High sink strength prevents photosynthetic down-regulation in cassava grown at elevated CO2 concentration.

ABSTRACT: Cassava has the potential to alleviate food insecurity in many tropical regions, yet few breeding efforts to increase yield have been made. Improved photosynthetic efficiency in cassava has the potential to increase yields, but cassava roots must have sufficient sink strength to prevent carbohydrates from accumulating in leaf tissue and suppressing photosynthesis. Here, we grew eight farmer-preferred African cassava cultivars under free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) to evaluate the sink strength of cassava roots when photosynthesis increases due to elevated CO2 concentrations ([CO2]). Relative to the ambient treatments, elevated [CO2] treatments increased fresh (+27%) and dry (+37%) root biomass, which was driven by an increase in photosynthesis (+31%) and the absence of photosynthetic down-re

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Vera UM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7853607 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature