CO₂ Responses of Winter Wheat, Barley and Oat Cultivars under Optimum and Limited Irrigation

• Main Authors: Zsuzsanna Farkas, Angéla Anda, Gyula Vida, Ottó Veisz, Balázs Varga
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: winter cereals; CO₂ enrichment; drought stress; WUE; climate change
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9931

Field crop production must adapt to the challenges generated by the negative consequences of climate change. Yield loss caused by abiotic stresses could be counterbalanced by increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration, but C₃ plant species and varieties have significantly different reactions to CO₂. To examine the responses of wheat, barley and oat varieties to CO₂ enrichment in combination with simulated drought, a model experiment was conducted under controlled environmental conditions. The plants were grown in climate-controlled greenhouse chambers under ambient and enriched (700 ppm and 1000 ppm) CO₂ concentrations. Water shortage was induced by discontinuing the irrigation at BBCH stages 21 and 55. Positive CO₂ responses were determined in barley, but the CO₂-sink ability was low in oats. Reactions of winter wheat to enriched CO₂ concentration varied greatly in terms of the yield parameters (spike number and grain yield). The water uptake of all wheat cultivars decreased significantly; however at the same time, water-use efficiency improved under 1000 ppm CO₂. Mv Ikva was not susceptible to CO₂ fertilization, while no consequent CO₂ reactions were observed for Mv Nádor and Mv Nemere. Positive CO₂ responses were determined in Mv Kolompos.