Large‐scale plant growth chamber design for elevated p CO 2 and δ 13 C studies
- Department of Geology and Geophysics University of Hawaii Honolulu HI 96822 USA
- School of Geosciences University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette LA 70504 USA
Rationale Throughout at least the next century, CO 2 fertilization and environmental stresses (e.g. nutrient, moisture, insect herbivory) are predicted to affect yields of economically important crop species. Stable isotopes of carbon are used to study plant stresses, which affect yields, but a growth chamber design that can be used to isolate the effects of environmental stresses on crop‐sized species through precise maintenance of p CO 2 levels and the δ 13 C values of atmospheric CO 2 (δ 13 C CO2 ) is lacking. Methods We designed and built low‐cost plant growth chambers for growing staple crop species under precise p CO 2 and δ 13 C CO2 conditions. Over the course of 14 hours, we assessed for p CO 2 stability at two targeted levels (ambient, ~400 ppm; and 2×, ~800 ppm) and measured the δ 13 C CO2 value within the two chambers using a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer. We also compared the temperature and relative humidity conditions within the two growth chambers, and in the ambient, outside air. Results Across our experimental period, we achieved δ 13 C CO2 stability (ambient: –8.05 ± 0.17‰; elevated: –12.99 ± 0.29‰) that showed nearly half the variability of any previously reported values for other chamber designs. The stability of the p CO 2 conditions (ambient: 406 ± 3 ppm; elevated: 793 ± 54 ppm) was comparable with that in previous studies, but our design provided ~8 times more growing space than previous chamber designs. We also measured nearly identical temperature and relative humidity conditions for the two chambers throughout the experiment. Conclusions Our growth chamber design marks a significant improvement in our ability to test for plant stress across a range of future p CO 2 scenarios. Through significant improvement in δ 13 C CO2 stability and increased chamber size, small changes in carbon isotope fractionation can be used to assess stress in crop species under specific environmental (temperature, relative humidity, p CO 2 ) conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1401608
- Journal Information:
- Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, Journal Name: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Vol. 29 Journal Issue: 5; ISSN 0951-4198
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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