CO2 Enrichment Improves Tomato Fruit Growth and Quality

The production of tomatoes grown in greenhouses in China has increased significantly in recent years. Today , 57.2% of tomato production in China is done in greenhouses. This rapid increase is due to the combination of tomato's unique taste, rich nutritional content and antioxidant properties. In addition, tomatoes are an important source of a plant compound called lycopene, which lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and provides cardiovascular-related health benefits to the consumer.

Despite the increase in cultivation areas, growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is a challenging process. During the day, plant photosynthesis can reduce the CO2 concentration in the greenhouse to about 100-250 ppm. This level, which is much lower than the optimum level, can seriously affect yield and quality. Since increasing the CO2 concentration in the greenhouse is a factor that increases the costs; Researchers in China are looking for cheaper ways to increase CO2 levels to produce more crops and yields.

In a special study, it was planned to install a compost vehicle inside tomato greenhouses that would raise CO2 levels through fermentation of organic wastes such as plant residues and animal manure.

In this study, growth, development and fruit quality of tomato plants grown in a traditional greenhouse production system; It is aimed to compare it with tomatoes grown with CO2 enriched by the fermentation of agricultural organic wastes.

As a result of the study, the benefits of agricultural organic wastes and increased CO2 levels in greenhouses for tomato production were proven.

Tomato plants enriched with CO2 produced larger and higher quality fruit than tomato plants in conventional greenhouse production.

Especially high CO2 increased plant height by 39%, stem width by 29%, fruit per plant by 74%, fruit diameter by 28%, fruit weight by 29% and fruit yield by 29%.