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Journal of Integrative Agriculture
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Chloroplast inorganic phosphate mediates the photosynthetic induction response to fluctuating light in intercropped soybean

Tao Liu*#, Linkuan Li*, Xizhou Zhang, Daihua Ye, Huagang Huang, Haiying Yu, Yongdong Wang, Lu Zhang, Tingxuan Li

College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 610000, China

 Highlights 

l P supply increases soybean yield and reduces carbon loss under fluctuating light.

l Biochemical limitations dominate photosynthetic induction under P deficiency.

l P supply elevates foliar Pi and chloroplast Pi availability.

l Chloroplast Pi threshold nonlinearly governs photosynthetic induction rate.

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摘要  

提高波动光环境下的光合效率对于提升套作体系作物生产力至关重要。叶绿体基质中的无机磷(Pi)直接参与光合磷酸化、卡尔文循环等关键过程,但其如何调控波动光下的光合诱导机制尚未明晰。本研究开展玉米-大豆套作大田和盆栽试验,设置3个磷供应水平,系统分析了磷营养对大豆光合诱导响应、碳损失及产量的影响。结果表明,与缺磷处理相比,适宜供磷使大豆产量提高26.7%-55.4%,同时使弱光转强光过程中的碳损失降低26.5%-37.3%。光合限制分析显示,在缺磷条件下,生化限制主导光合诱导响应,占总限制的72.3%,而气孔限制作用相对较小。随着磷供应增加,叶片和叶绿体Pi含量均显著升高,且叶绿体Pi与光合诱导时间呈显著非线性关系;当叶绿体Pi低于0.18 mg g-1 FW的临界阈值时,光合诱导时间显著延长。综上,叶绿体Pi是波动光下决定光合诱导过程的重要生理因子,提高叶绿体Pi水平有助于减少碳损失、提升波动光环境下套作大豆生产力的潜在策略。



Abstract  

Enhancing photosynthetic efficiency under fluctuating light is critical for improving crop productivity in intercropping systems; however, the role of phosphorus (P) nutrition in regulating photosynthetic induction remains poorly understood. Field and pot experiments with three P supply levels were conducted in a maize–soybean intercropping system to quantify gas exchange in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] during photosynthetic induction under controlled fluctuating light protocols and to identify P-related drivers of induction kinetics. Adequate P supply increased soybean yield by 26.7%–55.4% relative to P deficiency treatments and concurrently reduced carbon loss during the low-to-high light transitions by 26.5%–37.3%. Photosynthetic limitation analysis revealed that biochemical limitation dominated the induction response under P deficiency, accounting for 72.3% of the total limitation, with stomatal limitation playing a comparatively minor role. Foliar and chloroplast inorganic phosphate (Pi) contents both increased with P supply; notably, chloroplast Pi exhibited a strong, nonlinear relationship with induction performance. A critical threshold was identified at 0.18 mg g⁻¹ FW chloroplast Pi; below which induction time increased sharply. Collectively, these findings identify chloroplast Pi availability as a proximal physiological determinant of photosynthetic induction under fluctuating light and point to improving chloroplast Pi status as a promising strategy for reducing carbon loss and enhancing soybean productivity in intercropping systems exposed to highly dynamic light environments.

Keywords:  intercropped soybean       fluctuating light              photosynthetic induction              photosynthetic limitation              chloroplast inorganic phosphate  
Online: 09 May 2026  
Fund: 

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32402689) and the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province of China (2023NSFSC0225).

About author:  #Correspondence Tao Liu, Tel/Fax: +86-28-86293010, E-mail: liutao2022@sicau.edu.cn *These authors contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors

Cite this article: 

Tao Liu, Linkuan Li, Xizhou Zhang, Daihua Ye, Huagang Huang, Haiying Yu, Yongdong Wang, Lu Zhang, Tingxuan Li. 2026. Chloroplast inorganic phosphate mediates the photosynthetic induction response to fluctuating light in intercropped soybean. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2026.05.009

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