Leaf photosynthesis and carbohydrates of CO2-enriched maize and grain sorghum exposed to a short period of soil water deficit during vegetative development

Among C4 species, sorghum is known to be more drought tolerant than maize. The objective was to evaluate differences in leaf gas exchanges, carbohydrates, and two enzyme activities of these nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) C4 subtype monocots in response to water deficit and CO2 concentration ([CO2]). Maize and sorghum were grown in pots in sunlit environmental-controlled chambers. Treatments included well watered (WW) and water stressed (WS) (water withheld at 26 days) and daytime [CO2] of 360 (ambient) and 720 (elevated) μmol mol−1. Midday gas exchange rates, concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates, and activities of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) and adenosine 5′-diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (ADGP) were determined for fully expanded leaf sections. There was no difference in leaf CO2 exchange rates (CER) between ambient and elevated [CO2] control plants for both maize and sorghum. After withholding water, leaf CER declined to zero after 8 days in maize and 10 days for sorghum. Sorghum had lower stomatal conductance and transpiration rates than maize, which resulted in a longer period of CER under drought. Nonstructural carbohydrates of both control maize and sorghum were hardly affected by elevated [CO2]. Under drought, however, increases in soluble sugars and decreases in starch were generally observed for maize and sorghum at both [CO2] levels. For stressed maize and sorghum, decreases in starch occurred earlier and were greater at ambient [CO2] than at elevated [CO2]. For maize, drought did not meaningfully affect SPS activity. However, a decline in SPS activity was observed for drought-stressed sorghum under both [CO2] treatments. There was an increase in ADGP activity in maize under drought for both [CO2] treatments. Such a response in ADGP to drought, however, did not occur for sorghum. The generally more rapid response of maize than sorghum to drought might be related to the more rapid growth of leaf area of maize.