Articles
GROWTH AND MAINTENANCE RESPIRATION OF CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS L. ESTIMATED FROM CO2 EXCHANGE
Article number
519_13
Pages
133 – 140
Language
Abstract
Growth and maintenance respiration in plants are difficult to separate, because they occur simultaneously in the same plant parts.
If growth rate, plant size, and respiration rate are measured concurrently, respiration can be divided into growth and maintenance respiration using regression analysis.
This is based on the assumptions that growth respiration is a function of growth rate and maintenance respiration is a function of biomass.
Whole plant carbon exchange of eight vinca crops (Catharanthus roseus L.) was measured in a continuous photosynthesis system for approximately three weeks.
Daily carbon gain (mol C/day) was used as measure of growth and cumulative carbon gain (mol C) was used as an estimate of plant size.
Multi-variable regression analysis indicated that there was a linear correlation between growth and growth respiration.
The slope of the regression line was 0.193 mol/mol, indicating that 0.193 mol of C was lost in growth respiration for every mol of C that was incorporated into dry matter.
Maintenance respiration increased throughout the experiment, but maintenance respiration per unit dry mass decreased.
The decrease in maintenance respiration per unit dry mass is probably due to a change in the chemical composition of the plants.
Vinca has significant lignification in its cell walls.
Lignified tissue normally requires little maintenance and lignification would thus be expected to result in a decrease in maintenance respiration per unit biomass.
If growth rate, plant size, and respiration rate are measured concurrently, respiration can be divided into growth and maintenance respiration using regression analysis.
This is based on the assumptions that growth respiration is a function of growth rate and maintenance respiration is a function of biomass.
Whole plant carbon exchange of eight vinca crops (Catharanthus roseus L.) was measured in a continuous photosynthesis system for approximately three weeks.
Daily carbon gain (mol C/day) was used as measure of growth and cumulative carbon gain (mol C) was used as an estimate of plant size.
Multi-variable regression analysis indicated that there was a linear correlation between growth and growth respiration.
The slope of the regression line was 0.193 mol/mol, indicating that 0.193 mol of C was lost in growth respiration for every mol of C that was incorporated into dry matter.
Maintenance respiration increased throughout the experiment, but maintenance respiration per unit dry mass decreased.
The decrease in maintenance respiration per unit dry mass is probably due to a change in the chemical composition of the plants.
Vinca has significant lignification in its cell walls.
Lignified tissue normally requires little maintenance and lignification would thus be expected to result in a decrease in maintenance respiration per unit biomass.
Authors
M.W. van Iersel
Keywords
Catharanthus roseus, growth respiration, maintenance respiration, photosynthesis, vinca
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