The potential risk for CO2 leakage from carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems has raised significant concerns.
While numerous studies have explored how crops respond to elevated soil CO2 levels, relatively few have examined the impacts on vegetables. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are a key vegetable crop, and this study sought to investigate how CO2 leakage affects their yield and quality. Researchers conducted pot experiments comparing tomatoes grown under control conditions (no added CO2) with those exposed to elevated soil CO2 levels (1500 g m−2d−1). The findings indicate that under CO2 leakage conditions, the overall biomass of tomato plants, average fruit weight, and fruit size decreased by 47.42%, 47.65%, and 20.2%, respectively. Notably, the titratable acid content in the tomatoes increased by 27.5%, resulting in a sourer taste. The tomato fruit grades and sugar-acid ratio declined leading to a seriously commercial value loss of tomatoes in response to elevated soil CO2 levels.
This study provides a more quantitative understanding of how vegetables like tomatoes respond to CO2 leakage, which is crucial for CCS decision-makers to comprehend the adverse effects of CO2 leaks on agriculture.
Zhang, X., & Ma, X. (2025). Tomato yields and quality declines due to elevated soil CO2. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-89830-3
Source: Nature