Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #169482
Title: RETHINKING ACCLIMATION OF GROWTH AND MAINTENANCE RESPIRATION OF TOMATO IN ELEVATED CO2: EFFECTS OF A SUDDEN CHANGE IN LIGHT AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

Author
item Frantz, Jonathan
item COMETTI, N - DEPT. DE SOLOS, BRAZIL
item IERSEL, M - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item BUGBEE, B - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/2007
Publication Date: 3/3/2007
Citation: Frantz, J., Cometti, N.N., Iersel, M.V., Bugbee, B. 2007. Rethinking acclimation of growth and maintenance respiration of tomato in elevated CO2: effects of a sudden change in light at different temperatures. Journal Of Plant Ecology. 31:695-710.

Interpretive Summary: Plants experience fluctuating light and temperature, and species' acclimation defines both their ecological niches and optimal growth ranges. Interactions between light and temperature may be evident because of common dependencies of photosynthesis and respiration with light and temperature. It is, therefore, important to determine the effect of a change in light and temperature on respiration and carbon use efficiency (ratio of dry weight gain to total fixed carbon from the plant in a 24-h period) both separately and together. Separating respiration into growth and maintenance components and elemental tissue analysis revealed that carbon use efficiency has the capacity to acclimate to changes in light through a reduction in the maintenance coefficient, an increase in the growth coefficient, and relatively less partitioning of N in protein. Temperature had no significant effect in determining either maintenance or growth coefficients. This is surprising because there are many data suggesting that respiration can easily and quickly acclimate to temperature. These data suggest that carbon use efficiency can be maintained at a high level provided carbohydrate supply can meet respiratory demand, even in low light. This study contributes to the understanding of the environmental components that control respiration and give insight into how different techniques for studying respiration can influence the conclusions one reaches about acclimation in respiration.

Technical Abstract: Plants experience fluctuating light and temperature, and species' acclimation defines both their ecological niches and optimal growth ranges. Interactions between light and temperature may be evident because of covariance of photosynthesis and respiration with these parameters. It is, therefore, important to determine the effect of a change in light and temperature on respiration and carbon use efficiency both separately and together. Separating respiration into growth and maintenance components and tissue analysis revealed that carbon use efficiency has the capacity to acclimate to changes in light through a reduction in the maintenance coefficient, an increase in the growth coefficient, and relatively less partitioning of N in protein. Temperature had no significant effect in determining either maintenance or growth coefficients. These data suggest that carbon use efficiency can be maintained at a high level provided carbohydrate supply can meet respiratory demand, even in low light.