Effects of carbon dioxide and nitrogen fertilization on phenolic content in Poa annua L.

Different but partially overlapping hypotheses have been developed to predict the allocation of phenolics in elevated atmospheric CO(2). The carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis predicts increased allocation to phenolics due to reduced relative availability of nitrogen. The growth-differentiation balance hypothesis states that allocation will depend on source and sink strength, while the protein competition model predicts that allocation will remain unchanged. We grew Poa annua at two CO(2) concentrations in soils of three different nutrient levels. Although plant-tissue nitrogen levels were reduced in high CO(2) and photosynthetic rate increased, phenolic concentration and biomass allocation remained unchanged. We discuss these data in the context of the three models' predictions of phenolic allocation in conditions of elevated CO(2).