Elevated CO2 Levels Affect Phytochemicals and Nutritional Quality of Food Crops - American Journal of Plant Sciences

AJPS > Vol.9 No.2, January 2018

Elevated CO₂ Levels Affect Phytochemicals and Nutritional Quality of Food Crops ()

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Download as PDF (Size: 311KB) PP. 150-162

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2018.92013 953 Downloads 2,793 Views Citations

Author(s)

C. B. Rajashekar

Affiliation(s)

Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA.

ABSTRACT

Rising atmospheric CO₂ levels pose many challenges to global climate, thus to all forms of life including plants. The impact of elevated CO₂ on plant growth and development and the nutritional quality in relation to major nutrients in many crops has been explored extensively. However, information on the elevated CO₂ effects on the health-promoting phytochemicals in food crops is rather limited. Major nutrients in food crops including protein, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and other micronutrients in many food crops are known to be suppressed at elevated CO₂ levels. Elevated CO₂ increases carbohydrate accumulation but decreases nitrogen accumulation in plants thus affecting their C-N ratio. A number of studies show that high C-N ratio and nitrogen limiting conditions in plants can result in the accumulation of carbon-based secondary metabolites, many of which are health-promoting phytochemicals and allelochemicals involved in plants’ defense against pathogens and herbivory. Although the results from these studies are variable, it can be concluded that while elevated CO₂ is known to suppress the content of major nutrients, it may actually have a favorable impact on the accumulation of carbon-based phytochemicals in food crops.

KEYWORDS

Elevated CO₂, Food Crops, Nutritional Quality, Phytochemicals, Secondary Metabolites

Share and Cite:

Rajashekar, C. (2018) Elevated CO₂ Levels Affect Phytochemicals and Nutritional Quality of Food Crops. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 9, 150-162. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2018.92013.

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