Effect of CO2 enrichment on photosynthesis,growth and yield of tomato

Net photosynthesis of tomato plants was measured as CO₂ uptake in various light intensities, CO₂ concentrations, O₂ concentrations and temperatures during short-term experiments. Net photosynthesis increased significantly with increasing CO₂ concentration at all light intensities, even at the lowest one. The optimal temperature for photosynthesis increased with CO₂ enrichment. The changes in photosynthesis when the $\text{CO}{}_2\text{O}{}_2$ ratio was varied suggest that the effect of CO₂ enrichment is a result of a reduction in photorespiration.To determine whether the increase in photosynthesis caused by CO₂ enrichment would produce a greater yield, tomato plants were cultivated from seed to harvest in a tightly-closed greenhouse that was enriched with CO₂ continuously during the entire growing-period. The control greenhouse was ventilated by openings in the roof and door. The temperature of the 2 greenhouses was kept the same. Plants enriched with CO₂ showed a significant increase in fresh and dry weight and yield of tomatoes. The results are discussed in relation to earlier work in which CO₂ enrichment was discontinued when there was a need for ventilation.     

The influence of irradiance and external CO2-concentration on photosynthesis of different tomato genotypes

With 4 genotypes of tomato, irradiance and CO₂-response curves of net photosynthesis were analysed by means of curve fitting. Estimated values of the light compensation point I_c showed small but significant differences between the genotypes, the overall value being in the order of 8 W m^?2. The photochemical efficiency (α_n) and the maximum net photosynthesis per unit leaf area basis (P_nm) reached the highest values for ‘F6 IVT’ (13.3 μg CO₂ J^?1 resp. 0.549 mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1), the lowest value of α_n with ‘Bonabel’ (9.9 μg CO₂ J^?1), and the lowest value of P_nm with ‘PI 114969’ (0.424 mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1). The CO₂-compensation point (C_c) was relatively high (177–245 mg m^?3). ‘F6 IVT’ demonstrated the highest value of C_c, the lowest carboxylation efficiency and the highest maximum rate of net photosynthesis. The results clearly demonstrate that the latter genotype requires a much higher external CO₂-concentration than the other genotypes in order to exhibit the highest rate of net photosynthesis.     

Interactions between root-zone temperature and light levels on growth,development and photosynthesis of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cultivar ‘Vendor’

Six-week-old tomato plants were subjected to 5 root-zone temperatures, ranging from 12 to 36°C, and 4 light levels in a factorial design. Large increases in shoot dry weight, leaf area and fruit development resulted from soil warming to 24°C when plants were grown under high light conditions. Shoot growth and fruit weight were reduced at 24°C root temperature under low light conditions. Total plant photosynthesis, leaf area index, net assimilation rates and leaf chlorophyll content were related to plant growth and flower development for the various treatments. Our experiments have shown an interaction between root-zone temperature and light levels for greenhouse tomatoes. Soil warming caused large increases in shoot dry weight and fruit development when light was not limiting plant growth, but had deleterious effects on flowering and fruit set under shaded conditions.     

CO2 enrichment of greenhouse tomatoes using a closed-loop heat storage: Effects of cultivar and nitrogen

Spring crops of soil-grown greenhouse tomatoes (Lycopersion Lycopersicum (L.) Karst ex. Farw cultivars MO and TR-VE 23) were provided with three levels of nitrogen addition with and without added CO₂. Using a closed-loop solar collection/storage system, crops could be CO₂-enriched for 76–77% of the daylight hours. CO₂ enrichment increased No. 1 grade fruit weight by 14 and 27% and by 4 and 18% for both cultivars in 1981 and 1982, respectively. Although the method and amount of nitrogen application differed between 1981 and 1982, a trend was seen in both years for low nitrogen treatments to produce a greater response to CO₂ enrichment than high nitrogen treatments. A trend was also seen in both years for low nitrogen treatment to depress yield and quality in the non-enriched house, but to have no effect in the enriched house. This trend was particularly apparent in the cultivar with lower vegetative vigor, which also responded more overall to CO₂ enrichment than the cultivar with greater vegetative vigor.     

Growth characteristic and sink strength of fruit at different CO2 concentrations in a Japanese and a Dutch tomato cultivar

The aim of the present study was to elucidate how fruit growth was limited by the source and sink capacities in a Japanese (‘Momotaro York’) and a Dutch (‘Dundee’) tomato cultivar. The two cultivars were grown hydroponically with a high-wire system in greenhouses for 25 weeks, and the growth characteristics and sink strength of fruit were determined. Fruits were pruned to four (4F) or one (1F) per truss. The latter were used to determine potential fruit growth, an indicator of fruit sink strength. Growth was also determined under normal (LC) and enriched (HC, 700 μmol mol⁻¹) CO₂ concentrations to examine the effect of source enhancement on fruit production. In both cultivars under normal CO₂, the growth rate of fruit pruned to 4F per truss was lower than that in 1F, indicating that maximum potential fruit growth was not achieved. Under HC conditions, fruit growth rate of ‘Dundee’ achieved in 4F trusses was lower than that in 1F. In ‘Momotaro York’ in HC, fruit growth in 4F trusses was close to potential. This implies that fruit growth was source-limited irrespective of CO₂ concentrations in ‘Dundee’ cultivar while fruit growth in ‘Momotaro York’ under normal and enriched CO₂ conditions was limited by source and sink strengths, respectively. Adjustments of cultural practices including increasing fruit number per truss and/or genetic approaches to enhancing fruit sink strength by breeding may improve fruit yields of Japanese cultivars under high source/sink conditions.     

Effects of elevated CO2 on growth and morphological characteristics of ornamental bromeliads

Three ornamental bromeliads, i.e. Aechmea ‘Maya’ (CAM), Aechmea fasciata ‘Primera’ (CAM) and Guzmania ‘Hilda’ (C₃) were grown under greenhouse conditions at ambient (380 ppm) and elevated (750 ppm) CO₂. The effects of long-term exposure (34 weeks) to elevated CO₂ on growth and morphological traits constituting the ornamental value were assessed.     

UV-B增强下6-BA、GA_3对油桃光合和抗氧化酶活性的影响

【目的】为探讨UV-B增强下植物生长调节剂对油桃光合作用的调控,【方法】以‘中油桃8号’为试材,研究了叶面喷施6-BA和GA3对UV-B增强下油桃光合特性和抗氧化酶活性的影响。【结果】结果表明,补充15μW.cm-2的UV-B辐射后,油桃的净光合速率下降,叶绿素a含量增加;补充30μW.cm-2的UV-B辐射,净光合速率和叶绿素a含量受到明显抑制,叶绿素b略有下降。喷施50 mg.L-16-BA和GA3可有效提高UV-B增强下叶片的Pn和叶绿素a、b含量。50 mg.L-16-BA处理14 d后,UV-B增强下叶片的SOD、POD活性明显上升,MDA含量显著下降,类黄酮含量与对照无显著差异;而GA3处理则提高了叶片的类黄酮含量,但MDA和抗氧化酶活性无显著变化。【结论】UV-B辐射增强下,6-BA对油桃光合特性的促进可能与SOD等抗氧化酶活性的提高有关。     

CO2加富及亏缺灌溉对菜豆中期与后期生长的影响

为了探明菜豆中期与后期生长对CO₂加富与亏缺灌溉的生理响应,试验设两个CO₂水平:正常大气浓度和倍增CO₂浓度,两个灌溉水平:自然灌溉12次和亏缺灌溉6次,研究CO₂加富及亏缺灌溉对菜豆生长的影响。结果表明,CO₂加富显著提高菜豆生长中期株高与干质量,净光合速率(Pn)与胞间CO₂浓度(Ci)分别显著降低15.48%、37.67%,气孔导度(Gs)显著提高95.83%,菜豆生长后期的叶绿素a/b(Chla/b)显著提高12.29%,水分利用效率(WUE)显著提高46.51%,Ci显著降低12.87%。CO₂加富显著提高亏缺灌溉下生长中期菜豆的株高与干质量,但显著降低根冠比,显著提高叶绿素含量以及Gs;CO₂加富下生长后期的核酮糖-1,5-二磷酸羧化酶(Rubisco)及果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶(FBPase)活性分别显著提高78.05%与88.69%,CO₂加富使亏缺灌溉下碳酸酐酶(CA)与FBPase活性分别显著提高83.73%与64.84%。综上所述,CO₂加富提高菜豆生长中期对亏缺灌溉的适应性,对生长后期影响作用减小。     

Plant growth,water relations and transpiration of two species of African nightshade (Solanum villosum Mill. ssp. miniatum (Bernh. ex Willd.) Edmonds and S. sarrachoides Sendtn.) under water-limited conditions

The adaptation to drought stress of two African nightshade species, Solanum villosum and S. sarrachoides was investigated in pot and field experiments between 2000 and 2002. Two genotypes of S. villosum (landrace and commercial) and one accession of S. sarrachoides were grown under droughted, moderate stress and well-watered conditions. Leaf expansion, stem elongation and transpiration began to decline early in the drying cycle with fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) thresholds of 0.46–0.64. Osmotic adjustment (OA) of both species was in the range of 0.16–0.19 MPa and could not maintain positive turgor below water potentials of −1.80 to −2.04 MPa. The responses evaluated were similar in the three genotypes suggesting similar strategies of adaptation to drought stress. Under field conditions, the S. sarrachoides accession showed a higher leaf area than the S. villosum commercial genotype. It is concluded that the three African nightshade genotypes have limited OA capacity and adapt to drought mainly by regulating transpiration. This was achieved by reduction of leaf area. In general, it is necessary to maintain FTSW above 0.5–0.6 to prevent decline in leaf expansion, stem elongation, and transpiration.     

Effect of elevated CO2 on vegetative and reproductive growth characteristics of the CAM plants Hylocereus undatus and Selenicereus megalanthus

This study examined the vegetative and reproductive growth responses of the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) vine-cactus fruit crop species Hylocereus undatus and Selenicereus megalanthus to CO₂ enrichment (1000 μmol mol⁻¹ vs. control of 380 μmol mol⁻¹). H. undatus plants enriched with CO₂ demonstrated 52%, 22%, 18%, and 175% increases, relative to plants measured in ambient CO₂, in total daily net CO₂ uptake, shoot elongation, shoot dry mass, and number of reproductive buds, respectively. The responses of S. megalanthus plants exposed to elevated CO₂ were greater than those of H. undatus under the same conditions. Compared to plant responses in ambient CO₂, under conditions of CO₂ enrichment, S. megalanthus showed 129%, 73%, 68%, and 233% increases in total daily net CO₂ uptake, shoot elongation, shoot dry mass, and number of reproductive buds, respectively. Moreover, for H. undatus, there was no significant change in fruit fresh mass although it showed a slight (7%) upward trend. On the other hand, fruit fresh mass of S. megalanthus significantly increased by 63% in response to elevated CO₂. These results indicate the high potential of CAM plants to respond to CO₂ enrichment. It is thus apparent that S. megalanthus grown under CO₂ enrichment may benefit from elevated CO₂ to a greater extent than H. undatus grown under sub-optimal growth conditions.