Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function
Published on: November 21, 2015
Nitrogen assimilation and growth of wheat under elevated carbon dioxide
Arnold J Bloom1, David R Smart, Duy T Nguyen
1Department of Vegetable Crops, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. USA. ajbloom@ucdavis.edu
Abstract:
Simultaneous measurements of CO(2) and O(2) fluxes from wheat (Triticum aestivum) shoots indicated that short-term exposures to elevated CO(2) concentrations diverted photosynthetic reductant from NO(3)(-) or NO(2)(-) reduction to CO(2) fixation. With longer exposures to elevated CO(2), wheat leaves showed a diminished capacity for NO(3)(-) photoassimilation at any CO(2) concentration. Moreover, high bicarbonate levels impeded NO(2)(-) translocation into chloroplasts isolated from wheat or pea leaves. These results support the hypothesis that elevated CO(2) inhibits NO(3)(-) photoassimilation. Accordingly, when wheat plants received NO(3)(-) rather than NH(4)(+) as a nitrogen source, CO(2) enhancement of shoot growth halved and CO(2) inhibition of shoot protein doubled. This result will likely have major implications for the ability of wheat to use NO(3)(-) as a nitrogen source under elevated CO(2).
More Related Videos
06:04Assessing Structural Traits in Triticum aestivum and Zea mays for C3 and C4 Photosynthetic Differentiation Using Free-hand and Semi-thin Sections
Published on: July 12, 2024
09:02Building and Operating a Low-Cost Elevated Carbon Dioxide Growth Chamber to Evaluate Microgreen Physiology under Spaceflight-Relevant CO2 Levels
Published on: April 17, 2026
Related Concept Videos
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Responses to Drought and Flooding
Overview of Metabolism
Plant Metabolism
Sunlight, the primary source of energy in plants, is first absorbed by the chlorophyll pigments present in their leaves. Plants then use this energy to carry out photosynthesis, where water is oxidized into oxygen and carbon dioxide...
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation