The increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and its implication on agricultural productivity

The increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere should result in a general increase in the net primary productivity of most cultivated species and forest species, assuming no counterproductive climatic changes occur. The photosynthetic rate of C3 plants is most responsive to increasing concentration of CO2 in the ambient air. C4 plants demonstrate a stomatal closure that causes reduced transpiration. In the case of both types of plants, the water use efficiency (photosynthesis/transpiration) is likely to be improved.It has been suggested that photosynthetic production may be limited today more by shortages of water and nutrients than by shortages of carbon dioxide. The author speculates that the inadvertant ‘CO2-fertilization’ now occurring could, in itself, cause a moderate release from these constraints.Physiological responses to an increased atmospheric CO2 concentration are easily demonstrated in controlled environment studies. Because of the difficulty in maintaining artifically enriched air near the crop against the forces of turbulent transfer, studies in the open field have been inconclusive. The observation of decreased photosynthetic rate in a perennial crop during that part of the growing season when CO2 concentration is naturally low suggests a technique by which it may be possible to infer what will happen in the real world of agricultural fields if a CO2-rich environment, such as is predicted in the coming decades, materializes. Inferences from the very limited set of data available support the view that net photosynthetic production will be increased.