Zeolite enhances leaf photosynthesis and fruit quality in tomato through greenhouse CO2 enrichment

Abstract

Elevated CO2 concentration has been widely acknowledged as a leading factor to global climate change, while deficient CO2 serves as a crucial limiting factor in modern greenhouse production. Harnessing the existing excessive CO2 to promote agriculture production is significant but filled with challenges. To this end, we proposed a concentration gradient-regulated CO2 enrichment system for capturing CO2 into greenhouses, which requires suitable CO2 sorbents with sufficient CO2 desorption capacity and high hydrophobicity at ambient temperature and pressure. Zeolites with different framework types and cations were detected by CO2 desorption and cyclic stability test under simulated agricultural production conditions. The results indicate that larger pore volume cooperated with higher Si/Al ratio and weaker alkali cations may be critical determinants for balancing high CO2 adsorption-desorption capacities and hydrophobicity in crop-cultivated environments. H-SSZ-13 zeolite is identified as the potential sorbents and exhibits exceptional CO2 release abilities and cyclic stability in tomato-grown environment. Long-term application of H-SSZ-13 zeolite to tomato plants significantly stimulated photosynthetic processes, particularly the Calvin-Benson cycle, culminating in notable improvements in plant growth, fruit yield and quality. This investigation provides a promising solution to develop a carbon-neutral CO2 enrichment system for both sustainable and productive greenhouse production.