Plant study dims silver lining to global warmingLA Times: Some biologists thought rising levels of carbon dioxide might stimulate plant growth, but a UC Davis study finds the greenhouse gas inhibits nitrate absorption. The finding carries significant implications for agriculture worldwide. Nitrates [are] nitrogen-based nutrients pulled from the soil that plants use to make enzymes and other essential proteins. Without those essential proteins, plant health -- and food quality -- may suffer...
Scientists had [also] previously thought that a rise in carbon dioxide levels -- 39% globally since 1800 -- would in the long run boost photosynthesis... But studies before the US Davis report showed that after an initial spike in sugar-making activity, photosynthesis appeared to level off, even if the carbon dioxide rate remained high... Other studies showed that after plants were exposed to excess carbon dioxide, their protein content also dropped...
The findings have significant implications for agriculture, biologists said. They suggest that, as global warming continues and carbon dioxide levels rise, food may become poorer in quality and nutrition, and farmers may have to worry about crops that could be more prone to pest infestation... Farmers will have to figure out how to fertilize their crops without poisoning them...
The study 'has some very important real-world implications,' said Harvard University plant physiologist Noel Michele Holbrook, who was not involved in the study. 'How do we think about the idea of breeding for more productive crops, and what sorts of attitudes for breeding are going to pay off in the long run? We're facing really important challenges in terms of food production and quality of food.'
