Photosynthetica 2025, 63(3):291-295 | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2025.026

Role of nitrogen utilization in facilitating photosynthetic compensation of soybean under vertically heterogeneous light

X.R. MA, X.M. SONG, E.Z. ZHANG, J.B. DU, X. SUN
College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, 611130 Chengdu, China

Photosynthetic compensation enables high-density planted crops to use the available light efficiently. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Herein, soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.) were treated with vertically heterogeneous light (HL) to simulate the light conditions in high-density planting. The net photosynthetic rate (PN) increased in upper unshaded leaves (UL) while it decreased in lower shaded leaves (LL) under HL. This evident photosynthetic compensation was accompanied by a preferential distribution of N to UL. Correspondingly, the amounts of chlorophyll (Chl) and Rubisco increased in UL. At the same time, the ratio of Rubisco to Chl (Rubisco/Chl) and the photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE) of UL decreased under HL. In contrast, there was little change in the PNUE of LL. This study suggests that the within-plant distribution and within-leaf allocation of N play significant roles in photosynthetic compensation. The decline in PNUE at the whole-plant level should be viewed as a cost associated with facilitating this process.

Additional key words: heterogeneous light; nitrogen utilization; photosynthetic compensation.

Received: July 14, 2025; Revised: August 25, 2025; Accepted: September 2, 2025; Prepublished online: September 23, 2025; Published: October 15, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
MA, X.R., SONG, X.M., ZHANG, E.Z., DU, J.B., & SUN, X. (2025). Role of nitrogen utilization in facilitating photosynthetic compensation of soybean under vertically heterogeneous light. Photosynthetica, 63(3), 291-295. doi: 10.32615/ps.2025.026
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Araya T., Noguchi K., Terashima I.: Manipulation of light and CO2 environments of the primary leaves of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) affects photosynthesis in both the primary and the first trifoliate leaves: involvement of systemic regulation. -Plant Cell Environ. 31: 50-61, 2008. Go to original source...
    2. Havé M., Marmagne A., Chardon F., Masclaux-Daubresse C.: Nitrogen remobilization during leaf senescence: lessons from Arabidopsis to crops. - J. Exp. Bot. 68: 2513-2529, 2017. Go to original source...
    3. He W., Dong M.: Physiological acclimation and growth response to partial shading in Salix matsudana in the Mu Us Sandland in China. - Trees 17: 87-93, 2003. Go to original source...
    4. Huang S.-R., Ai Y., Du J.-B. et al.: Photosynthetic compensation of maize in heterogeneous light is impaired by restricted photosynthate export. - Plant Physiol. Biochem. 192: 50-56, 2022. Go to original source...
    5. Jiang C.-D., Wang X., Gao H.-Y. et al.: Systemic regulation of leaf anatomical structure, photosynthetic performance, and high-light tolerance in sorghum. - Plant Physiol. 155: 1416-1424, 2011. Go to original source...
    6. Li R., Xu C., Wu Z. et al.: Optimizing canopy-spacing configuration increases soybean yield under high planting density. - Crop J. 13: 233-245, 2025. Go to original source...
    7. Li T., Liu Y.J., Shi L., Jiang C.D.: Systemic regulation of photosynthetic function in field-grown sorghum. - Plant Physiol. Biochem. 94: 86-94, 2015. Go to original source...
    8. Lichtenthaler H.K., Buschmann C.: Chlorophylls and carotenoids: measurement and characterization by UV-VIS spectroscopy. - Curr. Protoc. Food Anal. Chem.: F4.3.1-F4.3.8, 2001. Go to original source...
    9. Lyu X., Mu R., Liu B.: Shade avoidance syndrome in soybean and ideotype toward shade tolerance. - Mol. Breeding 43: 31, 2023. Go to original source...
    10. Matsuda R., Murakami K.: Light- and CO2-dependent systemic regulation of photosynthesis. - In: Lüttge U., Cánovas F., Matyssek R. (ed.): Progress in Botany. Vol. 77. Pp. 151-166. Springer, Cham 2016. Go to original source...
    11. Murakami K., Matsuda R., Fujiwara K.: Light-induced systemic regulation of photosynthesis in primary and trifoliate leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris: effects of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) versus spectrum. - Plant Biol. 16: 16-21, 2014. Go to original source...
    12. Niinemets Ü., Keenan T.F., Hallik L.: A worldwide analysis of within-canopy variations in leaf structural, chemical and physiological traits across plant functional types. - New Phytol. 205: 973-993, 2015. Go to original source...
    13. Omondi J.O., Chiduwa M.S., Kyei-Boahen S. et al.: Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa. - npj Sustain. Agric. 2: 32, 2024. Go to original source...
    14. Ono K., Nishi Y., Watanabe A., Terashima I.: Possible mechanisms of adaptive leaf senescence. - Plant Biol. 3: 234-243, 2001. Go to original source...
    15. Postma J.A., Hecht V.L., Hikosaka K. et al.: Dividing the pie: a quantitative review on plant density responses. - Plant Cell Environ. 44: 1072-1094, 2021. Go to original source...
    16. Ramlal A., Nautiyal A., Lal S.K., Chigeza G.: Editorial: A wonder legume, soybean: prospects for improvement. - Front. Plant Sci. 14: 1294185, 2023. Go to original source...
    17. Ribeiro R.V., Machado E.C., Magalhães Filho J.R. et al.: Increased sink strength offsets the inhibitory effect of sucrose on sugarcane photosynthesis. - J. Plant Physiol. 208: 61-69, 2017. Go to original source...
    18. Sugiura D., Tateno M.: Concentrative nitrogen allocation to sun-lit branches and the effects on whole-plant growth under heterogeneous light environments. - Oecologia 172: 949-960, 2013. Go to original source...
    19. Sun X., Huang S.-R., Ai Y. et al.: Comparative study on the different responses of maize photosynthesis to systemic regulation under light heterogeneity. - Plant Sci. 301: 110666, 2020. Go to original source...
    20. Sun X., Zhang E.-Z., Yu L. et al.: Nitrogen allocation for CO2 fixation promotes nitrogen use in the photosynthetic compensation of soybean under heterogeneous light after a pre-shading. - Physiol. Mol. Biol. Plants 29: 1755-1762, 2023. Go to original source...
    21. Wang Y., Ling X., Ma C. et al.: Can China get out of soy dilemma? A yield gap analysis of soybean in China. - Agron. Sustain. Dev. 43: 47, 2023. Go to original source...
    22. Weaver L.M., Amasino R.M.: Senescence is induced in individually darkened Arabidopsis leaves, but inhibited in whole darkened plants. - Plant Physiol. 127: 876-886, 2001. Go to original source...
    23. Wu H.-Y., Qiao M.-Y., Zhang W.-F. et al.: Systemic regulation of photosynthetic function in maize plants at graining stage under a vertically heterogeneous light environment. - J. Integr. Agr. 21: 666-676, 2022. Go to original source...
    24. Xu C., Li R., Song W. et al.: High density and uniform plant distribution improve soybean yield by regulating population uniformity and canopy light interception. - Agronomy 11: 1880, 2021. Go to original source...
    25. Xu K., Guo L., Ye H.: A naturally optimized mass transfer process: the stomatal transpiration of plant leaves. - J. Plant Physiol. 234-235: 138-144, 2019. Go to original source...
    26. Yamazaki J., Shinomiya Y.: Effect of partial shading on the photosynthetic apparatus and photosystem stoichiometry in sunflower leaves. - Photosynthetica 51: 3-12, 2013. Go to original source...
    27. Yan Y., Duan F., Li X. et al.: Photosynthetic capacity and assimilate transport of the lower canopy influence maize yield under high planting density. - Plant Physiol. 195: 2652-2667, 2024. Go to original source...
    28. Yano S., Terashima I.: Separate localization of light signal perception for sun or shade type chloroplast and palisade tissue differentiation in Chenopodium album. - Plant Cell Physiol. 42: 1303-1310, 2001. Go to original source...
    29. Yao H., Zhang Y., Yi X. et al.: Plant density alters nitrogen partitioning among photosynthetic components, leaf photosynthetic capacity and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency in field-grown cotton. - Field Crop. Res. 184: 39-49, 2015. Go to original source...

    Return to the content