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Elevated CO 2 , drought and soil nitrogen effects on wheat grain quality
Author(s) -
Kimball B. A.,
Morris C. F.,
Pinter P. J.,
Wall G. W.,
Hunsaker D. J.,
Adamsen F. J.,
LaMorte R. L.,
Leavitt S. W.,
Thompson T. L.,
Matthias A. D.,
Brooks T. J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00107.x
Subject(s) - nitrogen , irrigation , limiting , grain quality , agronomy , volume (thermodynamics) , soil water , chemistry , wheat grain , fertilizer , zoology , environmental science , biology , soil science , mechanical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , organic chemistry
Summary• The likely consequences of future high levels of atmospheric CO 2 concentration on wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grain nutritional and baking quality were determined.• Two free‐air CO 2 enrichment (FACE; 550 mmol mol −1 ) experiments were conducted at ample (Wet) and limiting (Dry) levels of irrigation, and a further two experiments at ample (High‐N) and limiting (Low‐N) nitrogen concentrations. Harvested grain samples were subjected to a battery of nutritional and bread‐making quality tests.• The Dry treatment improved grain quality slightly (protein +2%; bread loaf volume +3%). By contrast, Low‐N decreased quality drastically (protein −36%; loaf volume −26%). At ample water and N, FACE decreased quality slightly (protein −5%; loaf volume −2%) in the irrigation experiments and there was no change in the nitrogen experiments. At Low‐N, FACE tended to make the deleterious effects of Low‐N worse (protein −33% and −39%, at ambient CO 2 and FACE, respectively; loaf volume −22% and −29% at ambient CO 2 and FACE, respectively).• The data suggest that future elevated CO 2 concentrations will exacerbate the deleterious effects of low soil nitrogen on grain quality, but with ample nitrogen fertilizer, the effects will be minor.