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Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: In order to determine the consequences of present and future global environmental changes on the security of the world food production, efforts are underway to determine the growth and other physiological responses of major food crops to changing environmental factors. These global changes especially include the increasing concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) which is expected to double sometime during the next century. Climate modelers have predicted that the elevated CO2 will cause the earth to warm and that precipitation patterns will change. To determine whether such elevated CO2 would change the growth, physiology, yield, water use, soil carbon storage, and other aspects of wheat and cotton production, crops were grown in open fields with elevated CO2. This paper presents numerous results of these measurements, including for example that cotton growth was increased about 40% and wheat growth about 20%. This work will lead to more accurate modeling of future crop growth, which will help optimize management strategies and, of course, should ultimately benefit all future food consumers. Technical Abstract: Not applicable |
