• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.71-84
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• 2007

Predicting plant responses to changing atmospheric $CO_2$ and to the possibility of global warming are important concerns. The $CO_2$ concentration of the global atmosphere has increased during the last decades. This increase is expected to result in changes of global temperatures and this will also affect the growth and development of bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) and other crops. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of atmospheric $CO_2$ enrichment and high temperature on the growth and development of bell pepper under three temperature regimes. There was no statistical difference in the days required from seeding to flowering between $CO_2$ treatments, whereas among three temperature regimes, high temperature plots of $35/25^{\circ}C$ showed the shortest days (52.5 days) required from seeding to flowering. The plant height of bell peppers 15 weeks after emergence showed no statistical significance, while plots of $30/20^{\circ}C$ showed the highest plant height among the three temperature regimes. Time-course response of plant height to $CO_2$, enrichment was restrained in high $CO_2$, concentration (800ppm), at the same time higher temperature promoted plant height. Average leaf area per plant of 400ppm was $6,008.8cm^2$ and it was $5,225.1cm^2$ in the plots of 800ppm, showing 15% more leaf area compared to 400ppm $CO_2$ concentration. Leaf dry weight between $CO_2$ concentration and among temperature regimes showed a statistical significance. The average leaf dry weight in the plot of 800ppm showed the highest (44.1g), which was 18.5% higher compared to that of 400ppm (37.2g) and among temperature regimes, it was the highest (49.8g) in the plot of $35/25^{\circ}C$. Above-ground dry weight showed statistical significance between $CO_2$ concentration and among temperature regimes. The average above-ground dry weight of 800ppm $CO_2$ concentration was 141.4g, 17.9% higher compared to 400ppm $CO_2$ concentration (119.9g). Among three temperature regimes, plots of $30/20^{\circ}C$ showed the highest average above-ground dry weight (168.9g), while plots of $35/25^{\circ}C$ were the lowest (102.3g). In the average bell pepper dry weight, 800ppm of $CO_2$ concentration showed higher bell pepper dry weight (59.5g) than that (44.3g) of 400ppm of $CO_2$ concentration. It was judged that high $CO_2$ concentration was profitable fur bell pepper yield and there was a tendency that when there was high $CO_2$, concentration (800ppm), low temperature ($25/15^{\circ}C$) was profitable for bell pepper dry weight, whereas it was the reverse ($30/20^{\circ}C$), in the case of ambient $CO_2$, concentration (400ppm). In the specific leaf area according to $CO_2$, concentration, 800ppm showed 117.4, which was 35.5% higher compared to that (159.1) of 400ppm, showing that leaf becomes thicker as $CO_2$ concentration increases. Regarding correlation coefficients among crop characteristics, leaf area was negatively correlated with the number of bell peppers per plant and bell pepper dry weight, showing that the higher the leaf area, the lower the bell pepper yield. Bell pepper dry weight per plant showed positively significant correlation with the number of bell peppers per plant and total above dry weight, which showed that the higher the number of bell peppers and the total above dry weight, the higher the bell pepper yield.