Tomato yields and quality declines due to elevated soil CO₂

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Plant Physiology

Background:

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is vital for climate change mitigation.
• Potential CO₂ leakage from CCS poses risks to agricultural ecosystems.
• Limited research exists on vegetable crop responses to elevated soil CO₂.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of CO₂ leakage on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) yield and quality.
• To quantify the effects of elevated soil CO₂ on tomato biomass, fruit characteristics, and chemical composition.

Main Methods:

• Pot experiments were conducted comparing control conditions with elevated soil CO₂ levels (1500 g m^-2d^-1).
• Measurements included plant biomass, average fruit weight, fruit size, titratable acid content, and sugar acid ratio.

Main Results:

• Elevated CO₂ significantly decreased tomato plant biomass (47.42%), average fruit weight (47.65%), and fruit size (20.2%).
• Titratable acid content increased by 27.5%, leading to a sourer taste.
• Tomato fruit grades and sugar acid ratio declined, resulting in substantial commercial value loss.

Conclusions:

• CO₂ leakage from CCS negatively affects tomato yield and quality.
• Understanding these impacts is crucial for assessing agricultural risks associated with CCS projects.
• Findings highlight the need for strategies to mitigate CO₂ leak effects on vegetable production.