Wei, G.; Xu, X.; Cui, B.; Zhang, M.; Liu, J.; Wei, Z.; Liu, F. Effect of Partial Root-Zone Irrigation on Plant Growth, Root Morphological Traits and Leaf Elemental Stoichiometry of Tomato under Elevated CO2. Agronomy2023, 13, 3069.
Wei, G.; Xu, X.; Cui, B.; Zhang, M.; Liu, J.; Wei, Z.; Liu, F. Effect of Partial Root-Zone Irrigation on Plant Growth, Root Morphological Traits and Leaf Elemental Stoichiometry of Tomato under Elevated CO2. Agronomy 2023, 13, 3069.
Wei, G.; Xu, X.; Cui, B.; Zhang, M.; Liu, J.; Wei, Z.; Liu, F. Effect of Partial Root-Zone Irrigation on Plant Growth, Root Morphological Traits and Leaf Elemental Stoichiometry of Tomato under Elevated CO2. Agronomy2023, 13, 3069.
Wei, G.; Xu, X.; Cui, B.; Zhang, M.; Liu, J.; Wei, Z.; Liu, F. Effect of Partial Root-Zone Irrigation on Plant Growth, Root Morphological Traits and Leaf Elemental Stoichiometry of Tomato under Elevated CO2. Agronomy 2023, 13, 3069.
Abstract
Increasing CO2 concentration ([CO2]) in atmosphere decreases mineral nutrients concentration in crops whereas increasing water use efficiency (WUE) especially in drought conditions. Partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) could stimulate soil nutrient mineralization and improve crop nutrient status. Yet the effect of PRI combined with elevated CO2 concentration (e[CO2]) on the element stoichiometry of tomato leaves remains unknown. This study was to investigate the responses of leaf mineral nutrients status and element stoichiometric ratio in tomato grown at PRI exposed to e[CO2]. Tomato plants (cv. Ailsa Craig) were grown in pots in climate-controlled growth chambers with ambient [CO2] (a[CO2], 400ppm) and elevated [CO2] (e[CO2] 800ppm), respectively. Three irrigation regimes (IR) i.e. full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) were applied to tomato plants at flowering stage. The result showed that plants exposed to both reduced irrigations had a similar biomass, an enhanced root growth including greater root to shoot ratio (R/S), root length (RL), surface area (RS), volume (RV) and specific length (RSL), and an improved WUE under e[CO2]. Compared to a[CO2], e[CO2] growth environment resulted in a similar leaf [C], [K] and [Mg], leaf C/K and C/Mg, increased leaf [Ca], [S] and leaf C/N, C/P and N/P, but decreased leaf [N], [P], leaf C/Ca, C/S and N/K at PRI. Additionally, under e[CO2], PRI showed an increase in leaf [C], [N] and [S], no decrease in leaf [K], Ca], [Mg], [S] and [15N], but a decrease in leaf C/N and C/S as compared with FI. Conclusively, PRI had the ability to alleviate the negative effects on mineral nutrient concentrations and maintain or improve most leaf element stoichiometric ratios under e[CO2]. Therefore PRI would be a practicable irrigation for optimizing WUE and nutrient status in tomato leaves in a future freshwater-limited and higher CO2 environment.
Keywords
Elevated CO2; partial root-zone irrigation; root morphological traits; mineral nutrient; elemental stoichiometric ratio
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
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