellular CO₂ concentration was unaltered. The apparent quantum requirement for CO₂ reduction also was identical in chilled and unchilled plants. This observation contradicts the widely held notion that the chilling-induced inhibition of photosynthesis is caused by an impairment of the water oxidation mechanism. The impairment of chloroplast activity was not a consequence of an unfavorable water status within the leaf, since chilling caused only a small drop (1 bar) in water potential. A small loss of chlorophyll resulted as a secondary effect of chilling, but this loss of chlorophyll was eliminated as a cause of the inhibition of photosynthesis.

No recovery of chloroplast activity occurred during the subsequent light period after chilling. The recovery seemed to be inhibited by light or to require both a light period and a dark period or to occur after a considerable lag period. After a period of both light and dark, restoration of stomatal conductance occurred more slowly than did the recovery of chloroplast activity.

¹ Supported by United States Department of Agriculture/Competitive Research Grants Office Grant 5901-0410-9-0309-0 (to D. R. O.).

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