ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Photosynthetic Responses of Tomato Leaves
to Salt and Cadmium Stresses: Growth
and Chlorophyll a Fluorescence
Kinetic Analyses
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1
Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
2
Institut National de Recherche en Génie Rural Eaux et Forêts, Ariana, Tunisia
Submission date: 2017-09-14
Final revision date: 2017-11-22
Acceptance date: 2017-12-07
Online publication date: 2018-06-28
Publication date: 2018-07-09
Corresponding author
Fatma Gharbi
Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, UR 13/ES25, Ecologie Végétale, 2092, Tunis, Tunisie, Universite de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Departement de Biologie, Campus univers, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2018;27(6):2499-2508
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ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of salinity (NaCl) and cadmium (Cd) on leaf growth and
photosynthetic parameters of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Rio Grande). Cd and NaCl
treatments considerably reduced leaf dry matter and leaf area of tomato plants. Stomatal conductance
decreased significantly with increased NaCl and Cd in the growth medium, with the decrease occurring
at an early stage under Cd treatments. For the fluorescence parameters, there was no significant difference
in the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) for either type of stress. However, the quantum yield
of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), photochemical quenching (qp), and the intrinsic efficiency of PSII (Фexc)
decreased significantly under both NaCl and Cd treatments. Decreases in ΦPSII, qp, and Фexc were coupled
with a significant increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and the highest NPQ was obtained
in NaCl-treated plants. The correlation between electron transport rate (ETR) and stomatal conductance
showed that stomatal closure is associated with a down-regulation of ETR, which is compensated by an
increase in non-photochemical quenching.