• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of early $CO_2$ enrichment during seedling stage on long-term $CO_2$ enrichment after transplanting in the culture of pat-choi (Brassica campesris L), spinach (Spinacia oeracea L.), and leaf lettuce (Lactuca saliva L). During seedling stage, $CO_2$enrichment had significantly higher fresh and dry weight and leaf area of the top parts (above ground) of all three plant species than the control (no $CO_2$ enrichment). About 53%, 70% , and 40% increase in fresh weight of the top parts of pak-choi, spinach, and leaf lettuce were observed, respectively. Also, in seedling stage, dry weights of roots of spinach and leaf lettuce were significantly increased by early $CO_2$ enrichment. Relative fresh weight increment, compared with fresh weight of the control, in the top parts of roll three plants showed the highest values in 10 days after $CO_2$ enrichment treatment. In the long-term $CO_2$ enrichment experiment, early $CO_2$ enrichmented plants had 20% greater leaf area than the control in all three leafy vegetables. Fresh and dry weights of top parts of early $CO_2$-treated plants were also increased from 10 to 20%, as compared with the control plants. However, these increasement rates in the long-term $CO_2$ enrichment were lower than those seedling stage, which had 30-60% increment-rates. After transplanting, photosynthetic rate of each leafy vegetable in the control treatment slowly decreased, but those rates of early $CO_2$ enriched plants rapidly decreased.