Dey, S.K., Chakrabarti, B.,
Purakayastha, T.J., Prasanna, R.,
Mittal, R., Singh, S.D. and Pathak, H.
2019
Interplay of phosphorus doses,
cyanobacterial inoculation,
and elevated carbon dioxide
on yield and phosphorus dynamics
in cowpea.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 191: 223,
doi: 10.1007/s10661-019-7378-3.
NOTE:
Dey et al. (2019) say that cowpea
(Vigna unguiculata) represents
"an important leguminous crop,
grown mainly in the arid and
semi-arid cropping systems
of mostly developing countries,"
where it is
"useful for i
ts contributions to soil
nitrogen pools
as a result of symbiotic
nitrogen fixation ...
leading to improved
soil fertility."
Cyanobacterial inoculation is
(growth-promoting bacteria
that help enhance plant
photosynthesis) on this legume
of growing global importance.
SUMMARY:
Dey et al. report that
"elevated CO2 level
significantly increased
seed yield and
phosphorus uptake
in cowpea,
which was
further enhanced
with increasing doses
of phosphorus and
cyanobacterial
inoculation."
The 150 ppm increase
in atmospheric CO2
boosted seed yields
across the five phosphorus
treatment levels by +25.9%
when cyanobacteria inoculation
was not applied and by +27.4%
when it was applied.
Dey et al. report that
elevated CO2,
phosphorus application and
cyabobacterial inoculation
all led "to increased microbial activity,
which in turn, increased the availability
of phosphorus in [the soil]."
And that increased availability
of phosphorus in the soil is what
"led to [the] higher seed yield
as well as higher phosphorus
uptake by the crop."
As the air's CO2 content rises
in the future, farmers will be
rewarded with significant
yield increases in cowpea.
DETAILS:
Dey et al. grew cowpea
(cv. Pusa Sukomal) plants
in pots at a free-air
carbon dioxide enrichment
(FACE) facility at the
ICAR-Indian Agricultural
Research Institute
in New Delhi, India,
across the kharif
growing season
(June-October) in 2014.
The experimental design
included two CO2 levels
(400 or 550 ppm),
five phosphorus levels
(0, 8, 12, 16 or 20 mg phosphorus
applied per kg of soil) and
two cyanobacteria treatments
(with or without inoculation).
