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Growth Response of Wheat to CO₂ Enrichment and Different Levels of Mineral Nutrition¹

Most previous studies on the influence of CO₂ concentration on plant growth have investigated the effect of atmospheric CO₂ enrichment alone. Little attention has been given to possible interactions between CO2 enrichment and nutrient supply. The objective of this study was to characterize the long-term effects of atmospheric CO₂ enrichment on growth components of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under different nutritional levels.

Growth and yield responses of spring wheat (cv. GWO1809) to two (350 and 675 ppm) CO2 and four (full strength, 1/2, 1/8, or 1/16 strength Hoagland's solution No. 1) nutritional levels were measured in controlled environment chambers at day/night temperature of 26/20 C. Plants were grown from seed and were irrigated with respective nutrient solutions three times daily until maturity.

Plants grown in a 675 ppm CO₂ atmosphere produced more total dry matter at each nutrient level compared to those grown in 350 ppm CO₂. The root:shoot ratio decreased with increased nutritional level in both CO₂ concentrations. Total weight and number of seeds produced in high CO₂ were greater than those produced in low ,CO₂ under similar nutrition. In low CO₂, seed weight and number increased with each increase in nutrient concentration up to the one-half strength level and then decreased with full strength. In high CO₂, however, increasing the nutritional level from one-half to full strength did not decrease seed weight and number significantly. As the plants grew older, the increments of increase in total plant dry weight during harvest intervals were always greater in plants grown in 675 ppm CO₂ than those grown in 350 ppm CO₂.

Key Words: Triticum aestivum L. • Nutritional levels • Wheat growth • CO₂ x nutrient interaction • Seed production

² Senior research assistant, research assistant and professors, of Botany, respectively. Dep. of Botany, Duke Univ., Durham, NC 27706.

Received for publication December 1, 1980.