Elevated CO 2 concentration increases maize productivty under water
deficit or soil salinity at the expense of higher risk of hydraulic
failure
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the acclimation responses of crop
hydraulic traits to future climate scenarios and quantify the potential
hydraulic risks. Potted maize was acclimated to varying [CO
2] levels (400, 700, and 1,000 ppm in 2018; 400 and
700 ppm in 2020), while under water deficit (WS) or soil salinity (SS)
treatments. Plant growth and hydraulic traits following the acclimation
were comprehensively assessed. WS or SS inhibited growth and showed
remarkable impacts on maize hydraulic traits. Especially, the water
potential that leads to 50% loss of conductivity (P 50)
decreased by 1 MPa. When subjected to elevated [CO
2], the WS and SS plants improved their growth by
7-23%. Meanwhile, elevated [CO 2] significantly
increased xylem vulnerability, resulting in smaller hydraulic safety
margins. According to the t crit plant desiccation
model, the critical desiccation degree (time*VPD) plants can tolerate
under drought was 43-64% reduced at elevated [CO
2]. In addition, the sensitivity analysis showed that
the P 50 is the most important trait in determining the
critical desiccation degree. Our findings demonstrated that while
elevated [CO 2] was beneficial to plant productivity
under WS or SS, it interfered with the plant hydraulic acclimation,
potentially placing them at a higher risk of hydraulic failure and
mortality.