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Scientists have warned—the food quality is in danger
Nutritional quality of food crops can be at risk if climate change continues, said researchers.
Testing the wheat, the researchers found that elevated levels of carbon dioxide can inhibit the processing plant of the soil nutrients in proteins. "The quality of the food is reduced due to the increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said lead author Arnold bloom, Professor in the Department of plant Sciences at the University of California.
Elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere prevents the assimilation of nitrate in plants. Assimilation, or processing, of nitrogen plays a key role in the growth and productivity of plants. It is also important to humans as crop plants use nitrogen for the production of proteins that are vital for human nutrition. Wheat provides nearly a quarter of all protein in the total human diet. According to experts, the overall amount of protein available for human consumption may drop by about 3 percent, and as noted by bloom, other studies indicate that the decrease in the concentration of protein in potatoes, grains may reach 8%.
Given these circumstances, scientists have noted that prices on food will increase from 3 to 84 percent by 2050. This happens, in particular, due to poor uptake, nitrate leaching, groundwater, greenhouse gases.
Source: nauka24news.ru/