ISHS Acta Horticulturae 287: II International Symposium on Protected Cultivation of Vegetables in Mild Winter Climates
EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTARY LIGHTING ON THE BIOLOGICAL AND AGRONOMIC BEHAVIOUR OF SNAP BEAN CUCUMBER AND SUMMER SQUASH IN COLD GREENHOUSE |
| Authors: | S. Foti, G. Mauromicale, S. Cosentino |
| Abstract:
The current research aims to study the effects of supplementary lighting on the biological and agronomic behaviour of some alternative crops to solanacea. Different species (Phaseolus vulgaris L. 'Provider', Cucurbita pepo L. 'Diamant' F1 and Cucumis sativus L. 'Sprint' F1) cultivated in cold greenhouse (S.Croce Camerina - RG-36°48' N Lat 2°55' E Long) in winter spring season (sowing or transplanting 23rd November 1984) were exposed to supplementary lighting (two hours before dawn and two hours after dark) using lamps producing about 3 W m-2 50 cm above soil level and were compared to a control exposed to natural light only. The effect of supplementary light resulted in significant biological and productive differences in all the three studied species. Compared to the control supplementary lighting in all three species determined a reduction of the length of the interval "sowing-opening of the first flower" (snap bean and squash) and "transplanting-opening of the first flower" (cucumber) of 15 days in snap bean (56 vs. 71 days) 9 days in squash (52 vs. 61) and cucumber (53.0 vs. 62.0). In the same way, the supplementary light increased the yield by 67% in snap bean (t ha-1 13.2 vs.7.9), by 34% in cucumber (t ha-1 54.2 vs. 40.3) and 14% in squash (t ha-1 87.2 vs. 76.2). The highest yields determined by the supplementary light appeared to depend more on the number of fruit/plant than on unitary weight in snap bean and cucumber, and exclusively on the number of fruits per plant in squash. | |
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