Can Electrophysiological Parameters Substitute for Growth, and Photosynthetic Parameters to Characterize the Response of Mulberry and Paper Mulberry to Drought?

Abstract

Drought is a key factor restricting plant survival, growth and development. The physiological parameters of plants are commonly used to determine the water status, in order to irrigate appropriately and save water. In this study, mulberry (Morus alba L.) and paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.) seedlings were used as experimental materials, and four soil moisture treatments were set up for both plant species: 70–75% (CK: the control group, referred to as T0), 55–60% (T1: mild drought), 40–45% (T2: moderate drought), and 25–30% (T3: severe drought). The growth parameter of the plants was measured every two days from the onset of the treatment, the photosynthetic and electrophysiological parameters of the plants were measured every other week for a total of five times. The physiological responses and electrophysiological traits of leaves under different treatment levels were analyzed. The results showed that the photosynthetic and electrophysiological parameters could characterize the response of mulberry growth and development to soil water, and the growth and electrophysiological parameters could characterize the response of paper mulberry growth and development to soil water. Mild drought had no significant effects on the growth and development of mulberry and paper mulberry.

Exploration of the Implementation of Carbon Neutralization in the Field of Natural Resources under the Background of Sustainable Development—An Overview

“…Plants can utilize not only the photosynthetic pathway of Rubisco, but also the non-photosynthetic pathway of PEPC to utilize bicarbonate, and the synergistic effect of the two pathways on the absorption and utilization of bicarbonate dominates the transformation of karst carbon sinks into plant carbon sinks. Broussonetia papyrifera experiences more photosynthetic pathway conversion than Morus alba, which further indicates that the karst-adaptive plant Broussonetia papyrifera can efficiently utilize bicarbonate, promote plant growth, enhance the carbon sequestration capacity and more effectively regulate the entire carbon cycle in key karst zones [ 82 , 83 , 84 ].…”

Response of Bletilla striata to Drought: Effects on Biochemical and Physiological Parameter Also with Electric Measurements

“…Figure 2b shows that the CAT activity of B. striata decreased (p < 0.01) with increasin drought. Compared with the CK, the LS treatment had the highest activity of B. stria CAT (p < 0.01), and the CAT activity was lowest under the SS treatment (p < 0.01), whic Electrophysiological indicators can represent the drought tolerance of plants and are widely used to detect the drought tolerance of plants [23]. Electrophysiology is an experimental method for electrical measurement and manipulation of living cells, living tissues and individuals.…”

“…When plants are subjected to water stress [28], the effects of these stressors on plants can be expressed by the plant electrical signals [29][30][31]. For example, leaf water potential [28], photosynthetic characteristics [23] and physiological capacitance (C) [24] of plants under drought stress were measured to quickly detect the growth state of plants under drought [5,28]. On the other hand, the energy required for plant growth and development is called the metabolizable energy of plant cells [32], which is the main form of energy to sustain life activities [33].…”

Water Metabolism of Lonicera japonica and Parthenocissus quinquefolia in Response to Heterogeneous Simulated Rock Outcrop Habitats

“…When the plant’s internal growth conditions and the external environment change, the permeability of the plant cell membrane alters initially, resulting in a change in the electrolyte concentration inside and outside the cells, which leads to changes in the cell’s capacitance (C), resistance (R) and impedance (Z), and the water inside the cells also changes. Jamaludin et al [ 29 ] found that the impedance showed a significant negative relationship with leaf water status, and Yu et al [ 30 ] also found that the electrophysiological parameters C, R and Z of plant leaves could characterize the response of plant growth and development to soil moisture. Furthermore, parameters based on leaves’ intrinsic electrophysiological parameters derived from leaves’ intracellular water-holding capacity, water translocation rate and water-use efficiency have also shown unique value in reflecting the characteristics of plant leaf water metabolism [ 31 ].…”