Regulação da fotossíntese por deficiência hídrica, nitrogênio e CO2 elevado em cana-de-açúcar

Abstract

Sugarcane is plant of great economic potential, mainly utilized to sugar and biofuel production. Brazil has an international importance, leading the world production of this culture. In despite of this high production, Brazil is located in a tropical region and presents several climatic adversities. The study of sugarcane physiology in stress situations, like water deficit, becomes essential to maintenance and improvement of the production. Sugarcane is a C4 species, with a CO2 concentration mechanism. It is expected that the growing elevation of CO2 in the atmosphere does not the sugarcane productivity in a relevant way but the studies about this subject are very scarce. Thus, it was aimed to evaluate the photosynthesis regulation by water deficit, nitrogen supply and high CO2 in sugarcane plants. Chapter 1 contains the state of the art concerning the study theme. In the chapter 2, it was performed an work in order to evaluate the responses to water deficit of two sugarcane cultivars considered contrasting about water deficit, IAC SP 94-2094 and IAC SP 95-5000. These cultivars were exposed to severe water deficit, with withholding water for five days, and recovery, irrigated after for two days after stress. The applied treatment strongly affected the gas exchanges, with stomatal closure in both cultivars, leading to great reductions in transpiration and CO2 assimilation. The chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters were affected, but without photoinhibition. Tolerant cultivar showed higher PEPcase activity in stress, but Rubisco activity was not altered. In the sensitive cultivar there was not alteration in the PEPcase activity whereas Rubisco activity was reduced 40% in stress but totally recovered. PEPcase expression was increased in stress but with a higher increment in sensitive cultivar, with a similar pattern in the Rubisco amount. In the chapter 3, it was performed an work in order to evaluate the antioxidative system in sugarcane plants exposed to mild water stress. In this chapter, IAC SP 94-2094 was utilized and the water deficit was applied with irrigation cycles, with plants irrigated each five days for fifteen days and recovery for three days. Water stress applied caused remarkable decreases in the stomatal conductance, leaf transpiration and net photosynthesis, with partial recovery, causing lower water use and carboxylation efficiencies. Photochemical parameters showed transient changes completely reversible by recovery. PEPcase and Rubisco activities did not show modifications but it was increase in the relative amount of PEPcase and Rubisco activation state. Water stress increased the lipid peroxidation and H2O2 content, inducing increases in SOD and APX activities, mainly thylakoidal APX and Fe-SOD. Sugars profile was altered in stressed plants, with increase in hexoses and decrease in starch content in leaves. The aim of the chapter 4 was evaluate the physiological and biochemical changes in concern to photosynthetic processes in sugarcane exposed to high CO2 and low supply of nitrogen (-N). Net photosynthesis was reduced in plants subjected to high CO2 and -N. Photochemical parameters were decreased only in -N treatment, but with no photoinhibition. Carboxylation enzymes, PEPcase and Rubisco, did suffer differential regulations either by high CO2 or by low nitrogen. Nitrate determination showed accumulation in roots, indicating deficiency in transport to shoot. -N treatment decreased the amino acids content, soluble proteins and total nitrogen. Sucrose content was reduced in all treatments. At last, it was verified that IAC SP 94-2094 cultivar has more photoprotection indicated by higher NPQ and more PEPcase activity and expression, conferring a better performance in severe water deficit periods. When studied under mild water stress, the plants showed an organized anti-oxidative defense for protection against reactive oxygen species. When under high CO2, sugarcane plants exhibit stomatal and biochemical changes, reducing the photosynthetic activity by reduction in nitrate assimilation and nitrate reductase activity, showing a strong relation between carbon and nitrogen assimilation.