Nitrogen and phosphorus nutritional interactions in a CO₂ enriched environment

Abstract

Nonnodulated soybean plants (Glycine max. [L.] Merr. ‘Lee') were supplied with nutrient solutions containing growth limiting concentrations of N or P to examine effects on N‐ and P‐uptake efficiencies (mg nutrient accumulated/gdw root) and utilization efficiencies in dry matter production (gdw²/mg nutrient). Nutritional treatments were imposed in aerial environments containing either 350 or 700 μL/L atmospheric CO₂ to determine whether the nutrient interactions were modified when growth rates were altered.

Nutrient‐stress treatments decreased growth and N‐ and P‐uptake and utilization efficiencies at 27 days after transplanting (DAT) and seed yield at maturity (98 DAT). Atmospheric CO₂ enrichment increased growth and N‐ and P‐utilization efficiencies at 27 DAT and seed yield in all nutritional treatments and did not affect N‐ and P‐uptake efficiencies at 27 DAT. Parameter responses to nutrient stress at 27 DAT were not altered by atmospheric CO₂ enrichment and vice versa. Nutrient‐stress treatments lowered the relative seed yield response to atmospheric CO₂ enrichment.

Decreased total‐N uptake by P‐stressed plants was associated with both decreased root growth and N‐uptake efficiency of the roots. Nitrogen‐utilization efficiency was also decreased by P‐stress. This response was associated with decreased plant growth as total‐N uptake and plant growth were decreased to the same extent by P stress resulting in unaltered tissue N concentrations. In contrast, decreased total P‐uptake by N‐stressed plants was associated with a restriction in root growth as P‐uptake efficiency of the roots was unaltered. This response was coupled with an increased root‐to‐shoot dry weight ratio; thus shoot and whole‐plant growth were decreased to a much greater extent than total‐P uptake which resulted in elevated P concentrations in the tissue. Therefore, P‐utilization efficiency was markedly reduced by N stress.