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Involvement of ethylene in the morphological and developmental response of rice to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations

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Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that increased carbohydrate flux under elevatedCO2 regulates accelerated development using rice (Oryzasativa L. cv. Jarrah). Plants were grown either in flooded soil orsolution culture at either 360 or 700 μL CO2L−1. Total dry mass, shoot elongation rates (SER),tiller appearance rates (TAR) and ethylene release from intact rice seedlingswere measured from 5 to 42 days after planting (DAP). At maturity, shoot andsheath length, tiller number and grain mass were also measured. ElevatedCO2 had a profound effect on growth, morphology and development andthe effects were more pronounced during the early growth phase. Total aboveground biomass increased at elevated CO2 and this was accounted for by enhanced tiller number. Grain yield was increased by 56% under elevated CO2mainly due to increased tiller number and hence panicle number. TAR and SERwereenhanced at elevated CO2 but SER increased only untill 25 DAP.Elevated CO2 stimulated a 2-3-fold increase in endogenous andACC-mediated ethylene release but the ACC concentration in the leaves waslittleaffected showing that rates of ACC synthesis matched its oxidation. Inhibitionof ethylene action by 1-aminocyclopropane (1-MCP) had a more pronouncedinhibitory effect on ethylene release in plants that were grown at 700 ascompared to 360 μL CO2 L−1. Feedingsucrose to intact plants enhanced ethylene synthesis and these results areconsistent with the hypothesis that increased accumulation of sucrose atelevated CO2 may enhance expression of genes in the ethylenebiosynthetic pathway. We conclude that increase in ethylene release may becentral in promoting accelerated development under elevated CO2 andthis coincides with the release of auxiliary buds and accelerated rates oftiller appearance hence increased grain yield at elevated CO2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Plant Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 981-8555, Japan

    S. Seneweera

  2. Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet, 2601, Philippines

    S.K. Aben

  3. Department of Botany, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141 004, India

    A.S. Basra

  4. Centre for Horticulture and Plant Sciences, South Penrith Distribution Center, University of Western Sydney, NSW, 1797, Australia

    B. Jones & J.P. Conroy

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  1. S. Seneweera
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  2. S.K. Aben
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  3. A.S. Basra
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  4. B. Jones
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  5. J.P. Conroy
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Seneweera, S., Aben, S., Basra, A. et al. Involvement of ethylene in the morphological and developmental response of rice to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Plant Growth Regulation 39, 143–153 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022525918305

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