The effect of future change conditions on metal concentrations in wheat crops

Climate change is project to greatly affect food systems, including yield and quality of staple crops such as wheat. One key determinant of wheat grain quality is the concentration of metal micronutrients (e.g., Fe, Zn, Cu) and toxic elements (e.g., Cd, Pb). However, it is not yet known whether and to which degree climate change conditions will affect micronutrient and toxic element concentrations in wheat grains. We performed a wheat-growth pot experiment (Spring-Summer 2024) to determine the effect of future climatic conditions (approximately +4°C relative to ambient, decreased soil moisture) on wheat, Triticum aestivum L., grain quality and yield. To expand the applicability of our results, we used three agricultural soils with a wide range of chemical properties (soil texture, elemental composition) and two spring wheat and one winter wheat cultivar. To evaluate the potential availability of soil metals for uptake by the wheat, we measured soil pH and water-extractable metal concentrations at four time points throughout the experiment. Preliminary results showed that future climatic conditions led to faster wheat development, including a shorter time needed to reach full maturity. In pot soil, future climatic conditions led to slightly increased pH and had no effect on dissolved organic carbon (DOC). While this experiment is ongoing, our results will demonstrate how underlying plant and soil processes relate to wheat uptake of micronutrients and toxic elements. Overall, this study will provide insights whether the combined impacts of future climatic conditions and soil contamination will give cause to an additional threat to food security and balanced nutrition.