EFFECTS OF CO2 NUTRITION ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MUSKMELON (CUCUMIS MELO L.), EGG-PLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA L.) AND SWEET-PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.)

Y. MILHET, C. COSTES
For these vegetables cultivated under glass, the atmosphere enrichment in carbon dioxide at 1 000 p.p.m., in winter culture with additional lighting entailed the following results.

The growing of Muskmelon stalks was slackened whereas it was increased with Egg-plant. An increase of Egg-plant leaf sizes was observed. Fruit setting was improved which allows to gather fruit yield in quantity and weight till at least double of the control for Egg-plant and Sweet-Pepper.

In spring or summer cultivation without additional lighting, carbon dioxide nutrition was needed to shut the opening of greenhouse which increased temperature; so, fruit setting could be disturbed. Nevertheless in these conditions, CO2 supply promoted stalks elongation, flowering, improved greatly setting and increased notably fruit number and weight. Still more, this yield was early. If the CO2 supply period extended from the period of fruit maturation to the whole vegetation, the crop was about ten days early with Muskmelon fruits.

MILHET, Y. and COSTES, C. (1975). EFFECTS OF CO2 NUTRITION ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MUSKMELON (CUCUMIS MELO L.), EGG-PLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA L.) AND SWEET-PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.). Acta Hortic. 51, 201-212
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1975.51.21
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1975.51.21

Acta Horticulturae