Effects of air velocity on photosynthesis of plant canopies under elevated CO 2 levels in a plant culture system

Abstract

To obtain basic data for adequate air circulation for promoting plant growth in closed plant production modules in bioregenerative life support systems in space, effects of air velocities ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 m s −1 on photosynthesis in tomato seedlings canopies were investigated under atmospheric CO 2 concentrations of 0.4 and 0.8 mmol mol −1. The canopy of tomato seedlings on a plug tray (0.4 × 0.4 m 2) was set in a wind-tunnel-type chamber (0.6 × 0.4 × 0.3 m 3) installed in a semi-closed-type assimilation chamber (0.9 × 0.5 × 0.4 m 3). The net photosynthetic rate in the plant canopy was determined with the differences in CO 2 concentrations between the inlet and outlet of the assimilation chamber multiplied by the volumetric air exchange rate of the chamber. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) on the plant canopy was kept at 0.25 mmol m −2 s −1, air temperature at 23 °C and relative humidity at 55%. The leaf area indices (LAIs) of the plant canopies were 0.6–2.5 and plant heights were 0.05–0.2 m. The net photosynthetic rate of the plant canopy increased with increasing air velocities inside plant canopies and saturated at 0.2 m s −1. The net photosynthetic rate at the air velocity of 0.4 m s −1 was 1.3 times that at 0.1 m s −1 under CO 2 concentrations of 0.4 and 0.8 mmol mol −1. The net photosynthetic rate under CO 2 concentrations of 0.8 mmol mol −1 was 1.2 times that under 0.4 mmol mol −1 at the air velocity ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 m s −1. The results confirmed the importance of controlling air movement for enhancing the canopy photosynthesis under an elevated CO 2 level as well as under a normal CO 2 level in the closed plant production modules.