EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS ON PLANT GROWTH AND CONCLUSIONS FOR SHORT-TERM TEMPERATURE OPTIMIZATION IN GREENHOUSES

For short-term (minutes to hours) temperature optimization in greenhouses plant growth models are needed, which estimate short-term plant reactions and predict, how short-term reactions contribute to yield, realized several weeks later.

For the greenhouse crop kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea gongylodes L.) short-term reactions to temperature are presented, which are not only caused by the temperature level, but also specifically by temperature changes.
The dynamic short-term plant reactions showed differences compared to the steady state long-term reactions.
The differences were due to temperature after-effects and plant adaptation to the changed temperature.
It follows that for kohlrabi a model, which is parameterized with long-term average values of plant growth and climatic factors, can not be used to derive optimal short-term temperature set points.

Conclusions for short-term temperature optimization are discussed.

International Workshop on Greenhouse Crop Models

M. Fink

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.328.12