INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF LIGHT AND DROUGHT STRESS ON PHOTOSYNTHETIC ACTIVITY AND PHOTOINHIBITION UNDER (SUB-) TROPICAL CONDITIONS

In arid and semi-arid regions even plants well adapted to their prevailing environment may show a slowly reversible, visible light-dependent diurnal reduction of photosynthetic CO₂ uptake.
This photoinhibition of photosynthesis will be enhanced if other stresses like drought, high or low temperatures, salt, or their combination limits CO₂ availability or otherwise restricts the metabolic use of absorbed light energy.
Although the knowledge about the mechanisms underlying plants reactions to excessive light has drastically increased during recent years there is still some debate in literature about the correct meaning of the term photoinhibition.
Here, examples of photoinhibition, measured in the field, will be shown, a definition of photoinhibition will be given, and a brief overview of the possible mechanism(s) of this reversible down regulation of photosynthesis will be added.

II ISHS Conference on Fruit Production in the Tropics and Subtropics

Werner B. Herppich

CO₂ availability, metabolic use, stresses

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.531.19