Food and agriculture in the 21st century: A cotton example
- Mississippi State Univ., MS (United States). Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences
- USDA-ARS Crop Simulation Research Unit Mississippi State, MS (United States)
Cotton producers in the 21st century will be growing crops in different climates than today. Atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration [CO{sub 2}] will likely exceed 700 {micro}l/l by the latter half of the next century, and the mean global temperature has been predicted to be 1.5 to 5.9 C higher than today. A 5 C increase will quadruple the number of days per year in which the mean temperature is above-optimum for cotton growth, and many days will be so hot that flowers will abscise in the US Cottonbelt. Further, the incidence of extreme weather events within a growing season has also been predicted to increase. Agricultural productivity is extremely sensitive to changes projected in the environment and if the projected changes occur, major changes in crop production will need to take place and both food and fiber will likely be very different from those of today. Doubling the atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] results in increased photosynthesis in C{sub 3} plants and dry matter accumulation. Season-long exposure to twice ambient [CO{sub 2}] (700 {micro}l/l) caused cotton plants growing in optimum temperature to produce 66% more dry matter than plants grown in ambient [CO{sub 2}]. Crops will respond to water and nitrogen deficits to about the same extent in a high-[CO{sub 2}] as to similar stresses in today`s ambient [CO{sub 2}] environment. The projected increases in temperature will cause more important and negative effects on crop production. 49 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC03-90ER61010
- OSTI ID:
- 234050
- Journal Information:
- World Resource Review, Vol. 8, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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