Hort. Sci. (Prague), X:X | DOI: 10.17221/110/2024-HORTSCI

Short- and long-term effects of elevated CO2 on the growth and nitrogen content of Panax japonicus

Xiao Wang1, E Liang1, Deyan Li1, Xiaohui Song1
College of Agriculture, Anshun University, Anshun, P.R. China


Panax japonicus (T. Nees) C.A. Mey is a rare plant that is used in Chinese herbal medicine. Two-year-old Panax japonicus seedlings were grown in open-top chambers under ambient CO2 (aCO2), moderately (e1CO2: 550 ± 15 μmol/mol) or substantially (e2CO2: 750 ± 15 μmol/mol) elevated CO2 to study their effects on plant growth and nitrogen (N) content. After 27 days, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of e2CO2-treated seedlings was significantly higher (20.09%) than that of seedlings grown under aCO2. However, by day 51, the Pn of e1CO2- and e2CO2-treated seedlings was 12.87% higher and 9.57% lower, respectively, than that of seedlings grown under aCO2. On day 27, chlorophyll a + b content, Rubisco activity, soluble protein and starch content of e1CO2- and e2CO2-treated seedlings showed no significant change and significant increase compared to aCO2-treated. By contrast, at 51 days, chlorophyll a content, Rubisco activity, starch and N content of P. japonicus was significantly increased by moderately eCO2 condition but was significantly decreased by substantially eCO2 condition. The results suggest that exposure to moderately eCO2 was beneficial for P. japonicus growth, whereas under substantially eCO2, growth were promoted in short-term but inhibited in long-term. Owing to the temporal effect of eCO2 on P. japonicus growth, there was no significant correlation between N content and Pn of P. japonicus under eCO2.

Keywords: elevated CO2; nitrogen; Panax japonicus; photosynthesis; temporal effect  

Received: June 6, 2024; Revised: May 12, 2025; Accepted: May 13, 2025; Prepublished online: November 25, 2025 

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