Complete submergence escape with shoot elongation ability by underwater photosynthesis in African rice, Oryza glaberrima Steud.

Flooding imposes severe selection pressure on plants, principally because excess water in their surroundings deprives the plants certain basic resources such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and light for photosynthesis. In recent years, reports of damage caused by flooding to rice plants have increased concomitantly with the expansion of rainfed lowland rice cultivation throughout the world. Strong submergence-induced elongation, a common escape mechanism, helps submerged individuals regain and retain contact with the aerobic environment. This study analyzed physiological mechanisms of escape from complete submergence by evaluating photosynthesis, photochemical reaction, and plant behavior during and after submergence in Oryza glaberrima Steud. Partially submerged plants were unaffected by excess water because their photosynthetic rate was maintained during and after submergence. Escape mechanisms, when under complete submergence, restrain shoot elongation per shoot dry weight per day during submergence (shoot elongation index). Our results demonstrate that the leaf area and shoot biomass of the submerged plants during submergence affects their post-submergence photosynthetic rate and the PSII maximum efficiency to some degree. Under deeply prolonged submergence, O. glaberrima genotypes were characterized by faster shoot elongation, anaerobic tillering, larger leaf area extension, higher photosynthetic rate, and maintenance of PSII maximum efficiency compared with Oryza sativa genotypes without an escape mechanism. O. glaberrima employs a submergence escape strategy that effectively uses stored carbohydrates for shoot elongation and leaf extension in a severely photosynthesis-limited environment under complete submergence.

► The mechanisms involve increased photosynthetic capacity above the water surface.
► Dry matter production during submergence strengthens photosynthesis for recovery.
► Shoot elongation and shoot dry weight indexes are useful for evaluating escape genotype.
► O. glaberirma is superior in complete submergence escape compared with O. sativa.