Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1988 Nov;88(3):869–878. doi: 10.1104/pp.88.3.869

Exploring the Limits of Crop Productivity 1

I. Photosynthetic Efficiency of Wheat in High Irradiance Environments

Bruce G Bugbee 1, Frank B Salisbury 1
PMCID: PMC1055676  PMID: 11537442

Abstract

The long-term vegetative and reproductive growth rates of a wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.) were determined in three separate studies (24, 45, and 79 days) in response to a wide range of photosynthetic photon fluxes (PPF, 400-2080 micromoles per square meter per second; 22-150 moles per square meter per day; 16-20-hour photoperiod) in a near-optimum, controlled-environment. The CO2 concentration was elevated to 1200 micromoles per mole, and water and nutrients were supplied by liquid hydroponic culture. An unusually high plant density (2000 plants per square meter) was used to obtain high yields. Crop growth rate and grain yield reached 138 and 60 grams per square meter per day, respectively; both continued to increase up to the highest integrated daily PPF level, which was three times greater than a typical daily flux in the field. The conversion efficiency of photosynthesis (energy in biomass/energy in photosynthetic photons) was over 10% at low PPF but decreased to 7% as PPF increased. Harvest index increased from 41 to 44% as PPF increased. Yield components for primary, secondary, and tertiary culms were analyzed separately. Tillering produced up to 7000 heads per square meter at the highest PPF level. Primary and secondary culms were 10% more efficient (higher harvest index) than tertiary culms; hence cultural, environmental, or genetic changes that increase the percentage of primary and secondary culms might increase harvest index and thus grain yield. Wheat is physiologically and genetically capable of much higher productivity and photosynthetic efficiency than has been recorded in a field environment.

Full text

PDF
869

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Araus J. L., Tapia L. Photosynthetic Gas Exchange Characteristics of Wheat Flag Leaf Blades and Sheaths during Grain Filling: The Case of a Spring Crop Grown under Mediterranean Climate Conditions. Plant Physiol. 1987 Nov;85(3):667–673. doi: 10.1104/pp.85.3.667. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bubenheim D. L., Bugbee B., Salisbury F. B. Radiation in controlled environments: influence of lamp type and filter material. J Am Soc Hortic Sci. 1988 May;113(3):468–474. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ehleringer J., Pearcy R. W. Variation in Quantum Yield for CO(2) Uptake among C(3) and C(4) Plants. Plant Physiol. 1983 Nov;73(3):555–559. doi: 10.1104/pp.73.3.555. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gifford R. M., Thorne J. H., Hitz W. D., Giaquinta R. T. Crop productivity and photoassimilate partitioning. Science. 1984 Aug 24;225(4664):801–808. doi: 10.1126/science.225.4664.801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Heller M., Dix R. D., Baringer J. R., Schachter J., Conte J. E., Jr Herpetic proctitis and meningitis: recovery of two strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 from cerebrospinal fluid. J Infect Dis. 1982 Nov;146(5):584–588. doi: 10.1093/infdis/146.5.584. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kobza J., Edwards G. E. Influences of leaf temperature on photosynthetic carbon metabolism in wheat. Plant Physiol. 1987 Jan;83(1):69–74. doi: 10.1104/pp.83.1.69. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Morison J. I., Gifford R. M. Ethylene Contamination of CO(2) Cylinders: Effects on Plant Growth in CO(2) Enrichment Studies. Plant Physiol. 1984 May;75(1):275–277. doi: 10.1104/pp.75.1.275. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Radin J. W., Eidenbock M. P. Carbon Accumulation during Photosynthesis in Leaves of Nitrogen- and Phosphorus-Stressed Cotton. Plant Physiol. 1986 Nov;82(3):869–871. doi: 10.1104/pp.82.3.869. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Salisbury F. B., Bugbee B., Bubenheim D. Wheat production in controlled environments. Adv Space Res. 1987;7(4):123–132. doi: 10.1016/0273-1177(87)90043-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sharkey T. D., Stitt M., Heineke D., Gerhardt R., Raschke K., Heldt H. W. Limitation of Photosynthesis by Carbon Metabolism : II. O(2)-Insensitive CO(2) Uptake Results from Limitation Of Triose Phosphate Utilization. Plant Physiol. 1986 Aug;81(4):1123–1129. doi: 10.1104/pp.81.4.1123. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES