Arrangement of experiments for simulating the effects of elevated temperatures and elevated CO2 levels on field-sown crops in Finland

Abstract

The experimental plants: spring wheat, winterwheat, spring barley, meadow fescue, potato, strawberry and black currant were sown or planted directly in the field, part of which was covered by an automatically controlled greenhouse to elevate the temperature by 3°C. The temperature of the other part of the field (open field) was not elevated, but the field was covered with the same plastic film as the greenhouse to achieve radiation and rainfall conditions comparable to those in the greenhouse. To elevate the CO2 concentrations, four open top chambers (OTC) were built for the greenhouse, and four for the open field. Two of these, both in the greenhouse and in the open field, were supplied with pure CO2 to elevate their CO2 level to 700 ppm. The temperatures inside the greenhouse followed accurately the desired level. The relative humidity was somewhat higher in the greenhouse and in the OTC:s than in the open field, especially after the modifications in the ventilation of the greenhouse and in the OTC:s in 1994. Because the OTC:s were large (3 m in diameter), the temperatures inside them differed very little from the surrounding air temperature. The short-term variation in the CO2 concentrations in the OTC:s with elevated CO2 was, however, quite high. The control of the CO2 concentrations improved each year from 1992 to 1994, as the CO2 supplying system was modified. The effects of the experimental conditions on plant growth and phenology are discussed.