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Reduced leaf width increases photosynthetic rate without improving water-use efficiency in rice
Qiangqiang Zhang1,2, Xinzheng Han1, Xiu Deng1
1Agricultural College, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
The Plant Journal : for Cell and Molecular Biology
|November 2, 2025
Summary
Reducing rice leaf width enhances photosynthetic rate by increasing stomatal and mesophyll conductance. This strategy boosts overall photosynthesis but does not improve water-use efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Crop Science
- Photosynthesis Research
Background:
- Increasing rice yield requires enhancing photosynthesis.
- Leaf morphological traits linked to high photosynthetic efficiency are not well understood.
- Leaf width (LW) is a potential trait for optimizing photosynthetic performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of reduced leaf width on photosynthetic rate (A) and water-use efficiency (iWUE) in rice.
- To elucidate the physiological mechanisms underlying these changes.
- To assess the potential of optimizing LW for crop improvement.
Main Methods:
- Pot experiments using 14 cultivated rice genotypes with varying LW.
- Analysis of genetically modified rice lines with the NARROW LEAF 1 (NAL1) gene.
- Measurement of photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance (gs), mesophyll conductance (gm), and water-use efficiency (iWUE).
Main Results:
- A significant negative correlation was found between LW and A in cultivated varieties.
- Reducing LW by 48.2% in NAL1-K lines increased A by 49.9%.
- Narrower leaves enhanced leaf hydraulic conductance, stomatal density, gs, gm, leaf nitrogen content, and Vcmax, but did not improve iWUE.
Conclusions:
- Optimizing rice leaf width is a viable strategy for significantly enhancing photosynthetic rate (A).
- Reduced LW improves physiological factors contributing to photosynthesis, including stomatal and mesophyll conductance.
- This approach enhances photosynthetic efficiency without a concurrent improvement in water-use efficiency (iWUE).
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