Observations on Net Assimilation Rates in Arctic Environments: With two Figures in the Text

Examination of the net assimilation rate (E) during the growingseason in arctic regions by a detached-leaf method revealedno differences between species or with soil richness, but showeda reduction of E with exposure to wind–probably resultingfrom cooling–and a tendency for E to fall towards thelater part of the growing season. E generally lay in the range0·5 to o·8 g./dm.²/week. E for detached leaves ignores respiratory losses in other partsof the plant and is not comparable with E for whole plants;failure to appreciate this confused a previous comparison ofE under arctic and temperate environments. E for detached leavesin temperate summer conditions is normally around 1·1to 1·5 g./dm.²/week. Thus E is reduced in arctic environmentsto about half the value in temperate conditions. This reductionis due mainly to the cold climate.     

High Net Assimilation Rates of Sunflower Plants in an Arid Climate

Net assimilation rates of sunflower plants (Heliantkus annuus),grown widely spaced with soil nutrients and water non-limiting,reached 2.0 g dm^–3 wk^–1 in clear weather at midsummerin an arid climate. These rates exceed all previously recordedand are roughly double those hitherto taken to be maximal insunflower. They suggest that maximum rates of photosysnthesisin the most active leaves were 50–65 mg CO₂ dm_–2h_–1. These high rates are a response to the high levels of radiationin the arid climate. They imply that (given non-limiting soil)plants can attain higher productivity in the arid climate thanin any other.     

Effect of Temperature on Net Assimilation Rate

Net assimilation rates and other growth attributes were comparedfor rape, sunflower, and maize plants growing widely spacedat temperatures of 10°, 16°, 22°, 28°, and 34°C, in light of 3, 000 f.c. intensity. The optimum temperature for net assimilation rate lay between20° and 30° C, and was lowest for rape and highest formaize. The temperature coefficient of the net assimilation ratewas lower than that of the relative growth-rate, especiallyin rape and sunflower, corresponding to an increase in leaf-arearatio with in temperature. This arose to an increase in leaf-arearatio with rise in temperature. This mcrease arose through changeinleafarea/leaf weight; temperature had little effect on leafweight/plant weight. In moderate to warm conditions the net assimilation rate variedlittle with temperature: by only± 10 per cent between12° and 30° C for rape, and 23° and 36° C formaize. This agrees with observations in natural climates whichsuggest that temperature is generally less important than lightin controlling net assimilation rates, except in cool climates.In natural climates, as in these controlled climates, relativegrowth-rate is more temperature-dependent.     

Effect of Light Intensity, Carbon Dioxide Concentration, and Leaf Temperature on Gas Exchange of Spray Carnation Plants

The rates of CO₂ assimilation by potted spray carnation plants(cv. Cerise Royalette) were determined over a wide range oflight intensities (45–450 W m^–2 PAR), CO₂ concentrations(200–3100 vpm), and leaf temperatures (5–35 °C).Assimilation rates varied with these factors in a way similarto the response of single leaves of other temperate crops, althoughthe absolute values were lower. The optimal temperature forCO₂ assimilation was between 5 and 10 °C at 45 W m^–2PAR but it increased progressively with increasing light intensityand CO₂ concentration up to 27 °C at 450 W m^–2 PARand 3100 vpm CO₂ as expressed by the equation TOpt = –6.47-h 2.336 In G + 0.031951 where C is CO₂ concentration in vpmand I is photo-synthetically active radiation in W m^–2.CO₂ enrichment also increased stomatal resistance, especiallyat high light intensities. The influence of these results on optimalization of temperaturesand CO₂ concentrations for carnation crops subjected to dailylight variation, and the discrepancy between optimal temperaturesfor growth and net photosynthesis, are discussed briefly     

Nitrogen utilization by plant species from acid heathland soils: I. Comparison between nitrate and ammonium nutrition at constant low pH

Seven heathland species, four herbaceous plants and three dwarfshrubs, were tested for their capacity to utilize NH₄⁺ or NO₃^–. When cultured in solution at pH 4.0 with 2mol m^–3 N,all species showed similar growth responses with respect toN source. Nitrate was assimilated almost equally well as ammonium,with relative growth rate generally averaging 5–8% lowerfor NO₃^– grown plants, albeit not always significantly.However, N source was significantly and consistently correlatedwith biomass partitioning, as NH₄⁺-fed plants allocated moredry matter to shoots and less to roots when compared to NO₃^–-fed plants. The strong difference in biomass partitioning mayrelate to the relative surplus of carbon per unit plant N (or,alternatively, the relatively suboptimal rate of N assimilationper unit plantC) in NO₃^–-fed plants Inherently slow-growing dwarf shrubs accumulated virtually nofree nitrate in their tissues and reduction of nitrate was strictlyroot-based. Faster-growing herbaceous plants, however, partitionedthe assimilation of nitrate over both shoots and roots, therebyaccumulating relatively high tissue NO₃^– levels. Ion uptakerates depended clearly on the ‘relative shoot demand’.At similar shoot demands, especially in the herbaceous species,specific uptake rates for N and total inorganic (non-N) anionswere higher in NH₄⁺ -fed plants, whereas the uptake rate fortotal (non-N) cations was higher in NO₃^–-fed plants. Rateof P uptake was enhanced with increasing plant demand, but wasindependent of the N source. Net H⁺ extrusions ranged from 1.00to 1.34 H⁺ per NH₄⁺, and from –0.48 to –0.77 H⁺per NO₃^– taken up. Key words: Ammonium, biomass partitioning, heathland plants, low pH, nitrate, nitrate reductase activity, relative shoot demand, specific absorption rate     

The Effect of Sodium on Growth of Water-stressed Sugar beet

Sugar beet grown in solution culture, with or without a supplementof 16 millequivalents per litre of sodium, were subjected towater stress with polyethylene glycol solutions of –0.4,–3, and –8 bar osmotic potential. With the –0.4bar solution leaf water potential was between –6 and –8bar and leaf relative water content about 90 per cent. Decreasingthe solution osmotic potential to –8 bar decreased leafwater potential to about –15 bar and relative water contentto 75 per cent; leaves stopped expanding and transpiration andcarbon dioxide uptake were decreased by 80 and 50 per cent respectively.Net assimilation rates were only slightly decreased becauseleaf growth was decreased more than carbon dioxide assimilation.Relative growth rates of the plants were decreased by 8 percent at –3 bar and by 15 per cent at –8 bar. Sodium absorbed by the plant accumulated mainly in the leavesand petioles; it increased the water content of the leaves andstorage root and the plant fresh weight. Sodium decreased theleaf osmotic potential, slightly increased leaf water potential,and significantly increased turgor. It had no effect on carbondioxide uptake, transpiration, net assimilation rate, or relativegrowth rate. Sodium increased the rate at which the leaf areagrew and it is concluded that it did so by altering the leafwater balance.     

Reciprocal Ammonium Transport Into and Out of Plant Roots: Modifications by Plant Nitrogen Status and Elevated Root Ammonium Concentration

Wheat and oat were grown for 20 d on a nitrate-containing solution(nitrogen-replete plants) or for the last 6 d of this periodon a nitrate-free solution (nitrogen-depleted plants). Exposureof the nitrogen-depleted plants on day 20 to nitrate-free solutionscontaining 500 mmol m^–3 ammonium (96 A% ¹⁵N) resultedin a cumulative net influx of ¹⁵N-ammonium over an 8 h periodthat was appreciably greater than that of the nitrogen-repleteplants. Both the initial rate and the more restricted rate afterthe first hour were enhanced by nitrogen deprivation. In thenitrogen-replete plants, cumulative net efflux of endogenous¹⁴N-ammonium was approximately equivalent to net ammonium uptakeduring the first hour, and was essentially complete after 1–2h. Pretreating nitrogen-depleted plants for 5 h in 500 mmolm^{–3 15}N-ammonium (99 A% ¹⁵N) resulted in root ammoniumconcentrations of 12.7?1.1 and 16.0?0.4 µmol for wheat and oat, respectively. Subsequent net efflux of ¹⁵N-ammoniumto 500 mmol m^–3 exogenous ¹⁴N-ammonium exceeded theseinitial amounts within 2 h. Increasing ambient ¹⁴N-ammoniumto 5000 mmol m^–3 increased net ¹⁵N-ammonium efflux suchthat net loss of the maximal original amount in the root tissuewas exceeded within 0.75 h. The data for both species indicatesubstantial reciprocal transfers of ammonium into and out ofroots of ammonium-treated plants and a significant degradationof recently synthesized products of ammonium assimilation concurrentwith ammonium assimilation. Key words: Accumulation, ammonium, efflux, oat, root, uptake, wheat     

Changes in Growth and Quality Characteristics of Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in Response to Sulphur Dioxide Exposure under Field Conditions

The effects of SO₂ on some growth and quality characteristicsof lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) were investigated by exposingplants to mean SO₂ concentrations of 215, 78 or 2.8 µgm_–3 in open-top chambers for 166 d. Plants exposed to215 µg m_–3 had significantly lower shoot and rootweights compared with plants exposed to 78 µg m^–3,but not compared with control plants. Exposure to 215 or 78µg m ^–3 increased the plant shoot: root ratio, buthad no effect on leaf area. During the middle of the fumigationperiod, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate werehighest in plants exposed to 215 fig m, but these later fellbelow control values, and plants exposed to 78 µg m^–3had the highest relative growth rate and net assimilation rate.As the duration of exposure increased, an initial SO₂-inducedstimulation of growth may have developed to toxicity at thehighest SO₂ exposure. Exposure to SO₂ depressed L-ascorbic acid concentrations inleaves, had no effect on foliar protein or starch concentrations,and increased the specific energy of shoots and plant sulphurconcentrations. The effect of SO₂ on L-ascorbic acid concentrationsmay suggest a mechanism for reduced freezing tolerance of plantsafter exposure to SO₂. Key words: SO₂, Medicago sativa L., Growth     

Comparisons of the Respiratory Effluxes of Nodules and Roots in Six Temperate Legumes

The specific respiration rates of nodulated root systems, ofnodules and of roots were determined during active nitrogenfixation in soya bean, navy bean, pea, lucerne, red clover andwhite clover, by measurements on whole plants before and afterthe removal of nodule populations. Similar measurements weremade on comparable populations of the six legumes, lacking nodulesbut receiving abundant nitrate-nitrogen, to determine the specificrespiration of their roots. All plants were grown in a controlled-environmentclimate which fostered rapid growth. The specific respiration rates of nodulated root systems ofthe three grain and three forage legumes during a 7–14-dayperiod of vegetative growth varied between 10 and 17 mg CO₂g^–1 (dry weight) h^–1. This mean value consistedof two components: a specific root respiration rate of 6–9mg CO₂ g^–1 h^–1 and a specific nodule respirationrate of 22–46 mg CO₂ g^–1 h^–1. Nodule respirationaccounted for 42–70 per cent of nodulated root respiration;nodule weight accounted for 12–40 per cent of nodulatedroot weight. The specific respiration rates of roots lackingnodules and utilizing nitrate nitrogen were generally 20–30per cent greater than the equivalent rates of roots from nodulatedplants. The measured respiratory effluxes are discussed in thecontext of nitrogen nitrogen fixation, nitrate assimilation. Glycine max, Phaseolus vulgaris, Pisum sativum, Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, soya bean, navy bean, pea, lucerne, red clover, white clover, nodule respiration, root respiration, fixation, nitrate assimilation     

Physiological and Ecological Studies in the Analysis of Plant Environment: XII. The Role of the Light Factor in Limiting Growth

Previous investigations in southern England on twenty-two herbaceousspecies have demonstrated that for widely spaced plants thediurnal solar radiation limits the net assimilation rate ofall species and restricts the relative growth rate of many.In examining how far these limitations apply to other environmentsit is now shown that in the subtropics and tropics the levelsof net assimilation rate and relative growth rate can greatlyexceed those so far recorded for cool temperate regions, andthese differences are attributed to the higher insolation andtemperatures. From a variety of evidence it is concluded that as the distancebetween plants is reduced 8O the net assimilation rate is progressivelydiminished even in regions of high insolation through the enhancedmutual shading. In consequence levels of light which may besupra-optimal for relatively isolated individuals may yet limitthe dry-matter production of a dense population. There is anoptimal ratio of leaf area to ground surface (leaf-area index)for the maximal exploitation of the incoming radiation in carbonfixation by the population and this optimum will vary with thespecies and the light intensity. Where other environmental factorsare favourable, light may limit dry-matter production everywhere. On an annual basis dry-matter production will be dependent ontwo components—the length of the ‘growing season’and the period over which the leaf-area index remains optimal.In the tropics the highest annual rate of production so farrecorded is 7⁸ tonnes/hect. produced by Saccharum officinarumandin north-east Europe 23.5 tonnes by Fagus sylvatica. Over shortperiods the rate of dry-matter production can attain 3⁸g./m.²/dayand the utilization of solar energy can be as high as 4.2 percent., or 9.5 per cent, for the range 4, 000–7, 000 A. Although information on the productivity of natural communitiesis still ex-ceedingly scanty, an attempt has been made to interpretthe general pattern in terms of the length of the growing season,the level of solar radiation, the magni-tude of the leaf-areaindex of the whole community, and the period over which theleaf canopy remains green. It is postulated that in any regionthe vegetation reaches a dynamic equilibrium when there is themaximum exploitation of the incoming radiation to produce thegreatest production of dry matter.     

The Responses of Net Photosysthesis to Light and Temperature in Spartina townsendii(sensu lato), a C4 Species from a Cool Temperate Climate

Carbon dioxide and water vapour exchanges for single attachedleaves of the temperate C₄ grass Spartina townsendii were measuredunder controlled environment conditions in an open gas-exchangesystem. The responses of net photosynthesis, stomatal resistance,and residual resistance to leaf temperature and photon fluxdensity are described. The light and temperature responses ofnet photosynthesis in S. townsendii are compared to informationon these responses in both temperate C₃ grasses and sub-tropicalC₄ grasses. Adaptation of photosynthesis in this C₄ speciesto a cool temperate climate is indicated both by the light andtemperature responses of net photo-synthesis. Unlike the C₄grasses examined previously, significant rates of net photosynthesiscan be detected at leaf temperatures below 10?C. Rates of netphotosynthesis equal or exceed those reported for temperateC₃ grasses at all of the temperature (5–40?C) and photonflax density (13–2500µmol m^–2 s^–1) conditionsexamined. Maximum rates of net photosynthesis in S. townsendiiare almost double those reported for C₃ herbage grasses. Unliketemperate C₃ grasses, the major limitation to net photosynthesisat low leaf temperatures (10?C and below) is the stomatal resistance,showing that the low residual resistance characteristic of C₄species is maintained in S. townsendii even at low leaf temperatures.     

Responses of CO2 assimilation to changes in irradiance: laboratory and field data and a model for beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The responses of net CO₂ assimilation to sudden changes in irradiancewere studied in Phaseolus vulgaris L. in the laboratory andthe field. For irradiance changes between 50 µmol m^–2s^–1 to 350 µmol m^–2 s^–1 in the laboratory,assimilation rate increased with half-times of 2.7 and 4.1 minin well-watered and water-stressed plants, respectively. Ina field experiment with a change in irradiance from 400 to 1200µmol m^–2 s^–1 the response was faster (half-time=c.1.2 min). In all cases when irradiance was returned to a lowvalue, assimilation declined rapidly with a half-time of approximately1 min, which approached the time resolution of the gas-exchangesystem. The corresponding changes in stomatal conductance in responseto both increasing and decreasing irradiance were much slowerthan the assimilation responses, indicating that biochemicalprocesses, rather than CO₂ supply, primarily determined theactual rate of assimilation in these experiments. The conceptof stomatal limitation to photosynthesis is discussed in relationto these results. A simple model for assimilation in a fluctuating light environmentis proposed that depends on a steadystate light response curve,an ‘induction lag’ on increasing irradiance, andan induction-state memory. The likely importance of taking accountof such induction lags in natural canopy microclimates is considered. Key words: Models, Phaseolus vulgaris, photosynthetic induction, CO₂ assimilation, stomatal limitation, sunflecks, water stress     

Maintenance and Constructive Respiration, Photosynthesis, and Net Assimilation Rate in Seedlings of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida Mill.)

Pitch pine seedlings were grown at constant temperature andphotoperiod. Net CO₂-uptake h^–1 g^–1 leaves decreasedsteadily during ontogeny until leaf production ceased. Thereafter,there was no change or a slight increase. Though the ontogeneticpattern was the same in populations native to different geographicareas, there were differences among populations in the rateof CO₂-uptake. Root respiration, calculated from the differencebetween CO₂-uptake and net assimilation rate, accounted for6 to 69 per cent of diurnal assimilation. Growth of shoots and roots was episodic and out of phase. Spurtsof growth could be forecast by high rates of respiration 4 weeksearlier, probably because high-energy syntheses precede theprocesses of cell elongation and cell wall formation. Maintenanceand constructive respiration were substantially higher for theshoots (85 per cent leaf tissue) than for the roots. Constructiverespiration was proportional to photosynthesis.     

Differences in the Interacting Effects of Light and Temperature on Growth of Four Species in the Vegetative Phase

A comparative study, employing the concepts of growth analysis,has been made of the varying responses in the early vegetativephase of Gossypium hirsutum, Helianthus annuus, Phaseolus vulgaris,and Zea mays to combinations of light intensity (1.08, 2.16,3.24, 4.32, and 5.4 x 10⁴ lx—photoperiod 14 h) and constantdiurnal air temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C).Depending on the combination of treatments, the temperatureof the internal tissues departed from air temperature by 6.9to 1.4 °C: so only the internal temperatures are cited here. For each species there are complex interactions between theeffects of light and temperature on the net assimilation rate,the leaf-area ratio, and the relative growth-rates of plantweight and leaf area. The magnitude of the changes induced bythe two factors vary both with the growth component and thespecies. The temperature responses are maximal up to 20–5°C while at the highest temperatures they may be negative.The temperature coefficients for leaf-area ratio are consistentlyless than those of the other three components: here betweenspecies the coefficients over 10–20 °C vary by a factorof 9.6, 5.4, and 5.1 for the rates of gain in plant weight andleaf area and the net assimilation rate, while the orderingwithin each growth component is species dependent. Under conditions of optimal temperature the relative growth-rateand net assimilation rate progressively increase, accordingto the species, up to either 4.32 or 5.4x 10⁴ lx. The leaf-arearatio is always largest at the lowest intensity. The level oflight at which the rate of gain in leaf area reaches a maximumranges from 2.16x 10⁴ lx for Phaseolus to between 4.32 and 5.40x10⁴ lx for Gossypium. The highest relative growth-rate and net assimilation rate ofHelianthus exceed those of Zea substantially. Indeed the maximalassimilation rate for Helianthus of 2.10 g dm^–2 week^–1is the highest ever recorded under field or controlled conditions.Possible reasons for this reversal of the photosynthetic potentialsof the two species observed by previous workers are discussed.     

Effects of CO2-Enrichment on the Growth of Young Tomato Plants in Low Light

Carbon dioxide-enrichment of young tomato plants grown in controlled-environmentcabinets at low light intensity (14 cal cm^–2 day^–1,visible radiation) increased their net assimilation rates and,initially, relative growth-rates. Subsequently, the relativegrowth-rate fell to near the rate of non-enriched plants, owingto a fall in leaf-area ratio associated with an increase inleaf dry weight/area. Sowing non-enriched plants a few daysearlier to reach the same total dry weight would not have producedidentical plants. The effects of CO₂-enrichment to 1000 vpm could be simulatedby increasing light intensity by approximately one third exceptthat the plants had shorter internodes than those in extra CO₂.This was a morphogenetic effect of light since CO₂-enrichmentitself produced slightly shorter plants than controls for anequivalent total dry weight. CO₂-enrichment did not change the dry-weight distribution inthe plants and had little effect on rate of leaf produoctionor the number of flower primordia. There were no indicationsthat beneficial effects of CO₂-enrichment operated other thanthrough increased photosynthesis.     

Primary Production in Terrestrial Ecosystems

"Primary production" refers to energy fixed by plants. The totalamount of energy fixed is usually called "gross production."A certain fraction of gross production is used in respirationby the plants; the remainder appears as new biomass or "netprimary production." Thus for a single plant or a communityof green plants: Net Primary Production = Gross Production – Respiration(of Autotrophs) Similar relationships occur in ecosystems except that the organicmatter and respiration of heterotrophs must be included. Theincrease in total organic matter is "net ecosystem production";respiration is the total respiration of the green plants (autotrophs)and the animal community and decay organisms (heterotrophs).Gross production is of course identical to that of the plantcommunity. Thus for an ecosystem: Net Ecosystem Production = Gross Production – Respiration(of Autotrophs and Heterotrophs) Study of these attributes of terrestrial ecosystems is difficult,both because of the complex interrelations of the processesinvolved, and because of the problems of working with systemsas large as whole forests. Three approaches are in use: (1)Harvest techniques measure weight increase (and caloric equivalentand chemical composition) of net production. A refinement otthis approach based on "dimension analysis" has made possibleimportant recent advances in the study of forests. Other techniquesapproach gross production and respiration through measurementof exchange of gases, especially CO₂. These include: (2) Enclosurestudies, involving measurements of CO₂ exchange in plastic enclosuresof parts of ecosystems and (3) Flux techniques based on measurementof CO₂ levels in the environment. All three approaches are beingapplied to a forest at Brookhaven National Laboratory to determinethe production equation of this ecosystem. Results to date have established general ranges of such parametersof ecosystems as total biomass, total surface area of leavesand of stems and branches, rates of decay of organic matterin soils, rates of production of roots, and rates of photosynthesisand respiration under different environmental conditions. Inthe Brookhaven forest net primary production is 1124 dry g/m²/yr(with an energy equivalent of 492 cal/cm²/yr), and gross productionis about 2550 dry g/m²/yr; the producers or green plants thusrespire 56% of their gross production. Net ecosystem productionis 422 dry g/m²/yr in this young forest. The ratio of totalrespiration to gross production is a convenient expression ofsuccessional status; a value of 0.82 for the Brookhaven forestindicates that this is a late successional community, but notin steady-state or climax condition (1.0). A leaf surface areaof 3.8 m² per m² of ground surface intercepts sunlight energy,and the ratio of net primary production to incident visiblesunlight energy gives a net efficiency of primary productionof 0.0088. These and other functional characteristics of ecosystems arecurrently important topics of research—involving understandingof communities as biological systems, evaluation of the potentialof environments to support life and man's harvest; and understandingof the fundamental meaning and consequences of man's alteration,exploitation, and pollution of ecosystems.     

Plant Growth Under High Radiant Energy Fluxes

Radiant energy flux density equivalent to peak midday mid-summersunlight was simulated in an artificially lit controlled environmentchamber. High pressure multivapour discharge lamps togetherwith tungsten iodide lamps, installed to give 5·1 kWm^–2 of plant growing space, produced a mean photosyntheticallyactiveradiant energy flux density of 385 W m^–2, 2 m below thethermal barrier, during the course of the experiments. Maize, sorghum, paspalum, ryegrass and soya bean were grownfor 28 days from early seedling development at two temperatures(27·5/22·5 °C, 17·5/12·5 °C,day/night) and three irradiance levels simulating one quarter(LL), one-half (ML) and full (HL) peak mid-summer sunlight over12 h days. Shoot d. wt increased markedly between the LL and ML treatmentsbut only slightly, if at all, between the ML and HL treatments.In comparison with ML treatment plants, those from the HL treatmenthad shorter main stems, more tillers and fewer, thicker mainshoot leaves. Net assimilation rate increased and leaf arearatio decreased with increasing irradiance. As a consequence,relative growth rate did not increase when irradiance exceededthe ML treatment levels. These results suggest that irradiance levels of approximatelyhalf-full daylight values are adequate for most routine controlledenvironment studies where there is little mutual shading betweenor within plants. Major laboratories must, however, providehigh irradiance lighting systems to meet the needs of specialiststudies. Controlled environment, high radiant energy, plant growth, net assimilation rate     

Effect of Light Intensity on Growth of Natural Populations of Dactylis glomerata L.

The growth of two natural populations of cocksfoot from contrastingclimatic regions, Norway and Portugal, was studied in two photoperiodsat three temperatures with three levels of light energy (48,144, and 240 W m^–2 in the wavelength interval 400–700nm). There was a consistent increase in relative growth-rate(RGR) in response to increased light energy up to 144 W m^–2,but above this energy level there was either no change, or,in some treatments, a decline. Net assimilation rate (NAR) increased,whilst leaf area ratio decreased from the lowest to the highestenergy level in most treatments. The decrease of LAR with increasedlight energy could be attributed to a decrease of both leafweight ratio (LWR) and specific leaf area (SLA), a greater proportionof dry matter being distributed to plant parts other than leaf.This effect occurred although there was a positive relationshipbetween light energy and relative leaf growth-rate (RLGR). Populationdifferences in these growth attributes were most marked in thetreatments with low-temperature and short-day conditions. Theefficiency of energy conversion of visible radiation declinedfrom 3–4 per cent at the lowest energy level to 1–2per cent at the highest energy level.     

Nitrogen Utilization in N-limited Barley During Vegetative and Generative Growth: III. POST-ANTHESIS KINETICS OF NET NITRATE UPTAKE AND THE ROLE OF THE RELATIVE ROOT SIZE IN DETERMINING THE CAPACITY FOR NITRATE ACQUISITION

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cvs Golf, Mette, and Laevigatum)was grown under nitrogen limitation in solution culture untilnear maturity. Three different nitrogen addition regimes wereused: in the ‘HN’ culture the relative rate of nitrate-Naddition (RA) was 0·08 d^–1 until day 48 and thendecreased stepwise to, finally, 0·005 d^–1 duringgrain-filling; the ‘LN’ culture received 45% ofthe nitrogen added in HN; the ‘CN’ culture was maintainedat RA 0·0375 d^–1 throughout. Kinetics of net nitrateuptake were measured during ontogeny at 30 to 150 mmol m^–3external nitrate. V_max (which is argued to reflect the maximuminflux rate in these plants) declined with age in both HN andLN cultures. A pronounced transient drop was observed just beforeanthesis, which correlated in time with a peak in root nitrateconcentration. Similar, but less pronounced, trends were observedin CN. The relative V_max (unit nitrogen taken up per unit nitrogenin plants and day) in all three cultures declined from 1·3–2·3d^–1 during vegetative growth to 0·1–0·7d^–1 during generative growth. These values are in HN andLN cultures 15- to more than 100-fold in excess of the demandset by growth rates throughout ontogeny. Predicted balancingnitrate concentrations (defined as the nitrate concentrationrequired to support the observed rate of growth) were below6·0 mmol m^–3 in HN and LN cultures before anthesisand then decreased during ontogeny. In CN cultures the balancingnitrate concentration increased during grain-filling. Apartfrom the transient decline during anthesis, most of the effectof ageing on relative V_max can be explained in terms of reducedcontribution of roots to total biomass (R:T). The loss in uptakeper unit root weight is largely compensated for by the declinewith time in average tissue nitrogen concentrations. The quantitativerelationships between relative V_max and R:T in ageing plantsare similar to those observed for vegetative plants culturedat different RAs. The data support the contention that the capacity for nitrateacquisition in N-limited plants is under general growth control,rather than controlled by specific regulation of the biochemicalpathway of nitrate assimilation. Key words: Barley, nitrogen concentration, root: total plant biomass ratio, V_max     

Growth and Nitrogen Fixation of Phaseolus vulgaris L. at Two Irradiances 1. Growth

Plants of Phaseolus vulgaris grown at 7 and 28 W m^–2 showedno differences in rate of development of leaves or flowers.At 7 W m-Z plants had longer internodes, more succulent stemsand leaves, higher ratios of shoot:root and greater leaf areasthat those at 28 W m^–2. These differences were establishedprior to detectable differences in photosynthesis and couldpartly be attributed to an increased proportion of far-red light. Although the final d. wt, carbon content, and fruit yield werehigher at 28 W m^–2, plants at 7 W m^–2 apparentlyhad similar relative growth rates and greater photosyntheticefficiency. Dry weight differences are most easily interpretedas resulting from the establishment of an earlier net carbongain at 28 W m^–2 than at 7 W m^–2.