Effect of elevated ozone, carbon dioxide and their interaction on growth, biomass and water use efficiency of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Abstract

Global climate change has a major impact on growth and sustainability of agro-ecosystem.Keeping in view the importance of rising O3 and CO2 concentration in atmosphere, a field experiment was conducted on chickpea (variety: Pusa 5023) in the experimental farm in Free Air Ozone and Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FAOCE) facility at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi under four ozone and carbon dioxide treatments ECO: elevated CO 2 (550±10 ppm) +elevated O3 (70 ±10 ppb); EC: elevated CO 2 (550±10 ppm ppm) + ambient O3 (30±10 ppb); EO: elevated O3 (70±10 ppb)+ ambient CO 2 (400±10 ppm) and AMB; ambient CO 2 (400±10 ppm)+ ambient O3 (30± 10 ppb) during rabi season of 2016-17. The results revealed that the plant height, above ground biomass, CGR and RGR and seed yield of chickpea was significantly highest in elevated CO2 (EC) treatment followed by ECO treatment and lowest in elevated O3 (EO) treatment. Elevated ozone had negative impact whereas elevated carbon dioxide had positive impact on growth, biomass and WUE of chickpea and when both are combined the negative impact of elevated ozone were counteracted by elevated carbon dioxide.