Huang, JianbeiHammerbacher, AlmuthForkelova, LenkaHartmann, Henrik2017-08-162017-05Huang, J.B., Hammerbacher, A., Forkelova, L. & Hartmann, H. 2017, 'Release of resource constraints allows greater carbon allocation to secondary metabolites and storage in winter wheat', Plant, Cell and Environment, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 672-685.0140-7791 (print)1365-3040 (online)10.1111/pce.12885http://hdl.handle.net/2263/61688The atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) is rapidly increasing, and this may have substantial impact on how plants allocate metabolic resources. A thorough understanding of allocation priorities can be achieved by modifying [CO2] over a large gradient, including low [CO2], thereby altering plant carbon (C) availability. Such information is of critical importance for understanding plant responses to global environmental change. We quantified the percentage of daytime whole-plant net assimilation (A) allocated to night-time respiration (R), structural growth (SG), nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and secondary metabolites (SMs) during 8 weeks of vegetative growth in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growing at low, ambient and elevated [CO2] (170, 390 and 680 ppm). R/A remained relatively constant over a large gradient of [CO2]. However, with increasing C availability, the fraction of assimilation allocated to biomass (SG + NSC + SMs), in particular NSC and SMs, increased. At low [CO2], biomass and NSC increased in leaves but decreased in stems and roots, which may help plants achieve a functional equilibrium, that is, overcome the most severe resource limitation. These results reveal that increasing C availability from rising [CO2] releases allocation constraints, thereby allowing greater investment into long-term survival in the form of NSC and SMs.en© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article : 'Release of resource constraints allows greater carbon allocation to secondary metabolites and storage in winter wheat', Plant, Cell and Environment, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 672-685, 2017. doi : 10.1111/pce.12885. The definite version is available at : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-3040.Carbon allocationCO2GrowthRespirationStorage carbohydratesPostprint Article