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Growth and Yield Response of Sweet Potato to Atmospheric CO 2 Enrichment 1
Author(s) -
Bhattacharya N. C.,
Biswas P. K.,
Battacharya Sheila,
Sionit Nasser,
Strain B. R.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1985.0011183x002500060019x
Subject(s) - ipomoea , photosynthesis , cultivar , dry matter , cutting , dry weight , vermiculite , sink (geography) , horticulture , biology , yield (engineering) , botany , materials science , cartography , metallurgy , geography
Tuber growth of sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) is a sink that may be limited by source capacity under present ambient CO 2 levels. Hence, sweet potato may demonstrate more response to predicted increases in atmospheric CO 2 than many other annual plants. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the long‐term effects of CO 2 enrichment on some physiological parameters, growth, and yield, as well as on the source‐sink relationship in sweet potato at different stages of growth. Plants of the cultivar Georgia Jet were grown from stem cuttings in a mixture of gravel and vermiculite in controlled environment chambers at 350, 675, and 1000 μL L −1 CO 2 and were irrigated with one‐half strength Hoagland's solution. The temperature was 28°C during 14‐h days and 20°C during 10‐h nights. The photosynthetic photon flux density was 550 μmol m −2 s −1 . The length of main stem, total branch length, number of branches, and leaf area were increased for plants grown at 675 or 1000 μL L −1 COs. The production of total dry matter of plants increased at each harvest interval in response to CO 2 enrichment but it was greatest in 1000 μL L −1 CO 2 . Specific leaf weight also increased with increased CO 2 concentration. The number and diameter of tubers increased at high CO 2 concentration. At the final harvest, the dry weight of roots and tubers increased 1.8 and 2.6 times in plants grown at 675 and 1000 μL L −1 CO 2 , respectively, compared to those grown at 350 μL L −1 CO 2 . Carbon dioxide enrichment resulted in the modulation of sink capacity to enhance the production of tubers in sweet potato.