Wednesday, 9 November 2005
4

The Effect of Elevated Co2 on the Growth, Physiology and Nodulation of Lentils.

Rima Rabah-Nasser, Michael P. Fuller, and Anita J. Jellings. School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom

A Syrian Lentil variety was grown at ambient and elevated CO2 (750 µmol mol-1)and at varying levels of Nitrogen fertilisation. Elevated CO2 led to an increase in plant dry matter, pod number and seed yield at all Nitrogen levels. The seed yield response plateaued at about 50 kgha-1 under ambient CO2 but continued to respond up to 100 kgha-1 under elevated CO2. The margin of response to elevated CO2 was up to x2. The number of active root nodules was influenced by both elevated CO2 and Nitrogen nutrition. A small but significant response (10% increase) to elevated CO2 was recorded. The highest (100 kgha-1) and the lowest (5 kgha-1) Nitrogen levels suppressed both the early appearance of nodules and the maximum number produced. Intermediate levels of Nitrogen (25 - 75 kgha-1)gave similar responses to each other. There was no strong correlation between nodule number and yield. Residual nutrition in the "soil" (perlite) at the end of the experiment was low indicating high plant uptake. Uptake under elevated CO2 was slightly higher than under ambient CO2.

Handout (.pdf format, 35934.0 kb)

Back to Physiology: III
Back to C02 Crop Physiology and Metabolism

Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 6-10, 2005)