A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE TO EXPOSE TREE SEEDLINGS TO ELEVATED CO2 FOR INCREASED INITIAL GROWTH-RATES

Initial growth rates of most tree species that are used in afforestati on programmes are very low. Therefore, polybag planted seedlings have to be maintained in the nurseries for a long period of time. Growing p lants in an elevated CO2 atmosphere increases the growth rates as well as biomass production in many annual crop and tree species. Higher te mperature and relative humidity in association with elevated CO2 conce ntration helps to boost the biomass and leaf area production. We demon strate here an easy and cost-effective method for obtaining elevated C O2 concentrations for better growth of tree seedlings in the nursery.