Ecological and physiological characteristics of Pinellia ternata under different shade conditions

To investigate the ecological, yield, physiological, and biochemical index of cultivated pinellia under different shade conditions and to analyze the influence of light intensity on Pinellia ternata’s ecological and physiological characteristics, our experiment employed four varieties of pinellia, Changde pinellia, Yuanling pinellia, Ziyang pinellia, and Bijie pinellia, as experiment materials, planted them under equivalent growing conditions, and placed them under different shade conditions (shade net settings of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% shade). The present study sought to determine the index changes of pinellia, including their morphology, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, and yield, over a 100-day growth period. The results under 25% shade, compared with full light, revealed the following: pinellia plants reached heights of up to 20.04 cm, an increase of 43.35%; the maximum leaf area was 16.15 cm2, an increase of 34.78%; and the fresh weight of pinellia tubers decreased to varying degrees. Under shade treatment, the content of chlorophyll in pinellia leaves increased, the content of soluble protein and malondialdehyde decreased, and the activities of three antioxidant enzymes increased; these changes were overall consistent with the typical characteristics of shade plants, and the adaptability of pinellia to different shade conditions varied considerably. Moderate shade (25%–50% shade) could improve the physiological and ecological indicators of pinellia and reduce the threat of intense light exposure, but it would also reduce the tuber yield to varying extents