Growth of cucumber plant is suppressed with increase of CO
2 concentration in the rhizosphere. In the present study, effects of CO
2 concentration and temperature in the rhizosphere on growth of cucumber was investigated.
(1) In order to find the effects of CO
2 concentration and temperature in the rhizosphere on the photosynthetic and transpiration rates, gas mixtures containing 0-30% CO
2 were supplied into the rhizosphere at temperature of 15°C, 20°C and 30°C.
As a result, when CO
2 concentration in the rhizosphere was 30%, photosynthetic rates 2 hours after the treatment decreased to 70% and 90% at 15°C and 20°C, respectively, while it decreased slightly at 30°C. Furthermore, after 8 hours it decreased to 70% even at 20°C. Thus, the temperature was low, the suppression of the photosynthetic rate by CO
2 enrichment in the rhizosphere occurred earlier and was more serious.
Effects of CO
2 enrichment in the rhizosphere on transpiration rates at 15°C, 20°C and 30°C were similar to those on photosynthetic rates.
(2) In order to find the effects of CO
2 concentration and temperature in the rhizosphere on the growth of cucumber plants, growth rates were investigated at 20°C, 25°C and 30°C, by supplying rhizospheres with fresh air or air containing 2% CO
2.
Eleven days after the treatment, dry weight of a whole plant supplied with air containing 2% CO
2 decreased by 12% and 10% at 20°C and 25°C, respectively, when compared to the fresh air treatment, while it decreased slightly at 30°C. As the temperature became lower, the growth was more seriously suppressed by CO
2 enrichment in the rhizosphere.
(3) The suppression of plant growth was recovered by the forced aeration of fresh air into the soil because of the reduction of CO
2 concentration in the rhizosphere. In order to investigate how much the effect of forced aeration depended on temperature, cucumber was cultivated at 23°C and 28°C, with or without aeration of fresh air into soil.
Fifteen days after the beginning of the treatment, CO
2 concentration in soil without aeration was 0.4-1.2%. On the other hand, that in soil with aeration was only 0.06%. Dry weight of a whole plant cultivated at 23°C with aeration was greater than that cultivated without aeration by 26%, while it was 11% at 28°C. It was proved that the forced aeration into the rhizosphere showed a remarkable effect on plant growth when the temperature was low.
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