Leaf hydraulic conductance (K ) and mesophyll conductance (g ) both represent major constraints to photosynthetic rate (A), and previous studies have suggested that K and g is correlated in leaves. However, there is scarce empirical information about their correlation. In this study, K , leaf hydraulic conductance inside xylem (K ), leaf hydraulic conductance outside xylem (K ), A, stomatal conductance (g ), g , and anatomical and structural leaf traits in 11 Oryza genotypes were investigated to elucidate the correlation of H O and CO diffusion inside leaves. All of the leaf functional and anatomical traits varied significantly among genotypes. K was not correlated with the maximum theoretical stomatal conductance calculated from stomatal dimensions (g ), and neither g nor g were correlated with K . Moreover, K was linearly correlated with g and both were closely related to mesophyll structural traits. These results suggest that K and g are related to leaf anatomical and structural features, which may explain the mechanism for correlation between g and K .

Chlorophyll meters are widely used to guide nitrogen (N) management by monitoring leaf N status in agricultural systems, but the effects of environmental factors and leaf characteristics on leaf N estimations are still unclear. In the present study, we estimated the relationships among SPAD readings, chlorophyll content and leaf N content per leaf area for seven species grown in multiple environments. There were similar relationships between SPAD readings and chlorophyll content per leaf area for the species groups, but the relationship between chlorophyll content and leaf N content per leaf area, and the relationship between SPAD readings and leaf N content per leaf area varied widely among the species groups. A significant impact of light-dependent chloroplast movement on SPAD readings was observed under low leaf N supplementation in both rice and soybean but not under high N supplementation. Furthermore, the allocation of leaf N to chlorophyll was strongly influenced by short-term changes in growth light. We demonstrate that the relationship between SPAD readings and leaf N content per leaf area is profoundly affected by environmental factors and leaf features of crop species, which should be accounted for when using a chlorophyll meter to guide N management in agricultural systems.

HighlightThe range of leaf hydraulic conductance across the genus Oryza is caused by leaf morpho-anatomical traits and leaf N status.

To determine whether variations in high-temperature (HT) tolerance in three rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars and two N treatments are related to leaf transpiration rate (E), and whether the involvement of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) in HT tolerance is related to E, a pot experiment supplied with two N levels (low N, 0.077 g urea kg–1 soil; sufficient N, 0.538 g urea kg–1 soil) was conducted under ambient temperature (AT) and HT with three cultivars, N22, Zhenshan 97B and Koshihikari. HT significantly decreased grain yield and seed setting percentage in Koshihikari and ZS97, which could be partly offset by a sufficient N supply. The most HT-tolerant cultivar, N22, had the highest E and stem NSC concentrations under both N treatments, whereas the most sensitive cultivar, Koshihikari, had the lowest E and stem NSC concentrations. A sufficient N supply significantly increased E in the three cultivars under the HT treatment. Grain yield and seed-setting percentage were positively related to E and plant NSC concentration under HT, and E was positively related to NSC concentration under both AT and HT. Therefore, variations in HT tolerance among rice cultivars and nitrogen treatments were related to E, and possibly to NSC concentration.

Increasing leaf photosynthesis rate (A) is considered an important strategy to increase C 3 crop yields. Leaf A is usually represented by point measurements, but A varies within each leaf, especially within large leaves. However, little is known about the effect of heterogeneity of A within leaves on rice performance. Here we investigated the changes in gas-exchange parameters and leaf structural and chemical features along leaf blades in two rice cultivars. Stomatal and mesophyll conductance as well as leaf nitrogen (N), Rubisco and chlorophyll contents increased from base to apex; consequently, A increased along leaves in both cultivars. The variation in A, leaf N content and Rubisco content within leaves was similar to the variations among cultivars, and the extent of A heterogeneity within leaves varied between cultivars, leading to different efficiencies of biomass accumulation. Furthermore, variation of A within leaves was closely associated with leaf structural and chemical features. Our findings emphasise that functional changes along leaf blades are associated with structural and chemical trait variation and that variation of A within leaves should be considered to achieve progress in future breeding programs.