{"id":343896,"date":"2024-09-21T08:40:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T06:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=343896"},"modified":"2024-09-21T08:40:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T06:40:45","slug":"human-co2-emissions-are-supercharging-corn-yields","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=343896","title":{"rendered":"Human CO2 Emissions Are Supercharging Corn Yields"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Vijay Jayaraj<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can carbon dioxide, which has been portrayed as a dangerous pollutant threatening the very existence of humankind, be considered even remotely beneficial?  Sadly, such a question can be expected from people \u2013 children and adults \u2013 who have been fed irrational fears in place of well-established science that shows CO2<\/sub> to be an irreplaceable food for plants and necessary for all life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even some who recognize CO2<\/sub> as sustenance consider increasing atmospheric concentrations of the gas to be potentially catastrophic, a view devoid of scientific basis and inimical to the fortunes of malnourished millions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn, or maize, is foundational\u2014along with rice, wheat, soyabean\u2014to global food security, serving as a critical source of nourishment for both humans and livestock. Over the past few decades, increases in atmospheric CO2<\/sub> from industrial emissions have tracked with notable boosts in corn yields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 1900 and 2024, the national corn yield in the U.S. rose to 183 bushels per acre (bu\/A)<\/a> from just 28 bushels. During the same period, atmospheric CO2 <\/sub>increased from 295 parts per million (ppm) to 419 ppm. Worldwide, corn yield rose from a mere 29 bu\/A in 1961 to 86 bu\/A in 2021<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This phenomenon is not merely coincidental; it is deeply rooted in the physiological characteristics of corn<\/a> as a C4 category plant. C4 plants like corn \u2013 so named for the number of carbon atoms in their photosynthetic product \u2014 possess unique biochemical pathways that make their photosynthesis particularly efficient under high concentrations of CO2<\/sub><\/a> and elevated temperatures. Such plants employ a mechanism that concentrates CO2<\/sub> in specialized structures called bundle sheath cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher CO2 <\/sub>levels also improve water-use efficiency in corn, which is particularly beneficial where water supplies are limited or during droughts. This efficiency translates into enhanced growth rates and potentially greater yields. In fact, researchers say<\/a> that \u201cless water will be required for corn under a high-CO2<\/sub> environment<\/a> in the future than at present.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augmented corn yields driven by increased atmospheric CO2<\/sub> have had profound effects worldwide, contributing to an agricultural boom that bolstered farm incomes and enhanced food security across diverse regions. Countries like the U.S. with significant corn production have experienced elevated export revenues, strengthening national economies and their positions in the global market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this remarkable impact of elevated CO2<\/sub> is not just limited to C4 crops like corn. C3 plants, such as wheat, rice, potatoes, and soybeans, all rely on an enzyme called rubisco for carbon fixation. Rubisco\u2019s efficiency improves significantly with higher CO2<\/sub> concentrations because it reduces the enzyme\u2019s tendency to bind with oxygen\u2014a process known as photorespiration that limits productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, elevated atmospheric CO2 <\/sub>often results in enhanced photosynthesis and biomass accumulation in C3 species, although to a lesser extent than with C4 plants. This is why rice and wheat yields can increase by up to 20-30% under elevated CO2<\/sub> conditions. We have witnessed this in yield increases across most C3 food crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, greenhouse farming\u2014agronomy practiced inside a translucent tent to retain the sun\u2019s warmth\u2014often uses CO2<\/sub> concentrations artificially increased to more than twice ambient levels to enhance growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship between rising atmospheric CO2<\/sub> and crop yields is clearly a positive one. So, ignore fearmongering media headlines about toxic human CO2 <\/sub>emissions. You, your family and the industries that support our society have greened the planet with daily emissions of carbon dioxide, making food more plentiful and affordable for those grappling with poverty and everybody else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commentary was first published at California Globe<\/em><\/a> on September 18, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vijay Jayaraj<\/em><\/a> is a Research and Science Associate at the <\/em>CO2 Coalition<\/em><\/a>, Arlington, Virginia. He holds a master\u2019s degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, U.K., and a postgraduate degree in energy management from Robert Gordon University, U.K.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How can carbon dioxide, which has been portrayed as a dangerous pollutant threatening the very existence of humankind, be considered even remotely beneficial?\u00a0\u00a0Sadly, such a question can be expected from people \u2013 children and adults \u2013 who have been fed irrational fears in place of well-established science that shows CO2\u00a0to be an irreplaceable food for plants and necessary for all life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":343898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691827130,691827485,691830674],"class_list":{"0":"post-343896","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-carbon-dioxide-co2","9":"tag-corn-production-and-yield","10":"tag-food-for-plants","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/0Corn_phot-cred-adboe-stock_E.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1rsI","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":340921,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=340921","url_meta":{"origin":343896,"position":0},"title":"Record Setting Crops Are Good News, Bloomberg, Thanks for Reporting It","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/08\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Human Progress excerpted a paywalled article from Bloomberg discussing the fact that major crops are expected to continue to set records in the 2024\/2025 crop year. 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