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Effect of elevated carbon dioxide on growth and nitrogen fixation of two soybean cultivars in northern China

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Abstract

The effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration on symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean under open-air conditions has not been reported. Two soybean cultivars (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Zhonghuang 13 and cv. Zhonghuang 35) were grown to maturity under ambient (415 ± 16 μmol mol−1) and elevated (550 ± 17 μmol mol−1) [CO2] at the free-air carbon dioxide enrichment experimental facility in northern China. Elevated [CO2] increased above- and below-ground biomass by 16–18% and 11–20%, respectively, but had no significant effect on the tissue C/N ratio at maturity. Elevated [CO2] increased the percentage of N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa, estimated by natural abundance) from 59% to 79% for Zhonghuang 13, and the amount of N fixed from 166 to 275 kg N ha−1, but had no significant effect on either parameter for Zhonghuang 35. These results suggest that variation in N2 fixation ability in response to elevated [CO2] should be used as key trait for selecting cultivars for future climate with respect to meeting the higher N demand driven by a carbon-rich atmosphere.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Australian Greenhouse Office, the Australian Centre for Agricultural Research, and a Riady Scholarship. The authors wish to thank Xiaogang Dong, Ji Gao, Zongpeng Yang, and Qiubing Ye for the field assistance, and Jianlei Sun for assistance with the chemical analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Shu Kee Lam, Rob Norton, Arvin R. Mosier, Saman Seneweera & Deli Chen

  2. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture on Agro-environment and Climate Change, Beijing, 100081, China

    Xingyu Hao, Erda Lin & Xue Han

  3. Agro-Environment and Sustainable Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Xingyu Hao, Erda Lin & Xue Han

  4. College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China

    Xingyu Hao

  5. International Plant Nutrition Institute, 54 Florence Street, Horsham, VIC, 3400, Australia

    Rob Norton

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  1. Shu Kee Lam
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  2. Xingyu Hao
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  8. Deli Chen
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Correspondence to Deli Chen.

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Lam, S.K., Hao, X., Lin, E. et al. Effect of elevated carbon dioxide on growth and nitrogen fixation of two soybean cultivars in northern China. Biol Fertil Soils 48, 603–606 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0648-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0648-z

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