Rising Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration And The Future Of C4 Crops For Food And Fuel

Main Category: Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 02 Mar 2009 - 3:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions

C4 crops (e.g. maize and sorghum) are vital to global food supply, particularly in the tropical regions where human well-being and agricultural productivity are most closely linked.

While rising atmospheric [CO2] drives the climate change that threatens to reduce future crop yields, it also has the potential to benefit crops. Unlike C3 crops (e.g. wheat and rice) for which there is consistent stimulation of photosynthesis by elevated [CO2], recent experiments suggest C4 crops will benefit from elevated [CO2] during drought but not when well-watered.

These crops are therefore likely to be more negatively impacted by climate change than previously thought.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of the journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences