Effects of Free-air CO2 Enrichment on Root Characteristics and C：N Ratio of Rice at the Heading Stage

A hydroponics experiment was conducted to investigate the rice root growth in FACE （free-air carbon dioxide enrichment）. The root biomass, root volume, ratio of root/shoot, number of adventitious roots and root diameter significantly increased under FACE conditions, while the CO2 enrichment decreased the N concentration in rice roots without any change in the C content, leading to an increase in root C：N ratio. Moreover, the elevated CO2 resulted in a remarkable decrease of root activity, expressed as per unit root dry weight, which might be responsible for decreased N concentration in roots.