Specially fit out glasshouse hosted a first - of - its - kind agricultural experiment on the Fresno State Agricultural Laboratory campus farm when carbon copy dioxide gasoline was applied to tomato plant plants to determine whether output could be enhanced .
take the work is Florence Cassel Sharma , a dirt and flora scientist conduct research for the Center for Irrigation Technology . Cassel Sharma recently received the Far West Region 2011 Outstanding Partnership Award presented by the Federal Laboratory Consortium .
“ The master end of this labor is to provide efficient and dim-witted techniques for recycling CO2emissions in agricultural bailiwick to enhance crop productivity and urine - function efficiency , ” Cassel Sharma says .
Primary manufacturer of CO2 in California are the fare sector , magnate and cement plants , and crude oil refinery , Cassel Sharma notes . Although CO2has different industrial applications ( carbonation , food conservation and promotion ) , commercial-grade usage of the compound are comparatively little compared to the amount produce .
“ A novel use of these emissions could be found in the farming sector since CO2is the primary constituent of photosynthesis and , therefore , plant maturation , ” Cassel Sharma says . “ app of CO2around the crop canopy could enhance photosynthesis and thus increase craw productiveness and water - use efficiency . ”
Previous CIT studies point that CO2enrichment of undetermined - field crops has a good chance of success , according Dr. Dave Goorahoo , Ph.D. , an assistant plant science professor at Fresno State and a atomic number 27 - research worker on the project . increase yields were observed ontomatoes , Melville Bell Madagascar pepper andstrawberries , he say .
In the most late study , conducted during the 2011 summer growing time of year , research worker go for CO2and irrigation piss at different story in undefendable - top chambers that resemble greenhouses . CIT inquiry associate Shawn Ashkan , also working on the project , designed and oversee the construction of the bedchamber and CO2delivery system of rules .
Plants were try out regularly during the growing season and measured for leaf area , nutrient content and weighting . Photosynthesis measurements were taken for each CO2and irrigation treatment . Tomatoes from the dissimilar treatment groups were harvested in September 2011 . proceeds were measure out along with works and root biomass . like treatments will be applied during the second twelvemonth of the project , in summer 2012 . Results will be released adopt second - year psychoanalysis .
Funding for this research was provided by the California State University Agricultural Research Institute .
