Abstract Detail

Ecophysiology

Warming Enhanced Water and Nutrient Deficits of Wild Blueberries.

One of the largest threats to crop production, with little information on its consequences, is climate change. Atmospheric temperatures have increased significantly in the past century, and the increases are predicted to accelerate in the future. To investigate the effects of warming on wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) physiology, we constructed open-top chambers to manipulate warming for six wild blueberry genotypes at the Blueberry Hill Research Farm, Jonesboro, ME, USA. Wild blueberry farms are a semi-natural agricultural system with naturally growing blueberry plants managed to form blueberry producing fields. Experimental warming (elevated by 3 to 5ºC) significantly increased leaf stomatal conductance, transpiration, and water loss, which consequently resulted in lower leaf water potentials and soil water availability compared to the ambient control. Warming had no effects on leaf photosynthetic CO₂ assimilation during a wet year (2019), but decreased leaf photosynthetic rates during a dry year (2018). Warming also decreased leaf nutrient concentrations in a dry year (2018), but not in a wet year (2019). This could be because decreased soil water availability resulted in lower nutrient availability in the soil. Therefore, our results suggest that the wild blueberry system will need more water supply and fertilizer applications to maintain good water status and productivity in the future with warmer temperatures and dryer summers.

Related Links:
Plant Physiology Laboratory at UMaine

1 - University Of Maine, School Of Biology And Ecology, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, United States

Keywords:
climate change
water use
photosynthesis
Warming
Crop physiology
Wild blueberry.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Ecophysiology Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2020
Time: 5:00 PM Time and date to be determined
Number: PPE008
Abstract ID:539
Candidate for Awards:None