Photosynthetica 2012, 50(3):362-370 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0043-5

Effects of fully open-air [CO2] elevation on leaf ultrastructure, photosynthesis, and yield of two soybean cultivars

X. Y. Hao1,2, X. Han1, S. K. Lam3, T. Wheeler4, H. Ju1, H. R. Wang1, Y. C. Li1, E. D. Lin1,*
1 Key Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture on Agro-environment and Climate Change, Agro-Environment and Sustainable Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
2 College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, China
3 Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
4 Walker Institute for Climate Systems Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of elevated (550 ± 17 μmol mol-1) CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on leaf ultrastructure, leaf photosynthesis and seed yield of two soybean cultivars [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Zhonghuang 13 and cv. Zhonghuang 35] at the Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experimental facility in North China. Photosynthetic acclimation occurred in soybean plants exposed to long-term elevated [CO2] and varied with cultivars and developmental stages. Photosynthetic acclimation occurred at the beginning bloom (R1) stage for both cultivars, but at the beginning seed (R5) stage only for Zhonghuang 13. No photosynthetic acclimation occurred at the beginning pod (R3) stage for either cultivar. Elevated [CO2] increased the number and size of starch grains in chloroplasts of the two cultivars. Soybean leaf senescence was accelerated under elevated [CO2], determined by unclear chloroplast membrane and blurred grana layer at the beginning bloom (R1) stage. The different photosynthesis response to elevated [CO2] between cultivars at the beginning seed (R5) contributed to the yield difference under elevated [CO2]. Elevated [CO2] significantly increased the yield of Zhonghuang 35 by 26% with the increased pod number of 31%, but not for Zhonghuang 13 without changes of pod number. We conclude that the occurrence of photosynthetic acclimation at the beginning seed (R5) stage for Zhonghuang 13 restricted the development of extra C sink under elevated [CO2], thereby limiting the response to elevated [CO2] for the seed yield of this cultivar.

Keywords: free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE); leaf ultrastructure; photosynthetic pigments; soybean cultivar; yield

Received: August 6, 2011; Accepted: April 17, 2012; Published: September 1, 2012Show citation

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Hao, X.Y., Han, X., Lam, S.K., Wheeler, T., Ju, H., Wang, H.R., Li, Y.C., & Lin, E.D. (2012). Effects of fully open-air [CO2] elevation on leaf ultrastructure, photosynthesis, and yield of two soybean cultivars. Photosynthetica, 50(3), 362-370. doi: 10.1007/s11099-012-0043-5.
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