Intra-Specific Variation for Carbon Sequestration Potential in Maize

Multiple scientific bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have concluded that rising concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ are driving climate change that will result in significant negative impacts on the environment and economy. The deployment of crop varieties bred for carbon sequestration has been proposed by the IPCC and The National Academy of Sciences as a potential method to sequester atmospheric CO₂. Although inter-specific variation for carbon sequestration potential has been documented, it is not known whether crops exhibit sufficient intra-specific genetic variation for this trait to enable the breeding of “carbon sequestering” varieties. In this study, we examine carbon sequestration potential of a large, diverse population of maize lines via analysis of carbon emission over time. Included in our study are differences among families of lines, carbon emission patterns, and relation of emission to other important biochemical and environmental traits.