Plenty has been written about concerns over elevated levels
of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere, but a Kansas State University
researcher has found an upside to the higher CO2 levels. And it’s been
particularly relevant in light of drought that overspread the area in recent
months.
“Our experiments have shown that the elevated carbon dioxide
that we now have is mitigating the effect that drought has on winter wheat and
sorghum and allowing more efficient use of water,” said K-State agronomy
professor Mary Beth Kirkham.
Kirkham, who has written a book on the subject, “Elevated
Carbon Dioxide: Impacts on Soil and Plant Water Relations,” used data going
back to 1958. That’s when the first accurate measurements of atmospheric carbon
dioxide were made, she said.