Optimized Phosphorus Application Alleviated Adverse Effects of Short-Term Low-Temperature Stress in Winter Wheat by Enhancing Photosynthesis and Improved Accumulation and Partitioning of Dry Matter

Abstract

Low-temperature stress has become an important abiotic factor affecting high and stable wheat production. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to enhance low-temperature tolerance in wheat. A pot experiment was carried out using Yannong19 (YN19, a cold-tolerant cultivar) and Xinmai26 (XM26, a cold-sensitive cultivar). We employed traditional phosphorus application (TPA, i.e., R1) and optimized phosphorus application (OPA, i.e., R2) methods. Plants undertook chilling (T1 at 4 °C) and freezing treatment (T2 at −4 °C) as well as ambient temperature (CK at 11 °C) during the anther differentiation period to investigate the effects of OPA and TPA on photosynthetic parameters and the accumulation and distribution of dry matter. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of flag leaves decreased in low-temperature treatments, whereas intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) increased. Compared with R1CK, Pn in R1T1 and R1T2 treatments was reduced by 26.8% and 42.2% in YN19 and 34.2% and 54.7% in XM26, respectively. In contrast, it increased by 6.5%, 8.9% and 12.7% in YN19 and 7.7%, 15.6% and 22.6% in XM26 for R2CK, R2T1 and R2T2 treatments, respectively, under OPA compared with TPA at the same temperature treatments. Moreover, low-temperature stress reduced dry matter accumulation at the reproductive growth stage. OPA increased dry matter accumulation of vegetative organs after the flowering stage and promoted the transportation of assimilates to grains. Hence, the grain number per spike (GNPS), 1000-grain weight (TGW) and yield per plant (YPP) increased. The low-temperature treatments of T1 and T2 caused yield losses of 24.1~64.1%, and the yield increased by 8.6~20.5% under OPA treatments among the two wheat cultivars. In brief, OPA enhances low-temperature tolerance in wheat, effectively improves wheat architecture and photosynthesis, increases GNPS and TGW and ultimately lessens yield losses.

Mineral nutrients in plants under changing environments: A road to future food and nutrition security

“…Furthermore, results from physiological data combined with RNA‐Seq showed that the exogenous application of phosphite (1%) ameliorates the deleterious effects of heat stress and enhances thermotolerance of potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) by suppressing heat stress perception, which stimulated rho of plants for signal transduction, activation of genes, which attributed to scavenge excess ROS, trigger of stress proteins to cope metabolic processes and augment biosynthesis of osmolytes and defense metabolites, thereby sustaining osmotic adjustment (Xi et al., 2020). Under low‐temperature stress, the positive effects of optimized P (5 g) in wheat were evidenced in strengthening soil nutrition relationship, enhancing photosynthetic capacity, slowing down flag leaf senescence, ensuring source–sink balance, and inevitably reducing yield losses (Xu et al., 2022).…”

Twice-Split Phosphorus Application Alleviates Low Temperature Stress by Improving Root Physiology and Phosphorus Accumulation, Translocation, and Partitioning in Wheat

“…Here, leaf and stalk + leaf sheath were considered as vegetative organs. The pre-flowering vegetative organ dry matter translocation (DMT), pre-flowering vegetative organ dry matter translocation rate (PDMT), contribution of dry matter transportation of vegetative organs before the flowering stage to dry matter of grains (CDMT), dry matter accumulation of vegetative organs after flowering stage (DMAF), and contribution of dry matter after flowering stage to dry matter of grains (CDMAF) were calculated according to Xu et al [26] and Shi et al [29].…”

“…Rafiullah et al [25] pointed out that the stage of jointing to booting is the critical stage of phosphorus deficiency in wheat, and optimizing phosphorus application can increase soil phosphorus levels and promote the absorption and utilization of phosphorus in wheat plants. When wheat plants are under abiotic stress such as LT stress, optimizing phosphorus application can reduce yield loss by improving leaf photosynthesis and dry matter accumulation [26,27]. Under LT stress, phosphorus can increase the activity of enzymes related to sucrose metabolism and promote sucrose accumulation in young spikes, thus improving spikelet development and grain setting [10].…”

“…Under LT stress, phosphorus can increase the activity of enzymes related to sucrose metabolism and promote sucrose accumulation in young spikes, thus improving spikelet development and grain setting [10]. Based on the results of previous studies, optimizing phosphorus application can be an effective means to cope with LT stress in wheat [4,10,26]. However, it is uncertain whether optimizing phosphorus application (i.e., twice-split phosphorus application treatment) during the anther interval stage can mitigate the detrimental impacts of LT stress on root physiology and phosphorus accumulation, translocation, and partitioning in wheat.…”

Morphology and Nitrogen Uptake and Distribution of Wheat Plants as Influenced by Applying Remedial Urea Prior to or Post Low-Temperature Stress at Seedling Stage

“…Low temperature damaged not only wheat root growth, but also above-ground growth, resulting in lower leaf number and photosynthetic areas [32]. It has been reported that the utilization of the absorbed light energy in electron transport in N-adequate plants was much higher than that in N-deficient plants [33].…”