Rising CO2 levels could reduce nutrients in crops

Posted May 27, 2014 13:05:20

Audio: Study finds rising CO2 levels impact plant nutrients (ABC Rural)

Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could see some of the world's crops lose vital nutrients, according to new research.

International research led by the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States found crops that provide the global population with most of their dietary zinc and iron could be affected.

The study looked at how nutrients found in staple foods, such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and soybeans, held up when exposed to the amount of carbon dioxide that's expected to be in the atmosphere by the year 2050.

The research analysed data from 41 cultivars (genotypes) of grains and legumes belonging to the C3 and C4 functional groups (plants that use C3 and C4 carbon fixation pathways) from seven different locations in Japan, Australia and the United States.

Senior research fellow from the University of Southern Queensland, Dr Saman Seneweera, was one of the 20 researchers involved in the study.

Given the study estimated about two to three billion people around the world receive 70 percent or more of their dietary zinc and/or iron from these crops, Dr Seneweera says the research findings could have enormous implications for human health.

"A large share of the global population depends on cereal crops as their primary dietary source of zinc and iron.

"Dietary deficiencies of these nutrients are a substantial global public health problem."

"For example, a zinc deficiency is suffered by two billion people around the globe, and of that two billion, about 65 million people die each year."

As a plant physiologist, Dr Seneweera concentrated on understanding how the mechanisms of rising CO2 concentration reduces the uptake of these nutrients in plants.

"I want to take this understanding to incorporate processes into the next generation of plant breeding programs and other genetic technology to increase nutrient content."

The research was published in the journal Nature.

Topics: agricultural-crops, toowoomba-4350