DECISION MODEL TO DETERMINE DURATION OF NIGHTTIME HEATING 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 resulted in muskmelon yields of up to twice as much as the control, without CO₂ enrichment and nighttime heating.
In a preceding study, an off-line model was constructed to find the physiologically optimal nighttime temperature at a given CO₂ concentration.
The model takes into account the carbohydrate balance of the crop, during a predefined period (3 days). Then, it calculates the resulting non-structural carbohydrate pool during that period.
Based on minimizing the non-structural carbohydrate pool, the model recommends nighttime temperature for the next 3 days.
When the results were analyzed, it was observed that at given growth periods, the non-structural carbohydrate pool was fully exploited before the end of the night.
Under such conditions, the net nighttime growth may turn negligible or even negative.
Accordingly, a new version was developed to take into account such circumstances.
The results show that during the period of fruit filling, there could be an advantage to shorten the duration of nighttime heating.

V International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates: Current Trends for Suistainable Technologies

A. Kenig, S. Kramer

Muskmelon, CO₂, carbohydrate pool, respiration

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.559.69