Water relations of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants grown under high carbon dioxide concentration

The atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is expected to double its present value within the next century and climate modelers have predicted a consequent global warming and changes in the precipitation patterns. Furthermore, there is agreement about the sensitivity of Mediterranean environment to global change, including changes in temperature and water availability. Alfalfa is the main forage crop in this area, yet its behaviour under elevated CO2 has seldom been investigated so far. In this context the experiment aimed to study the water relations of alfalfa plants submitted to a long-term CO2 exposure