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Environmental Controls on the Growth and Yield of Okra. I. Effects of Temperature and CO2 Enrichment at Cool Temperature 1
Author(s) -
Sionit Nasser,
Strain B. R.,
Beckford H. A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1981.0011183x002100060021x
Subject(s) - phytotron , yield (engineering) , abelmoschus , horticulture , greenhouse , biology , dry weight , botany , zoology , materials science , metallurgy
Growth and yield responses of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, cv. Clemson Spineless) to 6 different day/night temperature regimes and 3 CO 2 concentrations were studied in controlled environment chambers of the Duke University Phytotron. The objective of these experiments was to characterize the effects of temperature and CO 2 concentrations on vegetative growth and fruit yield of okra. The day/ night temperature regimes in the greenhouses at ambient light and CO 2 concentration (350 ppm) were: 17/11, 20/14, 23/17, 26/20, 29/23 and 32/26 C, and the CO 2 concentration in the growth chambers at 20/14 C were 450, 675, and 1,000 ppm. In the experiments at ambient CO 2 concentration, no plants survived at temperatures below 26/20 C. The plants grown at 26/20 C and higher temperatures in the greenhouses grew to maturity and produced fruits. Under CO 2 enrichment in growth chambers, however, the plants survived to maturity at 20/14 C. Thus at the suboptimal temperature of 20/14 C, CO 2 enrichment compensated for the adverse effects of cool temperature on the growth of okra. The chamber grown plants at 20/14 C produced the maximumd ry weight in 1,000 ppm CO 2 . The greenhouse grown plants under ambient CO 2 and light produced the greatest dry weight at 32/26 C. The results demonstrate why okra is not a productive crop at mean temperature of 26/20 C or below in ambient CO 2 concentration. However, at increasing atmospheric CO 2 levels okra becomes much more vigorous and productive at low temperature and therefore may spread into cooler areas if the global atmospheric CO 2 concentration continues to increase.