S. Seneweera et al., INFLUENCE OF ELEVATED CO2 AND PHOSPHORUS-NUTRITION ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF A SHORT-DURATION RICE (ORYZA-SATIVA L CV JARRAH), Australian journal of plant physiology, 21(3), 1994, pp. 281-292
The growth and development of a short-duration rice cultivar (Oryza sa
tiva L. cv. Jarrah), grown in flooded soil with a range of phosphorus
(P) levels and exposed to atmospheric CO2 concentrations of either 350
or 700 mu L L(-1) was followed for 146 days after planting (DAP). Dev
elopment (estimated by rate of tiller production and time to flowering
) was faster with higher soil P levels and CO2 enrichment, the effect
being more pronounced with CO2 enrichment. During the early vegetative
phase (up to 35 DAP), when rates of tiller production were low, shoot
growth and rates of leaf expansion were faster at elevated CO2 concen
trations and high soil P levels. Rates of tiller production were great
er with these treatments during the 35-56 DAP period, when tillering w
as at a maximum. Shoot elongation was reduced at elevated CO2 levels a
nd at high soil P levels during this period. By 146 DAP leaf weight wa
s greater at high P levels, but CO2 enrichment accelerated tiller prod
uction to such an extent that final leaf weight was lower at high CO2,
probably because there were fewer, and smaller, leaves on each tiller
. Despite this, grain yield was increased by up to 58% by CO2 enrichme
nt, with increases occurring even at low soil P levels. This was due m
ainly to an increase in grain number per panicle, although panicle num
ber also increased. Higher soil P levels also increased grain number a
nd yield. The P concentration in the foliage was unaffected by the CO2
treatments and the concentration required to produce maximum yield wa
s 0.18% (dry wt basis) at both CO2 levels. Greater starch accumulation
in the stems of high-CO2-grown plants may have accounted for the high
er number of grains in each panicle.