Effects of climate change on leaf gas exchange and early growth of sugarcane

What is it about?

This experiment shows the impact of climate change on the growth and physiology of sugarcane and the genotypic variation of these responses. Significant treatment × variety interaction effects were observed on leaf net photosynthetic rate (An), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (El), and instantaneous transpiration efficiency (TE). In most varieties, elevated CO2 (ECO2) alone did not affect An, but the combination of ECO2 and elevated temperature (Etem) decreased An. Elevated CO2 decreased gs and El while increasing TE in all varieties. These effects were amplified when ETem was combined with ECO2. Elevated temperature alone had variable effects on An and gs depending on variety, while it increased El and did not affect TE in a majority of varieties. Germination, tillering, and stem diameter was not affected by treatments and did not show varietal variation. Leaf water potential, chlorophyll (spad), leaf area, and above-ground dry weight per plant showed varietal variations but were not affected by treatments. The variable responses to ETem and the significant genotypic variation to ECO2 and ETem observed in this work, both individually and together, demonstrate a considerable scope to breed sugarcane varieties for a future high-CO2 and warmer climate.

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Why is it important?

Very few similar studies have been done on sugarcane and our study added the new knowledge for the existing knowledge.

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