Morpho-physiological responses and grain yield of wheat mediated by increased atmospheric CO2concentration

Abstract

The increase in the concentration of atmospheric CO2is one of the main environmental variables that can affect the production of cultivated plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increase the atmospheric CO2concentration on morphological and grain yield characteristics of wheat. For this, wheat plants of cultivar Marfim were cultivated under two CO2concentrations (400 or 700 μmol mol-1). The variables evaluated were: Gas exchange, morphological alteration and grain yield components. The increases in the CO2concentration significantly altered the gas exchange parameters, increased anthocyanin index, plant height, leaf area, dry mass of leaves and roots. In regarding to yield, plants at 700 μmol mol-1 produced high number of grains per ear, high weight of thousand grains, high hectoliter weight (PH) and total production. Thus, the increase in atmospheric CO2concentration influenced the agronomic performance of wheat through physiological alteration, biomass gain and increase in the grains yield.