Abstract
Net photosynthetic rate (P N) of ear and flag leaf during grain filling stage and grain yield of plants with non-darkened or darkened flag leaf or darkened ear were examined in two different CO2 concentrations: ambient (AC) and AC+200 µmol mol−1 (EC). Ear showed much higher enhancement (56 %) of P N than flag leaf (23 %) under EC. Moreover, CO2 enrichment shortened the photosynthetic duration of flag leaf relative to ear. In this way the ratio of ear to flag leaf contribution to grain yield increased from 1.18 (AC) to 1.39 (EC).
Abbreviations
- DAG:
-
days after grain filling
- FACE:
-
free-air CO2 enrichment
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
References
Ainsworth, E.A., Long, S.P.: What have we learned from 15 years of free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE)? A meta-analytic review of the responses of photosynthesis, canopy properties and plant production to rising CO2.-New Phytol. 165: 351–371, 2005.
Kerr, R.A.: It’s official: humans are behind most of global warming.-Science 291: 566, 2001.
Knoppik, D., Selinger, H., Ziegler-Jöns, A.: Differences between the flag leaf and the ear of a spring wheat cultivar (Triticum aestivum cv. Arkas) with respect to the CO2 response of assimilation, respiration and stomatal conductance.-Physiol. Plant. 68: 451–457, 1986.
Long, S.P.: Modification of the response of photosynthetic productivity to rising temperature by atmospheric CO2 concentrations: has its importance been underestimated?-Plant Cell Environ. 14: 729–739, 1991.
Long, S.P., Ainsworth, E.A., Rogers, A., Ort, D.R.: Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Plants face the future.-Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 55: 591–628, 2004.
Okada, M., Lieffering, M., Nakamura, H., Yoshimoto, M., Kim, H.Y., Kobayashi, K.: Free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) using pure CO2 injection: system description.-New Phytol. 150: 251–260, 2001.
Pérez, P., Zita, G., Morcuende, R., Martínez-Carrasco, R.: Elevated CO2 and temperature differentially affect photosynthesis and resource allocation in flag and penultimate leaves of wheat.-Photosynthetica 45: 9–17, 2007.
Wechsung, F., Garcia, R.L., Wall, G.W., Kartschall, T., Kimball, B., Michaelis, P., Pinter, P.J., Jr., Wechsung, G., Grossman-Clarke, S., Lamorte, R.L., Adamsen, F.J., Leavitt, S.W., Thompson, T.L., Matthias, A.D., Brooks, T.J.: Photosynthesis and conductance of spring wheat ears: field response to free-air CO2 enrichment and limitations in water and nitrogen supply.-Plant Cell Environ. 23: 917–929, 2000.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhu, C.W., Zhu, J.G., Liu, G. et al. Elevated CO2 concentration enhances the role of the ear to the flag leaf in determining grain yield of wheat. Photosynthetica 46, 318–320 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-008-0059-z
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-008-0059-z