Elevated atmospheric [CO2] stimulates sugar accumulation and cellulose degradation rates of rice straw

Abstract

Rice straw can serve as potential material for bioenergy production. However, the quantitative effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration [CO2] on rice straw quality and the resulting consequences for bioenergy utilization are largely unknown. In this study, two rice varieties, WYJ and LY, that have been shown previously to have a weak and strong stimulatory response to rising [CO2], respectively, were grown with and without additional CO2 at China free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) platform. Qualitative and quantitative measurements in response to [CO2] included straw biomass (including leaf, sheath, and stem), the concentration of nonstructural and structural car..