Nitrogen nutrition and water stress effects on leaf photosynthetic gas exchange and water use efficiency in winter wheat

The responses of gas exchange and water use efficiency to nitrogen nutrition for winter wheat were investigated under well-watered and drought conditions. The photosynthetic gas exchange parameters of winter wheat are remarkably improved by water and nitrogen nutrition and the regulative capability of nitrogen nutrition is influenced by water status. The effects of nitrogen nutrition on photosynthetic characteristics and on the limited factors to photosynthesis are not identical under different water status. Intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEt) of the plants at the high-N nutrition was decreased by a larger value than that of the plants in the low-N treatment due to a larger decrease in photosynthetic rate than in transpiration rate. Carbon isotope composition of plant material (delta(p)) is increased by the increase of drought intensity. The delta(p) at a given level of C-i/C-a is reduced by nitrogen deficiency. Leaf carbon isotope discrimination (Delta) is increased by the increase of nitrogen nutrition and decreased by the increase of drought intensity. Transpirational water use efficiency (WUEt) is negatively correlated with Delta in both nitrogen supply treatments and increased with the nitrogen supply. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.