Non-Photochemical Quenching Involved in the Regulation of Photosynthesis of Rice Leaves under High Nitrogen Conditions

Abstract

Excess and deficient nitrogen (N) inhibit photosynthesis in the leaves of rice plants, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. N can improve the chlorophyll content and thus affect photon absorption, but the photosynthetic rate does not increase accordingly. To investigate this mechanism, three concentrations of N treatments were applied to two rice varieties, Zhefu802 and Fgl. The results indicated increased chlorophyll content of leaves with an increased N supply. Little discrepancy was detected in Rubisco enzyme activity and Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in the high nitrogen (HN) and moderate nitrogen (MN) treatments. The model that photoinhibition occurs in Zhefu802 due to a lack of balance of light absorption and utilization is supported by the higher malondialdehyde (MDA) content, higher H2O2 content, and photoinhibitory quenching (qI) in HN treatment compared with MN treatment. A lower proportion of N in leaf was used to synthesize chlorophyll for Fgl compared with Zhefu802, reducing the likelihood of photoinhibition under HN treatment. In conclusion, HN supply does not allow ideal photosynthetic rate and increases the likelihood of photoinhibition because it does not sustain the balance of light absorption and utilization. Apart from Rubisco enzyme activity, NPQ mainly contributes to the unbalance. These results of this study will provide reference for the effective N management of rice.