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The role of nitrogen in photosynthetic acclimation to elevated [CO2] in tomatoes

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Abstract

Background

Although elevated [CO2] causes an increase of photosynthesis in the short-term, this increase is often attenuated over time due to decreased photosynthetic capacity of the leaf in a process called photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 (PAC). PAC is often accompanied by N deficiency and sink:source imbalance. The aim of this study is to investigate mechanisms that lead to PAC, N deficiency and sink:source imbalance in tomato plants grown in elevated [CO2] and how they are affected by different levels of N treatments.

Methods

Two long-term experiment and two short-term experiments were conducted in which tomato plants were grown in chambers with ambient [CO2] and elevated [CO2] combined with different levels of N nutrition. The following parameters were measured: 1) Biomass 2)Leaf N, P and K concentrations, 3) leaf NO3− concentration, 4) Gas exchange 5) Rubisco expression and 6) Leaf starch concentration.

Results

Plants grown at e[CO2] had increased biomass and starch, and decreased gas exchange, stomatal conductivity, Rubisco expression, Vcmax, NPK and leaf NO3− . Increasing N fertilization counteracted many of the effects of elevated [CO2].

Conclusions

PAC was caused by decreased N uptake or transport coupled with increased growth which leads to N deficiency and a sink:source imbalance. Increased N fertilization counteracted the effect of e[CO2] on photosynthesis, N status, and sink:source imbalance. Furthermore, elevated [CO2] caused stomata to partially close, which accounted for some of the PAC observed.

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Abbreviations

e[CO2]:

Elevated CO2 concentration

Ci:

Partial pressure of CO2 in intercellular spaces

Co:

Partial pressure of CO2 outside the leaf

LeEF-1:

Elongation factor gene expression

Ls:

Stomatal limitation

PAC:

Photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2

Vcmax :

Maximum rate of carboxylation

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Inna Faingold, Hila Hecht-Ganan, Lital Zelnik and Dan Hamus Cohen for their help with the lab analyses. We would also like to thank Mohamed Alhosa for dealing with plant pathogens that arose during the experiments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gilat Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel

    Moshe Halpern & Uri Yermiyahu

  2. Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Food Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

    Moshe Halpern

  3. Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel

    Asher Bar-Tal

  4. Department of Vegetable Research, Institute of Plant Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel

    Nitsan Lugassi, Aiman Egbaria & David Granot

Authors
  1. Moshe Halpern
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  2. Asher Bar-Tal
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  3. Nitsan Lugassi
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  4. Aiman Egbaria
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  5. David Granot
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  6. Uri Yermiyahu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Moshe Halpern or Uri Yermiyahu.

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Responsible Editor: Ad C. Borstlap.

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Halpern, M., Bar-Tal, A., Lugassi, N. et al. The role of nitrogen in photosynthetic acclimation to elevated [CO2] in tomatoes. Plant Soil 434, 397–411 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3857-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3857-5

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