2009 Volume 47 Issue 2 Pages 87-100
This review focuses on the monitoring of crop health status at greenhouse scale, based on the measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the plants. The review includes the most important factors that affect the emission of these VOCs from greenhouse crops. Since both, stress factors as well as non-stress factors have an effect on the emission, they are covered separately. The review provides an overview of processes that affect the gas balance of plant VOCs in the greenhouse including the loss processes. These processes are considered as important since they contribute to the time-dynamic concentration profiles of plant-emitted VOCs. In addition, we review the most popular techniques currently in use to measure volatiles emitted from plants with emphasis on greenhouse application. Dynamic sampling in combination with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry is considered as most appropriate method for application at greenhouse scale. It is recommended to evaluate the state-of-the-art in the fields concerned with this method and to explore the development of a new instrument based on the specific needs for application in greenhouse practice. However, to apply such an instrument at greenhouse-scale remains a challenge, mainly due to the high costs associated with it.
