DAVIS, Calif., April 7 (UPI) -- If CO2 levels continue to rise as expected, staple crops like wheat, barley and potatoes could become less nutritious.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, conducted a field study showing wheat crops were less efficient at converting nitrates into proteins under conditions of heightened CO2 levels. Previous studies have shown that CO2 inhibits the assimilation of nitrates in plants, but this is the first time the phenomenon has been demonstrated in field-planted crops.