 By replicating the effects of climate change, scientists are hoping they can discover what the future holds for soybeans, wheat and the soils where they grow. Studies show that increased levels of carbon dioxide assist with plant growth by giving plants more food. However, those same plants are damaged and stunted by elevated levels of ozone. Levels of both gases are expected to rise as the climate warms.
Researchers are exposing wheat and soybeans to the levels of carbon dioxide and ozone that may be reached by 2050. By that time, carbon dioxide levels may be about 1.5 times greater than the current 380 parts per million, and daytime ozone levels in the summer, now at about 50 to 55 parts per billion, may rise 20 per cent. The goal of the study is to assess the effects of climate change on growth rates, crop yields and soil chemistry.
Preliminary results show just slightly higher levels of soil carbon. Elevating carbon dioxide also reduced flour protein levels in wheat by seven to 11 per cent, but soybean protein concentrations were maintained because of soybeans' ability to acquire nitrogen from the air.
(Source: www.ars.usda.gov) |
