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Next generation of elevated [CO2] experiments with crops: a critical investment for feeding the future world

Ainsworth, Elizabeth A. ; Beier, Claus ; Calfapietra, Carlo ; Ceulemans, Reinhart ; Durand-Tardif, Mylene ; Farquhar, Graham D. ; Godbold, Douglas L. ; Hendrey, George R. ; Hickler, Thomas LU and Kaduk, Joerg , et al. (2008) In Plant, Cell and Environment 31(9). p.1317-1324
Abstract
A rising global population and demand for protein-rich diets are increasing pressure to maximize agricultural productivity. Rising atmospheric [CO2] is altering global temperature and precipitation patterns, which challenges agricultural productivity. While rising [CO2] provides a unique opportunity to increase the productivity of C-3 crops, average yield stimulation observed to date is well below potential gains. Thus, there is room for improving productivity. However, only a fraction of available germplasm of crops has been tested for CO2 responsiveness. Yield is a complex phenotypic trait determined by the interactions of a genotype with the environment. Selection of promising genotypes and characterization of response mechanisms will... (More)
A rising global population and demand for protein-rich diets are increasing pressure to maximize agricultural productivity. Rising atmospheric [CO2] is altering global temperature and precipitation patterns, which challenges agricultural productivity. While rising [CO2] provides a unique opportunity to increase the productivity of C-3 crops, average yield stimulation observed to date is well below potential gains. Thus, there is room for improving productivity. However, only a fraction of available germplasm of crops has been tested for CO2 responsiveness. Yield is a complex phenotypic trait determined by the interactions of a genotype with the environment. Selection of promising genotypes and characterization of response mechanisms will only be effective if crop improvement and systems biology approaches are closely linked to production environments, that is, on the farm within major growing regions. Free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments can provide the platform upon which to conduct genetic screening and elucidate the inheritance and mechanisms that underlie genotypic differences in productivity under elevated [CO2]. We propose a new generation of large-scale, low-cost per unit area FACE experiments to identify the most CO2-responsive genotypes and provide starting lines for future breeding programmes. This is necessary if we are to realize the potential for yield gains in the future. (Less)
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@article{cc73ba61-a750-452d-b6cf-e125028dc5f7,
  abstract     = {{A rising global population and demand for protein-rich diets are increasing pressure to maximize agricultural productivity. Rising atmospheric [CO2] is altering global temperature and precipitation patterns, which challenges agricultural productivity. While rising [CO2] provides a unique opportunity to increase the productivity of C-3 crops, average yield stimulation observed to date is well below potential gains. Thus, there is room for improving productivity. However, only a fraction of available germplasm of crops has been tested for CO2 responsiveness. Yield is a complex phenotypic trait determined by the interactions of a genotype with the environment. Selection of promising genotypes and characterization of response mechanisms will only be effective if crop improvement and systems biology approaches are closely linked to production environments, that is, on the farm within major growing regions. Free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments can provide the platform upon which to conduct genetic screening and elucidate the inheritance and mechanisms that underlie genotypic differences in productivity under elevated [CO2]. We propose a new generation of large-scale, low-cost per unit area FACE experiments to identify the most CO2-responsive genotypes and provide starting lines for future breeding programmes. This is necessary if we are to realize the potential for yield gains in the future.}},
  author       = {{Ainsworth, Elizabeth A. and Beier, Claus and Calfapietra, Carlo and Ceulemans, Reinhart and Durand-Tardif, Mylene and Farquhar, Graham D. and Godbold, Douglas L. and Hendrey, George R. and Hickler, Thomas and Kaduk, Joerg and Karnosky, David F. and Kimball, Bruce A. and Koerner, Christian and Koornneef, Maarten and Lafarge, Tanguy and Leakey, Andrew D. B. and Lewin, Keith F. and Long, Stephen P. and Manderscheid, Remy and Mcneil, David L. and Mies, Timothy A. and Miglietta, Franco and Morgan, Jack A. and Nagy, John and Norby, Richard J. and Norton, Robert M. and Percy, Kevin E. and Rogers, Alistair and Soussana, Jean-Francois and Stitt, Mark and Weigel, Hans-Joachim and White, Jeffrey W.}},
  issn         = {{0140-7791}},
  keywords     = {{FACE; climate change; crop yield; genetic variation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{1317--1324}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Plant, Cell and Environment}},
  title        = {{Next generation of elevated [CO2] experiments with crops: a critical investment for feeding the future world}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3040.2008.01841.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-3040.2008.01841.x}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}