TY - JOUR
T1 - Plant water use efficiency of 17 Australian NAD-ME and NADP-ME C4 grasses at ambient and elevated CO2 partial pressure
AU - Ghannoum, Oula
AU - Von Caemmerer, Susanne
AU - Conroy, Jann P.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - This study investigates the response to elevated CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) of C4 grasses belonging to different biochemical subtypes (NAD-ME and NADP-ME), and taxonomic groups (main Chloroid assemblage, Paniceae and Andropogoneae). Seventeen C4 grasses were grown under well-watered conditions in two glasshouses maintained at an average daily pCO2 of 42 (ambient) or 68 (elevated) Pa. Elevated pCO2 significantly increased plant water-use efficiency (WUE; dry matter gain per unit water transpired) in 12 out of the 17 C4 grasses, by an average of 33%. In contrast, only five species showed a significant growth stimulation. When all species are considered, the average plant dry mass enhancement at elevated pCO2 was 26%. There were no significant subtype (or taxa) X pCO2 interactions on either WUE or biomass accumulation. When leaf gas exchange was compared at growth pCO2 but similar light and temperature, high pCO2-grown plants had similar CO2 assimilation rates (A) but a 40% lower stomatal conductance than their low pCO2-grown counterparts. There were no signs of either photosynthetic or stomatal acclimation in any of the measured species. We conclude that elevated pCO2 improved WUE primarily by reducing stomatal conductance.
AB - This study investigates the response to elevated CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) of C4 grasses belonging to different biochemical subtypes (NAD-ME and NADP-ME), and taxonomic groups (main Chloroid assemblage, Paniceae and Andropogoneae). Seventeen C4 grasses were grown under well-watered conditions in two glasshouses maintained at an average daily pCO2 of 42 (ambient) or 68 (elevated) Pa. Elevated pCO2 significantly increased plant water-use efficiency (WUE; dry matter gain per unit water transpired) in 12 out of the 17 C4 grasses, by an average of 33%. In contrast, only five species showed a significant growth stimulation. When all species are considered, the average plant dry mass enhancement at elevated pCO2 was 26%. There were no significant subtype (or taxa) X pCO2 interactions on either WUE or biomass accumulation. When leaf gas exchange was compared at growth pCO2 but similar light and temperature, high pCO2-grown plants had similar CO2 assimilation rates (A) but a 40% lower stomatal conductance than their low pCO2-grown counterparts. There were no signs of either photosynthetic or stomatal acclimation in any of the measured species. We conclude that elevated pCO2 improved WUE primarily by reducing stomatal conductance.
KW - C photosynthesis
KW - CO enrichment
KW - NAD-ME
KW - NADP-ME
KW - Water-use efficiency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035707976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/pp01056
DO - 10.1071/pp01056
M3 - Article
SN - 0310-7841
VL - 28
SP - 1207
EP - 1217
JO - Australian Journal of Plant Physiology
JF - Australian Journal of Plant Physiology
IS - 12
ER -