ISHS Acta Horticulturae 507: III International Workshop on Models for Plant Growth and Control of the Shoot and Root Environments in Greenhouses
DECISION MODEL TO DETERMINE NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURE FOR MUSKMELONS GROWN UNDER ELEVATED CO2 LEVELS |
| Authors: | A. Kenig, S. Kramer |
| Keywords: | Muskmelon, CO2, heating, carbohydrate pool |
| Abstract:
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. | |
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