Effects of combined abiotic stresses on nutrient content of European wheat and implications for nutritional security under climate change

Climate change is causing problems for agriculture, but the effect of combined abiotic stresses on crop nutritional quality is not clear. Here we studied the effect of 10 combinations of climatic conditions (temperature, CO₂, O₃ and drought) under controlled growth chamber conditions on the grain yield, protein, and mineral content of 3 wheat varieties. Results show that wheat plants under O₃ exposure alone concentrated + 15 to + 31% more grain N, Fe, Mg, Mn P and Zn, reduced K by - 5%, and C did not change. Ozone in the presence of elevated CO₂ and higher temperature enhanced the content of Fe, Mn, P and Zn by 2-18%. Water-limited chronic O₃ exposure resulted in + 9 to + 46% higher concentrations of all the minerals, except K. The effect of climate abiotic factors could increase the ability of wheat to meet adult daily dietary requirements by + 6% to + 12% for protein, Zn and Fe, but decrease those of Mg, Mn and P by - 3% to - 6%, and K by - 62%. The role of wheat in future nutrition security is discussed.