EFFECTS OF CO₂ ENRICHMENT ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GREENHOUSE - GROWN TOMATOES IN SOIL AND SOILLESS CULTURES

While in the first year of the experiment plants were grown as a spring crop only, in the second year both spring and long term crops were grown. The experiments were set up as a randomized complete block factorial design. Sander F₁ and Fantastic F₁ were used for the spring and the long term growing seasons respectively. When the temperature in the greenhouse was below 27°C, 1000 ppm CO₂ was applied into the greenhouse in day light and when the temperature was above 27 °C CO₂ enrichment process was stopped and the ventilation system was opened.

During the experiments, plant height (15 day-intervals), leaf chlorophyll content, net assimilation rate, relative growth rate, number of flowers and fruits per cluster were determined. Fruit yield and quality characteristics (vitamin C, flesh firmness, titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids and dry matter content) were also measured.

The results showed that whilst CO₂ enrichment increased only the early yield for both years of the spring growing season, the application increased both the early yield and total yield by 37 % and 43%, respectively for long term crop growing.

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