Collaborative Influence of Elevated CO2 Concentration and High Temperature on Potato Biomass Accumulation and Characteristics

AbstractAn experiment with OTC (Open-top Chamber) was conducted to study the influence of elevated CO2 concentration and high temperature on potato yields and quality, particularly the collaborative influence of these two factors on the accumulation of aboveground biomass (leaves, petiole, and stem), and underground biomass (root and tuber) in potato, and the influence on potato characteristics. The results showed that the accumulation of dry weight of potato stem and aboveground biomass under the combined treatment of elevated CO2 concentration and high temperature (warming) was significantly higher than that of the control group by 35.8%-53.4% and significantly higher than that of the warming treatment group by 24.4%34.4%. In terms of potato stem and aboveground biomass in the combined treatment group, the occurrence time of peak accumulation was postponed, but the accumulation velocity was increased; the interval days of fast biomass accumulation was prolonged than the warming treatment group and the control group. In this combined treatment experiments, the fresh weight accumulation of potato tuber was lower than the warming treatment group by 5% during the middle stage of tuber formation. But the fresh weight accumulation in the combined treatment was higher than the warming treatment group and the control group during the rest stages of tuber formation: the tuber fresh weight in the mature stage was higher than the warming treatment group and control group by 24.1%, and 3.4%, respectively. In terms of tuber fresh weight in the combined treatment group, the occurrence time of peak accumulation was postponed; the interval days of fast accumulation was prolonged compare to the warming treatment, but close to the control group.