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Root Growth of Winter Wheat under Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Drought

Evapotranspiration Laboratory, Dep. of Agronomy, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506

^* Corresponding author.

With the atmospheric concentration of CO₂ increasing, it is important to know how this will affect crop growth. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of enriched CO₂ on root growth of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Newton’) under both wellwatered and dry conditions. The wheat was grown for 3 yr in 16 plastic chambers (121 by 92 by 168 cm) in the field under ambient CO₂ (340 µL L^–1) and elevated levels of CO₂ (485, 660, and 825 µL L^–1). Each chamber was placed over an underground box (77 by 37 cm at the top; 180 cm deep) containing a Muir silt loam (fine-silly, mixed, mesic Cumulic Haplustoll). The boxes could be pulled out of the ground for observation of roots. Half of the boxes were maintained at field capacity (0.38 m^–3 m^–3) (well-watered or not stressed plants) and half between 0.14 to 0.25 m3 m 3 (drought-stressed plants). At harvest, root dry weights at different depths and stem dry weight were determined. Roots of plants grown under the three elevated levels of CO₂ penetrated to the maximum depth of observation (176 cm) before roots of plants grown under the ambient level. At harvest, the difference in root growth between elevated and ambient levels of CO₂ was most pronounced at the top level (0- to 10-cm depth). Roots of drought-stressed plants grown with 825 µL L^–1 CO₂ had a greater dry weight than roots of well-watered plants grown with ambient CO₂. The ratio of root to stem weight usually showed no trend (neither increase or decrease) with increasing CO₂ concentration. Total dry weight at harvest of well-watered root grown at ambient CO₂ (3-yr mean: 118 g m^–2) was similar to that of drought-stressed roots grown at the highest level of CO2 (3-yr mean: 123 g m^–2). The results indicated that high CO₂ (825 µL L^–1) can compensate for restrictions in root growth by drought.

Received for publication July 31, 1989.

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