CO2 utilized to increase sweet potato yields

CO2 monitoring station

Beacon Tech Net is using carbon dioxide in an attempt to increase sweet potato yields on a South Carolina farm. The company has been conducting experiments to determine the effects of various CO2 levels on the CX-1 sweet potato. Recently, they have found that increased levels of CO2 bring increased plant yields.

The farm, located in Smoaks South Carolina, has been breading sweet potatoes for specifically for the production of ethanol. In 2008, a 40% increase in the dry mass of sweet potatoes occurred when CO2 emissions were increased throughout the field.

NexSens Technology was brought in to provide the CO2 monitoring system. The system features Vaisala CO2 sensors connected to NexSens iSIC data loggers. The data is collected and transmitted to the WQData web datacenter. This allows Beacon Tech Net engineers in Murrells Inlet, SC to monitor CO2 levels from the farm located 150 miles away.

Beacon Tech Net is an entrepreneurial company with a strong focus on renewable energy. Currently, there are no ethanol plants in the United States using sweet potatoes as a raw material. The use of CO2 as a way to increase crop yields may signal a new source of energy.