THE CO₂ REQUIREMENTS OF GREENHOUSE CROPS

A tomato crop requires more than 1 kg CO₂ per square metre, calculated for the whole root and green mass.
The better greenhouse soils produce about 0.5 g CO₂.m2.h^-1 which is sometimes more than a tomato crop can utilize.

Greenhouses do not constitute closed systems so that a large portion of the CO₂ released by the soil is lost.
On the other hand, there is no good correspondence between soil respiration and the course of CO₂ requirement.

The indication that a tomato crop needs 6–7 g CO₂.m2.h^-1 can hardly be of further use.
Unfortunately, in the literature are lacking data concerning the net values of assimilation activity of greenhouse crops by hours, excepting the curve for the day course of CO₂ uptake by tomato crops presented by the author (Daunicht, 1968).

Symposium on Protected Growing of Vegetables

Dr. H. Daunicht

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1971.17.10