PRINCIPLES OF CO₂ NUTRITION RESEARCH

Carbon dioxide enrichment above the ambient level reduces photo respiration and increases net photosynthesis of three-carbon-pathway plants, a group to which most greenhouse crops belong.

The grower wanting to use CO₂ enrichment would have to know the curve relating a wide range of CO₂ regimes to costs and expected yield.
The necessary information can be produced only by integrated and quantitatively expressed research from several disciplines, notably plant physiology, horticultural engineering, and economics.

Some aspects of the relationship between carbon dioxide nutrition and yield are presented, using examples from work on CO₂ enrichment to roses and tomatoes in Israel.
In the examples shown, CO₂ enrichment appears to improve the yield of roses, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and, furthermore, high CO₂ concentrations appear to increase salt tolerance in tomatoes.
Assuming a high and positive correlation between net photosynthesis and yield, a strategy is outlined for approaching the levels of CO₂ concentration, air temperature, humidity and wind speed under fluctuating daylight, which gives maximal net photosynthesis and hence maximal yield.
Finally, it is indicated how the technique for obtaining maximal net photosynthesis will also provide quantitative data for constructing models on net photosynthesis of crops.

Symposium on Greenhouse Climate: Evaluation of Research Methods

H.Z. Enoch, N. Zieslin, Y. Biran, A.H. Halevy, M. Schwarz, B. Kesler, D. Shimsi

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1973.32.8