Process / pipelinePlant ecophysiology and crop physiology

Carbon-13 Discrimination Analysis — Isotopic Discrimination in Crop Plants

Carbon-13 Discrimination Analysis quantifies the degree to which C3 plants preferentially fix the lighter carbon isotope (12C) over the heavier 13C during photosynthesis. The resulting discrimination value (Delta) is closely linked to the ratio of internal to ambient CO2 concentration, making it a reliable, integrative proxy for intrinsic water-use efficiency across the growing season. The technique is widely used in agronomy, plant physiology, and crop breeding.

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Sources

  1. Farquhar, G. D., Ehleringer, J. R., & Hubick, K. T. (1989). Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 40, 503–537. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.pp.40.060189.002443
  2. Condon, A. G., Richards, R. A., Rebetzke, G. J., & Farquhar, G. D. (2004). Breeding for high water-use efficiency. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55(407), 2447–2460. DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erh277

Related methods

ScholarGateCarbon-13 Discrimination Analysis (Carbon-13 Isotope Discrimination Analysis). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/agronomy/carbon-13-discrimination