(MENAFN) A recent British investigation has highlighted that forthcoming heat waves may push wheat’s water requirements far beyond current projections.

Scientists at the University of Sheffield discovered that during periods of extreme heat, stomatal pores on wheat leaves open widely to help regulate the plant’s temperature.

This means that wheat crops might consume significantly more water than previously anticipated under future heat wave scenarios.

The research, directed by Robert Caine and Holly Croft from the School of Biosciences, indicated that wheat loses many of the water-saving advantages typically linked with growth under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide when subjected to heat wave conditions.

Wheat plays a critical role in global food security, supplying roughly 20% of the world’s daily caloric intake and ranking as the most extensively farmed crop by land area.

Despite substantial yield increases over the past century—mainly due to nitrogen fertilizers—the crop has simultaneously developed a greater demand for water, leaving it increasingly susceptible to drought, the study explained.

Experiments examining wheat under elevated CO2 and heat wave conditions revealed that stomata open much more broadly, apparently to boost water flow and facilitate cooling through heightened evapotranspiration.

Furthermore, the study noted that during heat waves, wheat stomata showed impaired responses to fluctuating light levels, regardless of the CO2 concentration in which the plants had grown.

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