Low Incident Light Combined with Partial Waterlogging Impairs Photosynthesis and Imposes a Yield Penalty in Cotton

Abstract

Through field studies, cotton responses to dual stresses -waterlogging and low light (shade) were investigated. The hypothesis was that shade would amplify yield losses in waterlogged (WL) cotton. Either early or late in the reproductive phase, the crop was WL (96 h and 120 h, in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, respectively) and/or shaded (6 days or 9 days in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, respectively). Waterlogging at early reproductive phase significantly reduced lint yield (17 % averaged across both years) of cotton, although shade-induced yield losses (18 %) were only significant in 2013-2014. Shade significantly exacerbated yield losses only when the impact of waterlogging damage was modest (2013-2014). More intense waterlogging impaired lint yield independently of the light levels. Yield reductions in these experiments were the consequence of both accelerated fruit abscission and fewer fruiting nodes produced. Plants had lower leaf nitrogen levels and photosynthetic rates after waterlogging and/or shade treatments and produced fewer fruiting nodes. Although long-term shade increased specific leaf area (30 %) and leaf N (20 %) immediately following 5 days of waterlogging, it did not restore shoot growth, node formation or lint yield because of suppressed photosynthetic performance (area basis) and carbohydrate supply.

The Effects of Flood, Drought, and Flood Followed by Drought on Yield in Cotton

“…As most stresses negatively affect cotton growth, the combined effects of two stresses may be more harmful. For instance, the combined effect of waterlogging and heat stress [13], and that of waterlogging and low light were found positively significant [9], which means the combination of two stresses could induce more impairments on cotton than their additive effects. In comparison, our result regarding flood followed by drought stress showed that the combined effect of flood and drought was obviously less than their additive effects.…”

“…In field conditions, cotton suffers from various factors, such as water deficit, waterlogging, heat stress, shade stress, and limited nutrients [5][6][7][8][9]. The combined stress of two stresses are also common.…”

“…Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a leading industrial crop in the world; however, its production is severely restricted by various factors, such as drought, high temperature, flood, low light, and nutrients deficiency [5][6][7][8][9]. China has been the second largest cotton production country for many years, contributing~30% of global cotton production [10], and the Middle-Lower Yangtze River plain is one of the three major cotton production regions in China.…”

Biomass Accumulation in the Endangered Shrub Lindera melissifolia as Affected by Gradients of Light Availability and Soil Flooding

“…We A primary interest of this research was to examine how L. melissifolia grown along a gradient of light availability responds to the stress of annual soil flooding. We recognize numerous pathways in which plants may respond to these stress factors (Lenssen et al 2003, Niinemets 2010, Najeeb et al 2016, and these are indicated by the presence or absence of a statistically significant interaction between light availability and soil flooding as they affect plant function. For example, Mielke and Schaffer (2010) found that light availability and soil flooding independently affected biomass accumulation of Eugenia uniflora seedlings.…”

“…These results indicate that the apparent stress of light deprivation is sufficiently influential on plant function to prevent any further reduction in biomass accumulation due to additional days of soil flooding. Several authors have described this static response by suggesting the impact of one stress factor dominates plant function such that a second stress factor has little or no impact on plant growth (Lenssen et al 2003, Niinemets 2010, Najeeb et al 2016.…”