Cold acclimation inhibits CO2-dependent stimulation of photosynthesis in spring wheat and spring rye

We assessed the effects of short-term elevated CO2 on the light-saturated rates of photosynthesis (Asat) of spring (‘SR4A’, ‘Katepwa’) and winter (‘Musketeer’, ‘Norstar’) wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and rye ( Secale cereale L.) cultivars grown at ambient CO2 (380 µmol C·mol–1) at either 20/16 °C (nonacclimated, NA) or 5/5 °C (cold acclimated, CA). In spring wheat–rye, cold acclimation decreased CO2-stimulation of Asat by 45%–60% relative to NA controls following a short-term (80 h) shift of plants from ambient to elevated CO2 (700 µmol C·mol–1). In contrast, in winter wheat–rye, cold acclimation enhanced CO2-stimulation of Asat by 15%–35% relative to NA controls upon a shift to elevated CO2. The stimulation observed for CA spring cultivars was about 60% less than that of CA winter cultivars. We conclude that a short-term exposure of spring cultivars to elevated CO2 cannot compensate for the cold acclimation-induced inhibition of Asat. Cold acclimation of spring cultivars appeared to exacerbate Rubisco CO2 substrate limitations present under ambient CO2. Furthermore, CA spring cultivars were unable to adjust their short-term temperature sensitivity of Asat under elevated CO2 compared with the winter cultivars.