Why CO2 matters in indoor farming?
In controlled indoor environments, carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a critical role in driving plant growth, improving crop yield, and maintaining sustainable operations.
While carbon dioxide enrichment is one of the most effective methods to accelerate photosynthesis, growers can also use CO₂ to shorten growth cycles, increase biomass, and ultimately boost plant productivity
Beyond just yield enhancement, carbon dioxide also offers a natural method for pest control, helping growers reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pesticides. At certain concentrations, CO2 can act as an organic fumigant by suppressing pests without compromising crop quality. This is an approach especially attractive to certified organic growers. For those committed to clean-label and organic production, CO₂ is considered a safe, inert, and effective input that aligns with sustainable and non-toxic farming practices.
5 Indoor Farming Applications That Depend on CO2
Vertical Farming
Vertical farming has rapidly become one of the most efficient and scalable methods of indoor agriculture. By stacking crops in vertically tiered systems, growers can maximize space while controlling light, temperature, humidity, and co2 levels.
Enriching the air with CO2 concentrations between 800–1,500 ppm can significantly accelerate plant photosynthesis, resulting in faster growth, larger yields, and improved plant health. These elevated CO₂ levels are carefully maintained to create an ideal growing environment, especially for high-value crops like leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens.
To help vertical farmers monitor and adjust CO2 levels with precision, many rely on tools like the RAD-0502: CO2 Grow Controller. This device allows for automated CO2 enrichment based on light cycles, ensuring optimal concentrations are maintained during photosynthetic hours. By integrating CO2 control into their grow strategy, vertical farms not only improve output but also can make their operations more sustainable and competitive.
Mushroom Farming
Unlike leafy crops that thrive on CO2 enrichment, mushroom farming requires a careful balance, because too much carbon dioxide can actually hinder development.
Mushrooms naturally produce CO2 during their growth cycle, and if ventilation is inadequate, levels can accumulate rapidly. Elevated CO2 concentrations can stunt mushroom growth and reduce yields, making CO2 monitoring essential to maintain optimal conditions for fruiting.
To monitor and manage excess CO2, many mushroom growers rely on tools like the CM-501: Handheld CO2 Detector, which allows for quick, accurate spot-checking of CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity throughout the growing environment.
For continuous monitoring and worker protection, facilities often install the RAD-0102-6 Remote CO2 Storage Safety Alarm, which provides real-time alerts if CO2 levels reach unsafe thresholds. Together, these devices help safeguard both the crop and the facility team ensuring ideal growing conditions while protecting employees from the hazards of potential confined space CO2 exposure.
Produce and Grain Farms
In indoor produce and grain farms, carbon dioxide plays a dual role supporting plant health while serving as a natural pest control solution. CO2 fumigation is a widely accepted practice for managing insects without the use of synthetic chemicals. By exposing pests to elevated CO2 concentrations (typically around 5% for several days) growers can effectively eliminate pests without harming the crop.
For organic growers, CO2 fumigation offers a compliant, non-toxic alternative that aligns with organic farming standards. Crops like leafy greens, okra, corn, and brussels sprouts benefit from this pest strategy, as it helps maintain produce integrity while avoiding chemical residues. The CM-501 Handheld CO2 Detector is also frequently used by these farms to ensure accurate, repeatable fumigation levels and to verify that CO2 exposure stays within safe and effective thresholds.
Livestock and Poultry Facilities
In livestock and poultry operations, carbon dioxide serves highly specialized roles particularly in hatcheries and humane animal handling. During egg incubation, maintaining precise CO2 levels is crucial for optimizing hatch rates and chick development.
Controlled concentrations of CO2 can also influence the timing and uniformity of hatching, giving producers better control over their production cycles. Additionally, CO2 can also be used in some operations as a method of euthanasia, where concentrations of 40% or higher render animals unconscious quickly and with minimal distress, aligning with welfare guidelines.
To monitor these sensitive CO2 applications, many poultry producers trust CM-1000 GasLab Pro Multi-Gas Sampling Data Logger. This advanced tool provides accurate, real-time sampling of CO2 levels across different points in the facility, ensuring environmental conditions remain within optimal ranges. By using the CM-1000, operators can fine-tune both incubation processes and gas delivery systems for humane practices ensuring compliance and efficiency.
Indoor Cultivation Facilities
Indoor cultivation facilities especially those growing high-value crops like cannabis, depend heavily on controlled CO2 environments to accelerate plant growth and maximize yields.
By enriching grow rooms with CO2 levels between 800–1,500 ppm, cultivators can significantly enhance photosynthesis, resulting in faster plant growth, denser buds, and an increase in overall production. However, because CO2 is a potentially hazardous gas in confined spaces, most municipalities and fire codes now require CO2 safety monitoring systems to be installed wherever enrichment occurs.
To meet these dual needs of growth optimization and regulatory compliance, many cultivators deploy the RAD-0102-6: Remote CO2 Storage Safety 3 Alarm. This device allows continuous monitoring of ambient CO2 levels for safety and optimization.
If concentrations exceed safe thresholds, alarms trigger ventilation systems or shut off gas supply, ensuring both plant health and personnel protection. It’s a seamless solution for growers who want to push productivity without compromising on safety or code adherence.
CO2 Safety and Monitoring: Protecting People and Produce
As you can see while carbon dioxide is a vital asset in indoor farming, excessive concentrations can pose serious health risks to workers and even damage crops if not properly managed.
CO2 is odorless and invisible, making it nearly impossible to detect without the right monitoring equipment. In enclosed grow environments especially those using enrichment systems or relying on CO2 for fumigation the risk of buildup is high. Prolonged exposure to elevated CO2 levels can cause dizziness, fatigue, or even unconsciousness in staff, highlighting the need for continuous gas monitoring and alarm systems as part of any safe and compliant operation.
To mitigate these risks and maintain regulatory compliance, we offer a full range of fixed and portable CO2 safety solutions designed specifically for agricultural environments. From the RAD-0102-6 Remote CO₂ Storage Safety Alarm that provides real-time, audible alerts in high-risk areas, to the CM-501 Handheld Detector used for quick spot-checks, growers can have access to quality tools to ensure both people and produce are protected. These systems not only help indoor farms meet local fire code and OSHA regulations but also offer peace of mind that their team and operations are safe from invisible hazards.
Optimize Growth with CO2 and Safety Monitoring
Overall, you can see the use of carbon dioxide varies across each indoor farming environment but it is clear it plays a core importance in the field.
By ensuring a better knowledge of each indoor farming industry and need for CO2, we hope you can gain a better understanding of the ideal solution that can best fit your indoor environment and overall requirements.
For more information on implementing CO2Meter technologies in your grow space, speak to an expert today and contact us.
