ISHS Acta Horticulturae 578: International Symposium on Design and Environmental Control of Tropical and Subtropical Greenhouses
MANIPULATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES FOR BETTER YIELD AND QUALITY IN CROP PLANTS IN CONTROL ENVIRONMENT |
| Author: | L.C. Ho |
| Keywords: | plant growth; physiology; environmental control; yield; quality; tomato |
| Abstract:
Glasshouse crops in comparison to field crops are high yield crops often with better quality. By optimising the growing condition glasshouse crops can overcome the limitation of the local climate and reach its potential. The key of success is the identification of the rate limiting physiological processes of the crop and the provision the environmental conditions required for maximum potential performance. The introduction of supplementary heating and CO2 enrichment in the winter, high light transmission in the glasshouse structure and high light interception in the canopy structure as well as the soilless culture has made the year round cropping possible. The advance in glasshouse climate monitoring and controlling systems together with the introduction of the combined heat and power system (CHP), the requirement of light, temperature, CO2, humidity, water and nutrient for high yield can be fulfilled. However, the climate conditions for high yield are not always the same as for fruit quality. Fruit defects such as softness and blotchy ripening and physiological disorders such as blossom-end rot in tomato can be induced by high light and temperature in the glasshouse required for high yield. Therefore, climate conditions should be optimised for both yield and quality. In doing so, the control system of the glasshouse requires information on the effects of individual climate factors and their interactions on different physiological processes. The management of EC in the nutrient feed and the control of light, temperature, VPD and CO2 in the glasshouse should be based on the crop physiological response. Therefore, the climate conditions in the glasshouse will be optimised by the rate limiting physiological processes for both yield and quality in the future glasshouse crop production. | |
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