Effect of CO2 concentration, temperature and N fertilization on biomass production of soybean [Glycine max] genotypes differing in N fixation capacity

We tested the hypothesis that elevated CO2 concentration [CO2]-induced enhancement of biomass production of soybean is greater in a genotype that has a higher nitrogen (N) fixation capacity. Furthermore, we analyzed the interactive effects of N fertilization, temperature and [CO2] on biomass production. Three genetically related genotypes: Enrei (normally-nodulating genotype), Kanto 100 (supernodulating genotype), and En1282 (non-nodulating genotype) were grown in pots, with or without N fertilizer for two years (2004, 2005). They were then subjected to two different [CO2] (ambient and elevated (ambient+200 micromol/mol)) x two temperature regimes (low, high (low+4-5degC)). Top dry weight at maturity was the greatest in the elevated [CO2] x high temperature regime, irrespective of genotype and N fertilization. The [CO2] elevation generally enhanced N acquisition and dry matter production during the vegetative growth stage, and the enhancement was more pronounced in the nodulating genotypes (Enrei and Kanto 100) than in the non-nodulating genotype (En1282), indicating that N supply through N fixation contributes to elevated [CO2]-induced biomass production in soybean. However, the relative responsiveness of biomass production to elevated [CO2] was not necessarily higher in the supernodulating genotype than the normally-nodulating genotype. The N utilization efficiency to produce biomass was inferior in the supernodulating genotype than in the normally-nodulating and non-nodulating genotypes. These results did not fully verify the hypothesis that elevated [CO2]-induced enhancement of biomass production of soybean is greater in a genotype with a higher N fixation capacity.