Experiments on chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) were performed in open-top chambers during 2010-11 and 2011-12 to assess effects of atmospheric CO 2 enrichment on the quality of seeds. Although no physical modification was observed, an increase in seed water uptake was recorded in plants grown under enriched atmospheric CO 2 condition. Germination of seeds reduced by 45-47%, while seed leachate conductivity increased by 10-17%. Seedling vigor decreased, although root and shoot lengths and seedling biomass showed negligible changes. Similarly, atmospheric CO 2 enrichment reduced field emergence of seedlings with no change in root characteristics of the emerged seedlings. A decrease in protease activity supports the reduced seed viability, although no change in grain phosphatase and alpha-amylase activities were recorded. Increase in carbon content in germinating seed-cotyledon along with decrease in N in cotyledon resulted in large increase in C:N ratio for the plants grown under enriched CO 2 condition. The starch content increased with no change in soluble sugar in germinating seed-cotyledons. This indicates more carbonaceous seeds from plants grown under enriched CO 2 environment. Results suggest that rising atmospheric CO 2 might have adverse impact on viability and germination of chickpea seeds, and cause nutritional imbalance through increase in C with dilution of N contents in germinating seed-cotyledons.
