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The continuing increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentration is predicted to enhance biomass production and to alter biochemical composition of plant tissues. In the present study, winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. 'Batis') was grown under ambient air (BLOW, CO 2 concentration: 385 muL L (-1)) and free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE, CO 2 concentration: 550 muL l (-1)) and two different nitrogen (N) fertilization levels (normal N supply: N100, 50% of normal N supply: N50). Mature kernels were milled into white flour and analyzed for the contents of crude protein, Osborne fractions, single gluten protein types and glutenin macropolymer. Elevated CO 2 caused significant reductions in crude protein and all protein fractions and types ( p < 0.001) except albumins and globulins. Effects were more pronounced in wheat samples supplied with normal amounts of N fertilizer. Crude protein was reduced by 14% (N100) and 9% (N50), gliadins by 20% and 13%, glutenins by 15% and 15% and glutenin macropolymer by 19% and 16%, respectively. Within gliadins, omega5-gliadins (-35/-22%) and omega1,2-gliadins (-27/-14%) were more affected than alpha-gliadins (-21/-13%) and gamma-gliadins (-16/-12%). Within glutenins, HMW subunits (-23/-18%) were more affected than LMW subunits (-12/-15%). According to these results, flour from high CO 2 grown grain will have a diminished baking quality. To our knowledge, these are the first results of elevated CO 2 concentrations impacts on wheat grain protein composition gained under relevant growing conditions at least for Central Europe.

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Future increase in atmospheric CO concentrations will potentially enhance grassland biomass production and shift the functional group composition with consequences for ecosystem functioning. In the "GiFACE" experiment (Giessen Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment), fertilized grassland plots were fumigated with elevated CO (eCO ) year-round during daylight hours since 1998, at a level of +20% relative to ambient concentrations (in 1998, aCO was 364 ppm and eCO 399 ppm; in 2014, aCO was 397 ppm and eCO 518 ppm). Harvests were conducted twice annually through 23 years including 17 years with eCO (1998 to 2014). Biomass consisted of C3 grasses and forbs, with a small proportion of legumes. The total aboveground biomass (TAB) was significantly increased under eCO (p = .045 and .025, at first and second harvest). The dominant plant functional group grasses responded positively at the start, but for forbs, the effect of eCO started out as a negative response. The increase in TAB in response to eCO was approximately 15% during the period from 2006 to 2014, suggesting that there was no attenuation of eCO effects over time, tentatively a consequence of the fertilization management. Biomass and soil moisture responses were closely linked. The soil moisture surplus (c. 3%) in eCO manifested in the latter years was associated with a positive biomass response of both functional groups. The direction of the biomass response of the functional group forbs changed over the experimental duration, intensified by extreme weather conditions, pointing to the need of long-term field studies for obtaining reliable responses of perennial ecosystems to eCO and as a basis for model development.

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A 2-year Free Air CO 2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment was conducted with winter wheat. It was investigated whether elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration (e[CO 2 ]) inhibit nitrate assimilation and whether better growth and nitrogen acquisition under e[CO 2 ] can be achieved with an ammonium-based fertilization as it was observed in hydroponic culture with wheat. Under e[CO 2 ] a decrease in nitrate assimilation has been discussed as the cause for observed declines in protein concentration in C 3 cereals. Wheat was grown under ambient [CO 2 ] and e[CO 2 ] (600 ppm) with three levels (deficiency, optimal, and excessive) of nitrate-based fertilization (calcium ammonium nitrate; CAN) or with optimal ammonium-based fertilization. Ammonium fertilization was applied via injection of an ammonium solution into the soil in the 1st year and by surface application of urea combined with nitrification inhibitors (UNI) in the 2nd year.Results showed that ammonium-based fertilization was successfully achieved in the 2nd year with respect to nitrification control, as soil ammonium concentration was considerably higher over the growing season for UNI fertilized plots compared to optimal CAN plots. Also, stem nitrate concentration, flag leaf nitrate reductase activity, and transcript levels were lower in UNI fertilized plants compared to optimal CAN. Regarding the e[CO 2 ] effect on nitrate reductase activity and transcript levels, no alteration could be observed for any nitrogen fertilizer treatment.

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