Recent Projects

Effects of plant competition for resources on the response to elevated CO₂. Increased vegetative growth of plants and premature depletion of soil resources under elevated CO₂ may limit anticipated yield enhancements due to globally increasing CO₂ concentrations.

Investigate the interactions between growth temperature, elevated CO₂ and pollutant O₃ on growth and yield in soybean. The possibility of increased growth and leaf temperatures associated with increasing global atmospheric CO₂ concentrations make it imperative that we increase our understanding of the interactive effects of these variables on future crop productivity. (right, Figure 1. Mini-greenhouses allow control of temperature and atmospheric gas composition while allowing nearly full sunlight exposure for studies of interactions between temperature, elevated CO₂ and pollutant gases.)

Investigate the mechanism by which elevated CO₂ prevents O₃ damage in soybean. Elevated CO₂ reduces leaf conductance and keeps O₃ flux into the leaf below the damage threshold. Does this account for most or all of the protective effect?

Characterization of stomatal responses to light, temperature and humidity in O₃ sensitive and non-sensitive snapbean lines. The purpose is to determine if differences in stomatal responses might account for some of the differences in sensitivity to O₃. (left/above, Figure 2: A laboratory gas exchange system in which temperature, humidity, light intensity and gas concentrations can be controlled is essential to characterize stomatal responses to environmental challenges.)

Selected publications

Fiscus, E.L. and M.R. Kaufmann. 1990. The nature and movement of water in plants. In Stewart, B.A. and D.R. Nielsen (eds.). Irrigation of Agricultural Crops. Agronomy Monograph No. 30. American Societies of Agronomy, Madison, WI. 191-241. 

Fiscus, E. L., A. N. M. M. Alam and T. Hirasawa .1991. Fractional integrated stomatal opening to control water stress in the field. Crop Sci. 31:1001-1008. 

Fiscus, E.L., J.E. Miller, F.L. Booker. 1994. Is UV-B a hazard to photosynthesis and yield? Results of an ozone-UV-B interaction study and model predictions. In Biggs R.H. and Joyner, M.E.B. (eds.) Stratospheric Ozone Depletion/ UV-B Radiation in the Biosphere. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg. Pp 135-147. 1994. 

Fiscus, E.L., F.L. Booker, J.E. Miller, and C.D. Reid. 1995. Response of soybean leaf water relations to tropospheric ozone. Can. J. Bot. 73: 517-526. Fiscus, E.L. and F.L. Booker. 1995. Is increased UV-B a threat to crop photosynthesis and productivity? Photosyn. Res. 43: 81-92. 1995. 

Fiscus, E.L., C.D. Reid, J.E. Miller, and A.S. Heagle. 1997. Elevated CO₂ reduces O₃-induced yield losses in soybeans: Possible implications for elevated CO₂ studies. J. Exp. Bot. 48: 307-313. 

Reid, C.D. and E.L. Fiscus.1998. Effects of elevated [CO₂] and/or ozone on limitations to CO₂ assimilation in soybean (Glycine max). J. Exp. Bot. 49: 885-895. 

Reid, C.D., E.L. Fiscus and K.O. Burkey.1998. Combined effects of chronic ozone and elevated CO₂ on Rubisco activity and leaf components in soybean (Glycine max). J. Exp. Bot. 49: 1999-2011. 

Reid, C.D., E.L. Fiscus, and K.O. Burkey.1999. the effect of chronic ozone and elevated CO₂ on ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.). Physiol. Plant. 106:378-385. 1999. 

Fiscus, E.L., J.E. Miller, F.L. Booker, A.S. Heagle, and C.D. Reid. 2001. The impact of ozone and other limitations on the crop productivity response to CO₂. Technology (IN PRESS).