Environmental stresses caused by climate change, such as high temperature, drought and salinity severely impact plant growth and productivity. Among these factors, high temperature stress will become more severe during summer. In this study, we examined physiological and molecular responses of maize plants to high temperature stress during summer. Highest level of H2O2 was observed in maize leaves collected July 26 compared with June 25 and July 12. Results indicated that high temperature stress triggers production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in maize leaves. In addition, photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) sharply decreased in leaves with increasing air temperatures during the day in the field. RT-PCR analysis of maize plants exposed to high temperatures of during the day in field revealed increased accumulation of mitochondrial and chloroplastic small heat shock protein (HSP) transcripts. Results demonstrate that Fv/Fm values and organelle-localized small HSP gene could be used as physiological and molecular indicators of plants impacted by environmental stresses.

This studies were carried out in summer season to increase high temperature tolerance using hydrogen peroxide treatments on cucumber in greenhouse. The water stress of cucumber in greenhouse by the hydrogen peroxide treatments showed as control〉250 mM〉500 mM treatments in order. The photosynthesis rate of cucumber at 30℃ did not show difference with each hydrogen peroxide treatment in temperature controlled greenhouse. However, the photosynthesis rate of cucumber in the control and hydrogen peroxide treatments at 40℃ was significantly different. The photosynthesis rate of cucumber in combined treatment with 1,000 mg·L-1 CO2 supply and hydrogen peroxide was also higher than control, however, there was no different of photosynthesis in 250 mM and 500 mM treatment. The value of Fv/Fm and Fm/Fo of chlorophyll fluorescent in 500 mM hydrogen peroxide treatment at 40℃ was highest. Also the activity of POD, the antioxidant enzyme, was higher with high hydrogen peroxide concentration than the other treatments. The high temperature limits for growth were 43℃ in the control, 44℃ in the 250 mM and 46℃ in the 500 mM according to analyze chlorophyll fluorescent Fo. The high temperature tolerance in cucumber increased approximately 3℃ by the hydrogen peroxide treatments under this experiment conditions.

To study management practices suitable for the least production loss of temperate pasture under summer stress, two different cutting dates (late June and mid July) under summer stress and five different nitrogen treatment application levels (0, 100. 200,