2020 Volume 89 Issue 4 Pages 417-424
We investigated dry matter (DM) and fruit production of tomato plants, the effects of CO2 levels on DM production, and light-use efficiency (LUE) in a tomato production system based on short-term, low-truss crop management during six consecutive periods over one year in a commercial greenhouse. The CO2 concentration, total dry matter production (TDM), and LUE differed significantly among the periods. Since LUE was significantly correlated with the mean daytime CO2 concentration, we modeled LUE empirically from that. We developed a model to predict LUE and DM production of tomato plants and validated the model using data from the six periods. We accurately predicted LUE and TDM within a range of ca. 400 to 650 µmol·mol−1 daytime CO2 concentration. However, when daytime CO2 concentration was beyond this range, or when a management failure such as inadequate irrigation occurred, predicted values differed significantly from observed values.