[count-your-change]

Experiments done at the University of Florida show that a greatly elevated level of CO2 in the atmosphere would help many food plants like wheat and rice cope with the stress of droughts far better than those grown at present levels.

As levels of CO2 in the atmosphere rise it's helping to make the most of the "Green Revolution" started several years ago that the late Norman Borlaug played so central a part in. (See the FR thread 'The Greatest Man You’ve Never Heard Of: Norman Borlaug, An American Hero')

The "Green Revolution" and rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have joined hands to turn countries like India that were infamous for their starving and malnourished poor into a grain exporter.

In fact as Wikipedia points out,

"Green Revolution

Wheat yields in developing countries, 1950 to 2004, kg/HA baseline 500. The steep rise in crop yields in the U.S. began in the 1940s. The percentage of growth was fastest in the early rapid growth stage. In developing countries maize yields are still rapidly rising.[6] In the 1960s, rice yields in India were about two tons per hectare; by the mid-1990s, they had risen to six tons per hectare. In the 1970s, rice cost about $550 a ton; in 2001, it cost under $200 a ton.[7] India became one of the world's most successful rice producers, and is now a major rice exporter, shipping nearly 4.5 million tons in 2006"

Similar successes were seen in other countries in both wheat and rice.

For millions of people the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are helping the Green Revolution plants to fill their rice bowls.

[Vendome]

Many companies introduce C02 into a hydroponic environment to grow red and yellow peppers into plants as high as 40 feet tall that produce year round harvests they yield demonstrably and measurably thicker and heavier organic material, with results of more pleasing looking vegetables that produce significantly greater densities of nutrition per pound.

The average, most predictable levels of C02 are around 600ppm.

[count-your-change]

At CO2 Science go to At CO2 Science go to Subject Index, choose W from alphabet, Water Stress x CO2 Effects on Plants, Agricultural Species, Elevated CO2 and Drought Stress in Rice.

Also listed are papers on several other food plants.

[buffaloguy]

Corn yield has been going up in the US for many decades and has averaged 1 bushel increase every year per acre. And acre is just over 200 by 200 feet (not very large) and this type of consistent increase is stunning.

The yields that are being test plotted now are going to be way off the charts in the future.