Dr. Hawa Jaafar
Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400 UPM SERDANG

Abstract. Vegetables growing under controlled environment (CE) of simple plastic-covered rainshelters (RSP) or greenhouse in Malaysian lowlands has proven to be commercially viable and thus has a great economic potential. Studies indicated substantial yield increase with high quality and chemical free harvests. Since the nineties, however, production has denoted a leveling off with little improvement in crop productivity. With the government’s call to increase domestic food production in order to reduce food import bills, a technology alleviation to enhance crop production and productivity was developed by bringing the crop closer to its photosynthetic potential, through carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment or fertilization. The positive response of many important agricultural crops to CO2 enrichment has been well-documented. In the temperate, CO2 enrichment for food crop production under CE system is a common practice; however a complete adoption of the available technology from the temperate would not be applicable for humid tropical conditions mainly due to the “greenhouse effects” versus the “oasis effects of temperate area. In hot and humid climates, increase in ambient temperature to about 8–15 ^oC is a common feature under greenhouses and RSP.

PDF Order Form
Secure Server Order Form