Abstract: To clarify the effects of misting regulation on photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, antioxidant capacity, yield, and quality of organically cultivated Lycium barbarum L. in saline-alkali soil of Ningxia, a field experiment was conducted in 2024 using Ningqi No. 1 as the material, with three treatments: Misting regulation (T1), conventional cultivation (T2), and absolute control (CK). Leaf photosynthetic, fluorescence, and antioxidant indices, as well as fruit yield and quality, were measured. The results showed that, compared with T2, on June 12, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of T1 were significantly increased by 34.39%, 12.04%, and 14.47%, respectively, while the intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci) significantly decreased by 11.26%; the relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) increased by 4.03%, although the difference was not significant; the comprehensive performance index (PI) of the photosynthetic apparatus significantly increased by 18.34%. Throughout the entire measurement period, T1 generally exhibited higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), and lower content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The single-plant yield and 100-fruit weight of T1 were generally higher than those of T2, with a significant difference in 100-fruit weight on June 12. The effects on fruit quality varied with harvest dates; on August 12, the contents of flavonoid, polysaccharide, and betaine were all significantly increased. Correlation analysis showed that the photosynthetic, fluorescence, and antioxidant indices were significantly correlated with yield and some quality indices. The comprehensive scores obtained from principal component analysis followed the order of T1 > T2 > CK. These results indicated that misting regulation could improve the physiological status of wolfberry leaves and thereby enhance the overall production performance.

Key words: misting regulation, Lycium barbarum L. of Ningxia, saline-alkali soil, photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, antioxidant capacity, yield, quality