Continuous Light as a Way to Increase Greenhouse Tomato Production: Expected Challenges
Year: 2012
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Tomato plants need six hours of darkness per day for optimal growth; therefore, photosynthesis does not take place for 25% of the day. If tomatoes could be grown under continuous light, a substantial increase in production is expected. In practice, however, continuous light-grown tomato plants develop a potentially lethal mottled chlorosis. Such continuous-light-induced injury is only poorly understood so far. Recently, we proposed a number of hypotheses that aim to explain the continuous-light-induced injury, and rediscovered that wild-tomato species were reported as continuous-light-tolerant. Here, we (i) present a simulation study which shows that if an ideal continuous-light-tolerant tomato genotype is used and no crop adaptations to continuous light are assumed, greenhouse tomato production could be 26% higher when using supplementary lighting for 24 h day(-1) in comparison with using supplementary lighting only for 18 h day(-1) during day time, and (ii) discuss expected changes in greenhouse energy budgets and alterations in crop physiological responses that might arise from cultivating tomatoes under continuous light.
Source: Acta Horticulturae
Language: English
Topic: Light effects on plants
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
Funder: Institute of Genetics
OpenAlex ID: W2589552953