Abstract
The objective of this investigation was to determine how free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) affects root distribution in a natural soil environment. For two years cotton was grown on a Trix clay loam under two atmospheric CO2 concentrations (370 and 550 µcool mol−1) and two water treatments [wet, 100% of evapotranspiration (ET) replaced and dry, 75% (1990) and 67% (1991) of ET replaced] at Maricopa, AZ. At early vegetative and mid-reproductive growth, 90 cm soil cores were taken at 0, 0.25, and 0.5 m perpendicular to row center; root variables were ascertained at three 30 cm depth increments. The effect of water stress alone or its interaction with CO2 on measured variables during both samplings were rare and showed no consistent pattern. There was a significant CO2 × position interaction for root length density at the vegetative stage (both years) and reproductive stage (1990 only); the positive effects of extra CO2 were more evident at interrow positions (0.25 and 0.5 m). A CO2 × depth × position interaction at the vegetative phase (1990) indicated that FACE increased root dry weight densities for the top soil depth increment at all positions and at the middle increment at the 0.5 m position. Similar trends were seen at the reproductive sampling for this measure as well as for root length density at both sample dates in 1990. In 1991, a CO2 × depth interaction was noted at both periods; CO2 enhancement of root densities (i.e., both length and dry weight) were observed within the upper and middle depths. Although variable in response, increases for root lineal density under high CO2 were also seen. In general, results also revealed that the ambient CO2 treatment had a higher proportion of its root system growing closer to the row center, both on a root length and dry wight basis. On the other hand, the FACE treatment had proportionately more of its roots allocated away from row center (root length basis only). Results from this field experiment clearly suggest that increased atmospheric CO2 concentration will alter root distribution patterns in cotton.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allen L H Jr 1990 Plant responses to rising carbon dioxide and potential interactions with air pollutants. J. Environ. Qual. 19, 15–34.
Allen L H Jr, Boote K J, Jones J W, Jones P H, Valle R R, Acock B, Rogers H H and Dahlman R C 1987 Response of vegetation to rising carbon dioxide: photosynthesis, biomass, and seed yield of soybean. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 1, 1–14.
Arp W J 1991 Effects of source-sink relations on photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2. Plant, Cell Environ. 14,869–975.
Bohm W 1979 Methods of studying root systems. Spring-Verlag, NY. 188 p.
Carlson R W and Bazzaz F A 1980 The effects of elevated CO2 concentration on growth, photosynthesis, transpiration, and water use efficiency of plants. In Environmental and Climatic Impact of Coal Utilization. Eds. J Singh and A Deepak. pp 609–612. Academic Press, NY.
Chaudhuri U N, Kirkham M B and Kanemasu E T 1990 Root growth of winter wheat under elevated carbon dioxide and drought. Crop Sci. 30, 853–857.
Chaudhuri U N, Burnett R B, Kirkham M B and Kanemasu E T 1986 Effect of carbon dioxide on sorghum yield, root growth, and water use. Agric. For. Meteorol. 37, 109–122.
Dahlman R C, Strain B R and Rogers H H 1985 Research on the response of vegetation to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. J. Environ. Qual. 14, 1–8.
Del Castillo D, Acock B, Reddy V R and Acock M C 1989 Elongation and branching of roots on soybean plants in a carbon dioxide-enriched aerial environment. Agron. J. 81, 692–695.
Gillison’s Variety Fabrication, Inc 1990 Basic operation of the hydropneumatic root washer. 3033 Benzie Hwy., Benzonia, MI 49616.
Gribbon J 1981 The politics of carbon dioxide. New Sci. 90, 82–84. Hawker de Havilland 1985 User’s Manual. 304 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria, 3207, Australia.
Hendrey G R, Lewin K F and Nagy J 1993 Free-air carbon dioxide enrichment: development, progress, results. Vegetatio 104 /105, 17–31.
Hunsaker D J, Hendrey G R Kimball B A, Lewin K F, Mauney J R and Nagy J 1994 Cotton evapotranspiration under field conditions with CO2 enrichment and variable soil moisture regimes. Agric. For. Meteorol. (In press)
Idso S B 1989 Carbon Dioxide and Global Change: Earth in Transition. IBR Press, Tempe, AZ. 292 p.
Kamara L, Zartman R and Ramsey R H 1991 Cotton-root distribution as a function of trickle irrigation emitter depth. Irrig. Sci. 12, 141–144.
Keeling C D, Bacastow R B, Carter A F, Piper S C, Whorf T P, Heimann M, Mook W G and Roeloffzen H 1989 A three dimensional model of atmospheric CO2 transport based on observed winds: Observational data and preliminary analysis. In Aspects of Climate Variability in the Pacific and the Western Americas. Vol. 55. American Geophysical Union.
Kimball B A, Rosenberg N J and Allen L H Jr 1990 Impact of CO2, trace gases, and climate change on global agriculture. ASA Special Publication No. 53, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI. 133 p.
Kimball B A and Idso S B 1983 Increasing CO2: Effects on crop yield, water use and climate. Agric. Water Manage. 7, 55–72.
Klepper B, Taylor H M, Huck M G and Fiscus E L 1973 Water relations and growth of cotton in drying soil. Agron. J. 65, 307–310.
Klepper B 1992 Development and growth of crop root systems. In Limitations to plant root growth. Eds. J L Hatfield and B A Stewart. Advances in Soil Science Volume 19. pp 1–25. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Krupa S V and Kickert R N 1989 The greenhouse effect: Impacts of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, carbon dioxide (CO2), and ozone (03) on vegetation. Environ. Pollut. 61, 263–396.
Mauney J R, Kimball B A, Pinter Jr P J, LaMorte R L, Lewin K, Nagy J and Hendrey, G R 1994 Growth and yield of cotton in response to a free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) environment. Agric. For. Meteorol. (In press).
Pearman G I 1980 The global carbon cycle and increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In Carbon Dioxide and Climate: Australian research. Ed. G I Pearman. pp 11–20. Australian Academy of Science, Canaberra.
Prior S A and Rogers H H 1992 A portable soil coring system that minimizes plot disturbance. Agron. J. 84, 1073–1077.
Prior S A, Rogers H H and Runion G B 1993 Effects of free-air CO2 enrichment on cotton root morphology. Supplement to Plant Physiol. 102 (1), 173 (Abstract).
Prior S A, Rogers H H, Runion G B and Mauney J R 1994 Effects of free-air CO2 enrichment on cotton root growth. Agric. For. Meteorol. (In press)
Rogers H H and Dahlman R C 1993 Crop responses to CO2 enrichment. Vegetatio 104 /105, 117–131.
Rogers H H, Runion G B and Krupa S V 1994 Plant responses to atmospheric CO2 with emphasis on roots and the rhizosphere. Environ. Pollut. 83, 155–189.
Rogers H H, Thomas J F and Bingham G E 1983 Response of agronomic and forest species to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Science 220, 428–429.
Rogers H H, Prior S A and O’Neil E G 1992a Cotton root and rhizosphere responses to free-air CO2 enrichment. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 11, 251–263.
Rogers H H, Peterson C M, McCrimmon J M and Cure J D 1992b Response of soybean roots to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Plant, Cell Environ. 15, 749–752.
Rosenberg N J, Kimball B A, Martin P and Cooper C F 1990 From climate and CO2 enrichment to evapotranspiration. In Climate Change and U.S. Water Resources. Ed. P E Waggoner. pp 151175. John Wiley and Sons, NY.
Russell R S 1977 Plant Root Systems: Their Function and Interaction with the Soil. McGraw-Hill, UK. 298 p.
Sionit N, Rogers H H, Bingham G E and Strain B R 1984 Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance with CO2-enrichment of container and field-grown soybeans. Agron. J. 65, 207–211.
SAS Institute, Inc 1985 SAS User’s guide: statistics. Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Institute, Inc., Cary, NC. 956 p.
Smit, B, Ludlow L and Brklacich M 1988 Implications of a global climatic warming for agriculture: A review and appraisal. J. Environ. Qual. 17, 519–527.
Smucker A J M, McBurney S L and Srivastava A K 1982 Quantitative separation of roots from compacted soil profiles by the hydropneumatic elutriation system. Agron. J. 74, 500–503.
Strain B R and Cure J D 1985 Direct effects of increasing carbon dioxide on vegetation. DOE/ER-0238. The Office of Energy Research. U. S. Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC. 286 p.
Thomas R R and Strain B R 1991 Root restriction as a factor in photosynthetic acclimation of cotton seedlings grown in elevated carbon dioxide. Plant Physiol. 96, 627–634.
Warrick R A 1988 Carbon dioxide, climatic change and agriculture. Geographical J. 154, 221–233.
Woodwell G M 1978 The carbon dioxide question. Sci. Am. 238, 34–43.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Prior, S.A., Rogers, H.H., Runion, G.B., Hendrey, G.R. (1994). Free-air CO2 enrichment of cotton: vertical and lateral root distribution patterns. In: Curtis, P.S., O’Neill, E.G., Teeri, J.A., Zak, D.R., Pregitzer, K.S. (eds) Belowground Responses to Rising Atmospheric CO2: Implications for Plants, Soil Biota, and Ecosystem Processes. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 60. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0851-7_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0851-7_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4415-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0851-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive