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Updated: Mar 23, 2026
10:19
A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function
Published on: November 21, 2015
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Crop responses to elevated CO2 and interactions with H2O, N, and temperature
1The Greenleaf Group, Phoenix, AZ 85018, USA.
Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|April 5, 2016
Summary
Free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology boosts C3 crop biomass and yield by 19% on average. While FACE reduces water use and increases temperature, it does not benefit C4 crops unless water is limited.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology allows for elevated atmospheric CO2 exposure in open-field agricultural experiments.
- FACE experiments have been conducted across a wide range of C3 and C4 crops globally.
- The study investigates the impact of elevated CO2 on crop physiology and yield.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of elevated CO2 on crop biomass and yield.
- To assess changes in evapotranspiration and canopy temperature under elevated CO2.
- To compare the responses of C3 and C4 crops to elevated CO2.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology to expose crops to elevated CO2 levels (550ppm).
- Conducting experiments across diverse C3 and C4 crop species including cotton, wheat, rice, maize, and soybean.
- Monitoring key physiological parameters such as biomass, yield, evapotranspiration, and canopy temperature.
Main Results:
- Elevated CO2 significantly increased biomass and yield in all tested C3 species, with C3 grain crops showing an average yield increase of 19%.
- FACE experiments resulted in an average 10% decrease in evapotranspiration and a 0.7°C increase in canopy temperature.
- C4 crop yields were not consistently increased by FACE, except under conditions of water limitation.
Conclusions:
- Elevated CO2 concentrations demonstrably enhance productivity in C3 crops, offering potential benefits for global food security.
- FACE technology provides a valuable tool for understanding plant responses to future atmospheric conditions.
- Differential responses between C3 and C4 crops highlight the complexity of predicting agricultural outcomes under climate change.
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