Effect of excess lead on sunflower growth and photosynthesis

Abstract

The effect of different lead (Pb) concentrations in the nutrient solution on the growth, Pb and chlorophyll a+b content, chlorophyll fluorescence and quenching parameters in the leaves of young sunflower (Helianthus annuas L.) plants was studied. The content of Pb in the analyzed plant parts increased following the increase in Pb content in the nutrient medium. This increase was expressed to a higher extent in the roots than in the stems and leaves. In the presence of high concentration of Pb in the leaf area, the dry mass and the height of plants were reduced. Lead treatment of sunflower plants led to a pronounced reduction of chlorophyll (a+b) content, accompanied by much smaller decrease of photosynthetic O evaluation rate and PSII efficiency at low light intensity. Hence, Pb effect did not result in the destruction of the photosynthetic apparatus, but in its reduction. The highest Pb concentration in the nutrient solution induced, however, at saturating photon flux density (PFD) a decrease in photochemical quenching and in the efficiency of PSII electron transport and significantly affected nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching, indicating an increase in proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane and a decrease of photophosphorylation.