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Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ahmadi Lahijani et al. (2019) -- Elevated CO2 Improves Potato Plant Growth and Yield

Ahmadi Lahijani, M.J., 
Kafi, M., Nezami, A., Nabati, J. 
and Erwin, J.E. 

2019

Effect of 
CO2 enrichment 
on gas exchanges, 
biochemical traits,
and minituber yiel
in potato cultivars:
Solanum tuberosum L.

Journal of Agricultural 
Science and Technology 21: 883-894.


NOTE:
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) 
is the fourth most important 
crop globally with an annual 
production nearing 
400 million tons. 


SUMMARY:
"Raising the levels of CO2 
in minituber production systems 
could be beneficial to stimulate 
the productivity and tuber yield 
[of potato plants]."

Measures of net photosynthesis 
take at one and two months 
after the start of the experiment
revealed a CO2-induced stimulated 
of this parameter by a respective 
+51% and +12% in Fontane 
and +104% and +84% 
in Agria cultivars. 

Biochemical analyses 
revealed elevated CO2 
increases the starch content 
in both cultivars but had 
no significant impact 
on soluble sugars.

Elevated CO2 increased 
the dry matter of the leaf, 
stem, shoot, root, tuber a
nd total plant by 
+29%, +28%, +28%, 
+37%, +166% and +50% 
for the Agria cultivar, 
respectively, and by 
+37%, +55%, +42%, 
+65%, +77% and +60%,
 respectively, for Fontane. 

An increase partitioning
of the dry matter
in the underground 
parts of the plants, 
especially in the tubers, 
resulted in:
 "a significant increase
in the tuber yield 
of both cultivars."


DETAILS:
Ahmadi Lahijani et al. (2019) 
grew two potato cultivars 
           (Agria and Fontane) 
in controlled-environment 
chambers at Ferdowsi 
University of Mashad, 
Islamic Republic of Iran 
under either 
ambient (400 ppm) 
or elevated (800 ppm) 
CO2 levels over 
a full growing season.