DECISION MODEL TO DETERMINE NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURE FOR MUSKMELONS GROWN UNDER ELEVATED CO₂ LEVELS

Many crops positively respond to elevated CO₂ levels.
Previous results have shown that combining CO₂ enrichment with nighttime heating have resulted in muskmelon yields of up to twice as much as the control, without CO₂ enrichment and nighttime heating.
The purpose of the present study was to find the physiologically optimal nighttime temperature at a given CO₂ concentration for a better crop performance.
This was achieved by constructing an off-line model that takes into account the carbohydrate balance of the crop during a predefined period (3 days). The model calculates the resulting non-structural carbohydrate pool during that period.
Then, based on minimizing the non-structural carbohydrate pool, the model recommends nighttime temperature for the next 3 days.
When using the model, the performance of the crop was improved compared to using a predefined nighttime heating protocol.

III International Workshop on Models for Plant Growth and Control of the Shoot and Root Environments in Greenhouses

A. Kenig, S. Kramer

Muskmelon, CO₂, heating, carbohydrate pool

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.507.35