In high-wire greenhouse production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers), crop growth is primarily a linear function of intercepted cumulative photosynthetic photon flux. By parameterizing Light Use Efficiency ($LUE \approx 2.8–3.4\text{ g dry matter / mol PAR}$) and the Harvest Index ($HI \approx 0.65–0.72$), growers can forecast harvest weight with over 92% accuracy.
1. The Fundamental Biomass Equation
Fresh Yield (kg/m²·wk) = [ DLI × 7 days × LUE × HI ] / Dry_Matter_Content / 1000
Where high-wire tomatoes exhibit ~5.5% dry matter content in ripe fruit. Every additional $1.0\text{ mol/m}^2\text{d}$ of cumulative DLI translates directly to $+0.07\text{ kg/m}^2\text{·wk}$ of fresh marketable harvest under non-limiting CO₂ and rootzone conditions.
2. Interactive Biomass Forecaster
Forecast your annual and weekly greenhouse crop yields using our free tool: