Response of different crop growth and yield to Enhanced UV-B radiation under field conditions

Enhanced UV-B radiation due to stratospheric ozone depletion may have impacts on the productivity of agricultural crops. Which crop will be more sensitive to increased UV-B has received little attention. This paper presents a comparative study of the effects of supplemental UV-B on plant height, leaf area, biomass and yield among soybean, cotton, corn and wheat which were cultivated in fields in Nanjing, China. The experimental results showed that the four crops response to enhanced UV-B irradiation was shortened plant height, decreased leaf area and reduced biomass and yield of crops. Using the same criteria, the response of soybean and cotton to elevated UV-B is bigger than that of wheat and corn. RI (response index) is an integrated index which is the accumulation of relative change in plant height, leaf area, biomass and yield, reflecting general impact of increased UV-B on crops. The results suggested that the RI for the four crops was minus, demonstrating a negative impact of enhanced UV-B on the crops. According to the RI, the soybean and cotton belong to the sensitive plants category, wheat is a moderately sensitive plant and corn is a tolerant plant.