Drought stress is a major environmental factor limiting growth and agricultural productivity. The objective of this study was to compare photosynthetic responses to intense water deficit and the recovery capacity in crambe plants (Crambe abyssinica Hochst. cultivar FMS Brilhante and lineage FMS CR1101) using chlorophyll a fluorescence analyses. Plants were submitted to water deficit for seven days followed by rehydration. Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements were performed using a Handy-PEA fluorometer. Under drought stress, there was a reduction of the leaf relative water content (RWC) and stomatal conductance (g s ), with full recovery after three days of rehydration to BRS Brilhante cultivar. Both genotypes showed decreased flux of electrons transport from the absorption to the reduction of the intersystem acceptors. FMS Brilhante cultivar showed better energetic connectivity (L-band) between photosystem II (PSII) units and lower inactivation of the oxygen-evolving complex (K-band), evidencing advantages of the cultivar compared to FMS CR1101 lineage. Finally, the recovery of photosynthetic activity observed in FMS CR1101 lineage during rehydration was due the phenomena related to the electron flow around the PSI.
Keywords:Chlorophyll a fluorescence; Drought tolerance; JIP-test; Recovery; Photosystem II. Abbreviations: F 0 = F 20 µs , minimum fluorescence, when all PSII RCs are open; F2 (100 µs) and F3 (300 µs) , fluorescence intensity at 100 and 300 µs, respectively; F4 (2 ms) and F5 (30 ms), fluorescence intensity at the J-step (2 ms) and the I-step (30 ms), respectively; F m , maximum fluorescence, when all PSII RCs are closed; g s , stomatal conductance; RWC, relative leaf water content; DH, days after the onset of drought stress; RC, days after rehydration; P 680 , reaction center of photosystem II; PQH 2 , plastoquinol; CF, chlorophyll a fluorescence, OEC, oxygen-evolving complex; PSI, photosystem I; PSII, photosystem II; Q A , primary quinone acceptor of PSII; RC, reaction centre; ROS, reactive oxygen species; V t , variable fluorescence between steps O (20 µs) and P; V OK , variable fluorescence between steps O (20 µs) and K (300 µs); V OJ , variable fluorescence between steps O (20 µs) and J (2 ms); V IP , variable fluorescence between steps I (30 ms) and P; ΔV , diference kinetic; TM,turgid mass; DM, dry mass.