An Increase of CO2 in the Growth of Red Bean Plants

Carbon Dioxide

• Carbon dioxide is one of a group of gases known as greenhouse gases; the group also contains methane and nitrous oxide. Though red beans require CO2 -- in fact, like other plants, they “breathe in” CO2 and “breathe out” oxygen -- higher-than-normal levels of CO2 can influence the growth, yield and dry matter production, or production of overall organic matter within a certain time frame and area size. According to a 2009 study in the “Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science,” CO2 levels impact red bean growth factors including vigor of newly sprouted plants, seed composition and seedling vigor.

CO2 and Growth

• Elevated levels of CO2 affect red bean growth patterns. The 2009 “Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science” and the 2002 “Global Change Biology” studies state that exposure to high levels of CO2 leads to faster growth under optimal growth conditions. The 2002 study also found that exposure to CO2 increased photosynthesis in red bean plants by 50 percent and increased seed yield by 24 percent.

Temperature and CO2

• Temperatures between 82.4 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 64.4 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit at night offset the potential value of increased exposure to CO2. In the 2009 study, red beans grown in both optimal light and temperature conditions and elevated CO2 levels displayed normal growth patterns. In contrast, red beans grown in higher-than-optimal temperatures and elevated CO2 produced less glucose levels, smaller seeds and less vigorous seedlings than red beans grown in a normal temperature range. The 2002 study also found that, even in elevated CO2 levels, temperature reduced red beans’ pollen production and viability.

CO2 and Nitrogen Fixation

• Plants in the legume family, including red beans, fix nitrogen in the soil with root nodules, making them a valuable crop not only for the proteins and oils they produce, but for their ability to thrive in poor soils. According to a 2009 study in the journal “Plant Physiology” states that nitrogen-fixing bean plants tend to have a positive response to elevated CO2 levels. High CO2 leads to increased photosynthesis and faster growth and, in bean plants, more nitrogen fixing. This allows the plants to thrive in soils that lack other essential nutrients and survive in drought conditions.