Using ΦPSII and leaf temperature as indicators of non-steady-state photosynthesis and stomatal conductance during stepwise changes in light intensity

Quantifying the kinetics of net CO2 assimilation (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) under fluctuating light typically relies on gas exchange measurements, which are slow and thus unsuited for high-throughput phenotyping. As a result, faster, non-invasive phenotyping methods are needed to further evaluate these traits at larger scale. However, first the relationship between non-steady-state parameters must be examined in greater detail. In this study, we aimed to determine whether variations in non-steady-state values of chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf temperature reflect differences in key gas exchange traits under fluctuating light conditions. Here, the correlation between the times required for a change in non-steady-state A, gs, operating efficiency of PSII (ΦPSII), and leaf temperature (Tleaf) during stepwise changes in light intensity were evaluated across nine plant species. Both steady-state and non-steady-state photosynthetic traits varied significantly among species. Overall, we found significant positive correlations between non-steady-state A and ΦPSII for time to 50% and 90% of final steady-state (t50; r2=0.70) and (t90; r2=0.33). The t90 of gs and Tleaf were also significantly correlated after both increases (r2=0.45) and decreases (r2=0.61) in light intensity. Our findings suggest that the times required for a change in ΦPSII (particularly t50) and Tleaf (particularly t90) can be used as indicators of dynamic A and gs, respectively, facilitating faster phenotyping of the complex processes of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance kinetics in the future.