Differential responses of seven contrasting species to high light using pigment and chlorophyll a fluorescence

High light intensity may induce severe photodamage to chloroplast and consequently cause decreases in the yield capacity of plants and destruction of pigments, causing an overall yellowing of the foliage. Thus, study related to light adaptation becomes necessary to understand adaptation processes in higher plants on the basis of which they are characterized as full sunlight or shade plants. Chlorophyll can be regarded as an intrinsic fluorescent probe of the photosynthetic system. The ecophysiological parameter related to plant performance and fitness i.e. in-situ chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were determined for different plant species in the medicinal plant garden of Banasthali University, Rajasthan. Miniaturized Pulse Amplitude Modulated Photosynthetic Yield Analyzers are primarily designed for measuring effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm’) of photosystem II under momentary ambient light in the field. Photosynthetic yield measurements and light-response curves suggested a gradation of sun-adapted to shade-adapted behaviour of these plants in following order Withania somnifera> Catharanthus roseus> Datura stamonium> Vasica minora> Vasica adulta> Rauwolfia serpentina. As indicated by light response curves and pigment analysis, Datura stramonium, Withania somnifera and Catharanthus roseus competed well photosynthetically and are favoured while Rauwolfia serpentina, Vasica minora, Vasica adulta and Plumbago zeylanica were observed to be less competent photosynthetically. These light response curves and resultant cardinal points study gave insight into the ecophysiological characterization of the photosynthetic capacity of the plant and provides highly interesting parameters like electron transport rate, photo-inhibition, photosynthetically active photon flux density and yield on the basis of which light adaptability was screened for seven medicinally important plants.