Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Weigel, H.J
• Manderscheid, R

Titel

CO2 enrichment effects on forage and grain nitrogen content of pasture and cereal plants

Ist Teil von

• Journal of crop improvement, 2005-01, Vol.13 (1-2), p.73-89

Ort / Verlag

Taylor & Francis Group

Erscheinungsjahr

2005

Quelle

Taylor & Francis

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations [CO 2 ] have the potential to enhance growth and yield of agricultural plants. Con-comitantly plants grown under high [CO 2 ] show significant changes of the chemical composition of their foliage and of other plant parts. Particularly, high [CO 2 ] result in a decrease of plant nitrogen (N) concentration, which may have serious consequences for crop quality. This presentation summarizes the results of a variety of CO 2 enrichment studies with pasture plants (Lolium spp., Trifolium repens) and cereal species (Triticum aestivum, Hordeum vulgare) which were conducted at our laboratory under different growth and CO 2 exposure conditions ranging from controlled environment studies to investigations under free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE). With the exception of clover in all experiments a CO 2 -induced decline of forage and grain N concentration was observed. The magnitude of this reduction differed between species, cultivars, management conditions (N fertilization) and CO 2 exposure conditions. No unambiguous evidence was obtained whether N fertilization can contribute to meet the quality requirements for cereals and grass monocultures with respect to tissue N concentrations in a future high-CO 2 world. As shown in the FACE experiments current application rates of N fertilizers are inadequate to achieve quality standards.