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Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research
Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA
ISSN: 0718-5820 EISSN: 0718-5820
Vol. 76, No. 1, 2016, pp. 93-99
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Bioline Code: cj16013
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 76, No. 1, 2016, pp. 93-99
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Whole plant open chamber to measure gas exchange on herbaceous plants
Ferrari, Florencia Noemí; Parera, Carlos Alberto & Passera, Carlos Bernado
Abstract
Much of our understanding about CO2 and H2O gas exchange in
plants has been gained from studies at leaf level. Extrapolation
of results to whole plant is difficult and not always accurate. In
order to overcome this limitation, a chamber was designed to
measure gas exchange at the whole plant level. The chamber
developed in this work consisted on an acrylic cylinder 0.70
m high and 0.60 m wide. An incorporated blower was used to
circulate air through the chamber and plant canopy from the
bottom inlet upwards to the outlet tube providing a maximum
flow of 0.072 m3 s-1. Air CO2 and water concentration were
monitored with an infrared gas analyzer and temperature
gradients were measured periodically with sensors. Air flow
rates inside the chamber were 0.007, 0.012, 0.022, 0.047, and
0.072 m3 s-1. A comparative study showed that 0.022 or 0.047
m3 s-1 air flow rates did not modify substantially the natural
environment within the chamber; measurements are close
to real and exterior ones; temperature increased below 4
°C; photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was reduced
by 5%; and photosynthesis and evapotranspiration showed
mean values with nonsignificant variations (22 ± 3.8 μmol
CO2 m-2 s-1, and 15 ± 4.0 mmol H2O m-2 s-1, respectively).
This chamber could be a useful tool to measure gas
exchange of whole plants in herbaceous species under
conditions of high evapotranspiration and for extended
periods of time.
Keywords
Carbon dioxide; evaporation; evapotranspiration; photosynthesis; temperature
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