Photosynthetic acclimation of tobacco (Nicotiana sp.) under drought and nitrogen stress

Photosynthesis and respiration are major processes that influence the carbon cycle and will be impacted by future changes in precipitation. Short-term exposure to drought can decrease photosynthetic rates and growth, but plants can acclimate and adjust to water deficits over the long-term by changing their leaf physiology. The rate of acclimation may depend on nitrogen availability, which is necessary to synthesize enzymes. Photosynthetic acclimation can also be influenced by stress memory, where drought preconditioning enhances tolerance to future drought events. However, there are limited studies that examine the photosynthetic rates of plants under long-term drought stress, and carbon uptake models often do not account for drought acclimation, potentially underestimating CO2 uptake by plants. We expect that photosynthetic capacity will initially decline during drought, but photosynthetic rates will recover with prolonged exposure. We also predict that higher N and prior exposure to drought will enhance the ability of plants to acclimate.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hugh Henry

Student:

Partner:

Texas Tech University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program: