A new study conducted by researchers from eight institutions in Australia,
Israel, Japan, and the United States report that as the atmospheric carbon
dioxide (CO2) levels rise this century, some grains and legumes will become
significantly less nutritious than they are today.

The researchers looked at various varieties of wheat, rice, field peas,
soybeans, maize, and sorghum grown in fields with atmospheric carbon dioxide
levels like those expected in the middle of this century. Their experiments
revealed that zinc and iron went down significantly in wheat, rice, field
peas, and soybean. Wheat and rice also saw notable declines in protein
content at higher CO2 levels.

University of Illinois plant biology professor Andrew Leakey, one of the
authors of the study said that more research is needed to determine how
crops grown in developing regions of the world will respond to higher
atmospheric CO2, where food security is already an issue.

[news.illinois.edu]