I have been considering C 4 plants , maybe because we are in another hot spell!
I don’t know a lot about C 4 plants, but I want to, and I think it’s valuable knowledge to have in our tool kits. And as various regions get more heat, it might be good to know for the people in those regions.
Here’s a brief introduction to C4, or skip to Wikipedia, I have provided a link below.
We all know what photosynthesis is, it’s a really complex cycle completed by green plants utilizing solar energy to drive the reactions. It removes CO2 from the air, is responsible for all green plants utilizing solar growth, and feeds plants as well as all other living things.
C4 plants provide 23% of primary production, though they are only 3 % of plants
Most plants capture or utilize 3 molecules of CO2 per cycle. But there are about -8,000 plant species that utilize 4 CO2 per cycle. Mostly these are heat loving plants, and when the weather gets hot they seem to explode… grow remarkably fast.
There is a weed in my region Kochia scoparia that fits the description, and ifentfied as C4. Puncture vine- goathead- Tribulis terrestris as well. And purslane.
Food crops, corn sorghum and sugar cane are also C4.
But what are the other 8000 plants?
It just seems like when we are planting pasture and designing polycultures we could include some of these plants… or maybe already have them.
I’m familiar with orchard grass as a cool season grass. It grows in the spring and fall, but when it gets hot, it just appears to survive, and doesn’t begin actively growing until things cool off. Big blue stem grass, on the other hand doesn’t grow much until it gets hot. So, it seems the two would complement each other in a grazing plan. Or soil carbon sequestration plan.
Anyway here’s a link for a more thorough definition of C4, a list of C4 plants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C4_plants
Do you already utilize these powerhouse plants?
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