Method of Improving the Growth and Production Output of Plants of the Family Solanaceae

A method of preventing or treating infection or infestation by a pathogen or pest of plants belonging to the family Solanaceae comprising:

• providing a plant growing system configured for growing a Solanaceae plant having roots and a shoot, the plant growing system including a plant nutrient solution about the plant roots and a gas mixture circulating about the plant shoot;
• and
• selecting either a gas mixture temperature or a nutrient solution temperature independently of the other;
• wherein the selected temperature is lethal to a pathogen and/or pest belonging to the group consisting of insects, fungi, molds, mildews, bacterium, and combinations thereof at the selected gas mixture temperature or nutrient solution temperature.

A plant growing system configured to grow a Solanaceae plant having roots and a shoot, the plant growing system comprising:

• a plant nutrient solution located about the roots of the plant;
• and
• a gas mixture circulating about the shoot of the plant,
• wherein the gas mixture has a temperature that is selected independently of or based at least in part on a temperature of the plant nutrient solution, and
• wherein during different phases of plant development, a plant nutrient solution to gas mixture temperature differential is provided such that the temperature differential is greater than approximately 10° F. during at least part of one of the different phases of plant development.