Growth, assimilate partitioning and grain yield response of soybean (&lt;i&gt;Glycine max&lt;/i&gt; L. Merrrill) varieties to carbon dioxide enrichment and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the humid rainforest

O.S Sakariyawo,S.G Aderibigbe,M.O Atayese,O.N Adeyemi

doi:10.4314/as.v15i2.5

Abstract

This investigation tested variation in the growth components, assimilate partitioning and grain yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrrill) varieties established in CO2 enriched atmosphere when inoculated with mixtures of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species in the humid rainforest of Nigeria. A pot and a field experiment were established in Abeokuta (7°15’N, 3°28’E; 75 m asl), Nigeria in 2015. The pot experiment had CO2 concentration, AMF inoculation and soybean varieties as treatments, in completely randomised design, repeated three times. On the field the treatments were in a split split-plot arrangement fitted into randomised complete block design. The main plot had CO2 concentration [ambient (≈385 ppm) and elevated (≈550 ppm)], AMF inoculation in the sub plot (+ AMF and – AMF), while the sub sub-plot were soybean varieties (TGx 1448-2E, TGx 1440-1E and TGx 1740-2F), replicated three times. In both experiments assimilatory surface increased in CO2 enriched atmosphere, with increased relative growth rate. The increased relative growth rate on the field was with increased leaf relative growth rate, reduced leaf area ratio and increased net assimilatory rate. Both trials had higher grain yield at elevated CO2 than the ambient. Growth response to AMF inoculation was with reduced specific leaf area and increased leaf weight ratio. Soybean variety TGx 1448 -2E was more adaptive to variation in AMF inoculation and CO2 enrichment. Soybean TGx 1740-2F was more responsive to combined effect of AMF inoculation and CO2 enrichment, but less suitable in the absence of both in this ecology.Keywords: Assimilatory surface, carbon dioxide enrichment, inoculation, soybean

Highlights

Soybean is an important oil seed crop in most parts of the world
Pot Experiment Soybean crop exposed to elevated CO2 had significantly more number of trifoliate leaves and leaf area at 6 and 9 weeks after planting (WAP) than those exposed to ambient CO2 concentration except at 3 WAP, where there were no significant differences on the number of trifoliate leaves in soybean at different atmospheric CO2 concentration (Table 1)
Similar pattern was observed on the leaf area at 3 and 6 WAP

Summary

Introduction

Soybean is an important oil seed crop in most parts of the world. In Nigeria, its cultivation is on the rise in most agroecological systems (Obalum et al, 2011). Elevation of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration had been reported to be part of this global climate change (Leakey et al, 2009). The need is underlined by the fact that these regions are characterized by low input agriculture, low soil fertility (Uzoh et al, 2015), rainfed and subsistence in nature This farming system is unsustainable in the long run due partly to changes in their demographic profiles (Idris et al, 2013). It had been reported in the literature that there is interspecific variation on growth in CO2 enriched atmosphere (Poorter, 1993). Other variations observed among the C3 under elevated CO2 was between dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous crops, with the former indicating better performance than the later (Poorter, 1993)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion