Light-Modulated Temperature Control and the Response of Greenhouse Tomatoes to Different CO2Regimes

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Abstract
A light-modulated greenhouse controller that varied the air temperature with incoming solar radiation was used in an experiment to compare the response of Craigella, Eurocross B and J172 tomatoes from first anthesis to the end of fruit harvesting to light-modulated and steady day-time air temperature regimes at CO2 concentrations of 600 and 1200 volumes per million. The yield of marketable fruit obtained from the light-modulated temperature regime was on average 26% higher after 6 weeks of picking and 9% higher after 22 weeks of picking than that from the steady temperature treatment. An increase in CO2 concentration from 600 to 1200 vpm resulted in overall increases of 15% and 8% in the early and final yields of ripe marketable fruit respectively. Tomatoes grown under a light-modulated temperature regime reached the half-harvest date on average 5 days ahead of those grown in a steady temperature regime. The difference in earliness of cropping resulting from CO2 enrichment to 1200 instead of 600 vpm was 3 days. J172 was the most successful cultivar judged by marketable yield and estimated gross monetary returns.

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