{"title":"CO2 elevation and N fertilizer supply modulate leaf physiology, crop growth and water use efficiency of maize in response to progressive soil drought","authors":"Manyi Zhang, Guiyu Wei, Bingjing Cui, Chunshuo Liu, Heng Wan, Jingxiang Hou, Yiting Chen, Jiarui Zhang, Jie Liu, Zhenhua Wei","doi":"10.1111/jac.12692","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Elevated atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration (<i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>]) and varied nitrogen (N) fertilization levels may mediate the different responses of C<sub>4</sub> crops to progressive soil drought. In this study, the effects of reduced N (N1, 0.8 g pot<sup>−1</sup>) and adequate N (N2, 1.6 g pot<sup>−1</sup>) supply on leaf physiology, plant growth and water use efficiency (WUE) of maize (C<sub>4</sub> crop) exposed to progressive soil drought grown at ambient CO<sub>2</sub> (<i>a</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>], 400 ppm) and elevated CO<sub>2</sub> (<i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>], 800 ppm) concentration were investigated. The results indicated that compared with <i>a</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>], net photosynthetic rate (<i>A</i><sub>n</sub>) and leaf water potential (<i>Ψ</i><sub>l</sub>) at <i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>] were maintained in maize leaves, while stomatal conductance (<i>g</i><sub>s</sub>), transpiration rate and leaf hydraulic conductance were decreased, leading to enhanced WUE from stomatal to leaf scale. Despite <i>A</i><sub>n</sub> and <i>Ψ</i><sub>l</sub> of <i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>] plants were more sensitive to progressive soil drought under both N fertilization levels, <i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>] would increase leaf ABA concentration ([ABA]<sub>leaf</sub>) but decline the <i>g</i><sub>s</sub> response to [ABA]<sub>leaf</sub> under N1 supply. <i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>] coupled with N1 fertilization was conducive to enlarging leaf area, promoting specific leaf area, root and total dry mass, whereas reduced stomatal aperture and plant water use under progressive drought stress, contributing to an improvement in plant WUE, implying a better modulation of maize leaf stomata and water status under reduced N supply combined with <i>e</i>[CO<sub>2</sub>] responding to progressive soil drought. These findings in the current study would provide valuable advice for N management on maize (C<sub>4</sub>) crop efficient water use in a drier and CO<sub>2</sub>-enriched environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":14864,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science","volume":"210 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jac.12692","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (e[CO2]) and varied nitrogen (N) fertilization levels may mediate the different responses of C4 crops to progressive soil drought. In this study, the effects of reduced N (N1, 0.8 g pot−1) and adequate N (N2, 1.6 g pot−1) supply on leaf physiology, plant growth and water use efficiency (WUE) of maize (C4 crop) exposed to progressive soil drought grown at ambient CO2 (a[CO2], 400 ppm) and elevated CO2 (e[CO2], 800 ppm) concentration were investigated. The results indicated that compared with a[CO2], net photosynthetic rate (An) and leaf water potential (Ψl) at e[CO2] were maintained in maize leaves, while stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate and leaf hydraulic conductance were decreased, leading to enhanced WUE from stomatal to leaf scale. Despite An and Ψl of e[CO2] plants were more sensitive to progressive soil drought under both N fertilization levels, e[CO2] would increase leaf ABA concentration ([ABA]leaf) but decline the gs response to [ABA]leaf under N1 supply. e[CO2] coupled with N1 fertilization was conducive to enlarging leaf area, promoting specific leaf area, root and total dry mass, whereas reduced stomatal aperture and plant water use under progressive drought stress, contributing to an improvement in plant WUE, implying a better modulation of maize leaf stomata and water status under reduced N supply combined with e[CO2] responding to progressive soil drought. These findings in the current study would provide valuable advice for N management on maize (C4) crop efficient water use in a drier and CO2-enriched environment.
期刊介绍:
The effects of stress on crop production of agricultural cultivated plants will grow to paramount importance in the 21st century, and the Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science aims to assist in understanding these challenges. In this context, stress refers to extreme conditions under which crops and forages grow. The journal publishes original papers and reviews on the general and special science of abiotic plant stress. Specific topics include: drought, including water-use efficiency, such as salinity, alkaline and acidic stress, extreme temperatures since heat, cold and chilling stress limit the cultivation of crops, flooding and oxidative stress, and means of restricting them. Special attention is on research which have the topic of narrowing the yield gap. The Journal will give preference to field research and studies on plant stress highlighting these subsections. Particular regard is given to application-oriented basic research and applied research. The application of the scientific principles of agricultural crop experimentation is an essential prerequisite for the publication. Studies based on field experiments must show that they have been repeated (at least three times) on the same organism or have been conducted on several different varieties.