Effect of elevated CO2 and temperature stress on cereal crops

Abstract

Various anthropogenic activities along with indiscriminate and rapacious use of natural resources have enormously increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, resulting in elevated CO2 and temperature of Earth’s system. This has manifold effects on agro-ecosystems. Effects of elevated CO2 and temperature stress on crop production are posing greater challenges in order to provide sufficient quantity and quality of food. Cereals are the staple foods greatly affected by stress induced by increasing CO2 and temperature and understanding the various dimensions of these effects is necessary. This chapter presents an overview of the impacts associated with elevated CO2 and temperature stress on different plant processes of cereal crops such as effects on physiological and biochemical processes, phenological responses and reproductive changes. It also gives an account of stress responses and tolerance mechanisms to understand plant defences, emphasizing molecular approaches to delineate complex effects and adaptation in crop plants. This may be helpful in understanding the positive as well as negative impacts of current climatic changes on cereal crops and therefore may be valuable for making future research plans in this regard. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.