The effect of concurrent elevation in CO2 and temperature on the growth, photosynthesis, and yield of potato crops

Abstract

Global climate change accompanied by continuous increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) concentration and temperature affects the growth and yield of important crops. The present study investigated the effect of elevated temperature and CO 2 concentrations on the growth, yield, and photosynthesis of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Superior) crops using Korean Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research chambers that allow the regulation of temperature and CO 2 concentration under daylight conditions. Based on the average temperature from 1991 to 2010 in the Jeonju area, South Korea, potato plants were exposed to four different conditions: ambient weather (400 μmol mol-1 , aCaT), elevated temperature (+4˚C, aCeT), elevated CO 2 concentration (800 μmol mol-1 , eCaT), and concurrently elevated CO 2 concentration and temperature (eCeT). Under aCeT conditions, the temperature exceeded the optimal growth temperature range towards the late growth phase that decreased stomatal conductance and canopy net photosynthetic rate and subsequently reduced biomass and tuber yield. Stomatal conductance and chlorophyll concentration were lower under eCaT conditions than under aCaT conditions, whereas late-growth phase biomass and tuber yield were greater. Compared to other conditions, eCeT yielded a distinct increase in growth and development and canopy net photosynthetic rate during tuber initiation and bulking. Consequently, biomass and canopy net photosynthesis increased, and tuber yield increased by 20.3%, which could be attributed to the increased tuber size, rather than increased tuber number. Elevated CO 2 reduced chlorophyll, magnesium, and phosphorus concentrations; reducing nitrogen concentration (by approximately 39.7%) increased the C: N ratio. The data indicate that future climate conditions will likely change nutrient concentration and quality of crops. The present study shows that while elevated temperature may negatively influence the growth and yield of potato crops, especially towards the late-growth phase, the concurrent and appropriate elevation of CO 2 and temperature could promote balanced development of source and sink organs and positively effect potato productivity and quality.

Role of Tuber Developmental Processes in Response of Potato to High Temperature and Elevated CO2

“…Amelioration of high temperature effects by Elevated CO 2 . In the current study, the percentage inhibition of dry matter accumulation rate (DMAR) by high temperature was somewhat greater in Low CO 2 than in Elev CO 2 treatments (56 and 35%, respectively, at tuber initiation; and 32 and 15%, respectively, at tuber bulking), consistent with earlier findings [ 33 ]. In several studies, elevated CO 2 has been found to partly ameliorate high temperature stress [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…Whole-plant dry matter accumulation rate, a measure of whole plant photosynthesis in excess of respiration, was inhibited by high temperature about twice as much at the stage of tuber initiation than at tuber bulking (Table 1; Figures 1 and 2). Similar findings were obtained in studies of elevated temperature under field conditions with temporary transparent chambers in which temperature was increased by about 4 • C for discrete periods of time [32,33]. Moreover, studies that involved treatments with 35 • C stress, similar to the present investigation, showed that tuber growth was strongly decreased by exposure to 35 • C at early phase of tuberization but had a diminishing effect at later stages [26].…”

“…Both tuber cell proliferation and cell expansion (and associated organelle and enzyme development) are needed to develop starch storage capacity for tuber bulking in potato tubers [ 37 ]. In previous studies, high temperature suppressed tuber initiation so that tuber numbers per plant were decreased [ 33 , 38 , 39 ]. Consistent with this, we found that tuber numbers were decreased by high temperature when applied at tuber initiation ( Figure 3 ).…”

Climate Change Impacts on Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) Plants

“…Elevated CO 2 stimulates the root and shoot growth of wheat, but this stimulation was found to reduce when plants were grown in combined elevated temperature and elevated CO 2 [30]. Lee et al [31] showed that while elevated temperatures may negatively influence the growth and yield of potato crops, concurrent and appropriate elevation of CO 2 and temperature can promote balanced development of source and sink organs and positively affect potato productivity. Field experiments on sunflower production using an OilCROP-SUN model predicted that the increase in temperature negatively affects sunflower productivity in Pakistan.…”

Heat wave event facilitates defensive responses in invasive C3 plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. under elevated CO2concentration to the detriment of insect herbivores

“…It is known that higher temperatures are always accompanied by elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations (Lee et al, 2020), and the global mean surface temperature is expected to rise by 1–4.5°C, depending on the scenario, by the year 2100 (IPCC, 2013). Few case studies have explored the effects of elevated CO 2 and elevated temperature on herbivore performance in such a way that both individual and combined effects of these two factors could be evaluated (Zvereva & Kozlov, 2006).…”