International Journal of Food Safety and Public Health

ISSN 2756-3693

African Journal of Biology ISSN 2167-0413 Vol. 2 (6), pp. 162-168, August, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Photosynthetic ability and growth characteristics of Leymus chinensis and Leymus secalinus in sandy and saline-alkaline soil on the Songnen Plains of China

Deng Zedong*, Ming-Na Ziyi, Tsung-Dao Pei and LinYat-sen

Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)/ Key Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Beijing 100081.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 30 July, 2015

Abstract

Leymus chinensis and Leymus secalinus are perennial rhizome grasses; photosynthetic physiological characteristics were compared between them in Sandy and Saline-Alkaline Soils on the Songnen Plains of China. The contents of chlorophyll and soluble saccharides were positively correlated with photosynthetic characteristics. The photosynthetic capacity of L. chinensis was significantly greater than L. secalinus, with great economical and ecological potentials. L. chinensis has better adaptaion to the saline-alkali condition than L. secalinus.

Key words: Leymus chinensis, Leymus secalinus, photosynthesis, water soluble carbohydrate, growth.