ISHS Acta Horticulturae 747: VIII International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates: Advances in Soil and Soilless Cultivation under Protected Environment
COMPARISON OF TWO MEDITERRANEAN GREENHOUSES |
| Authors: | O. Hita, I. Romacho, T. Soriano, M.I. Morales, I. Escobar, E. Suárez-Rey, J. Hernández, N. Castilla |
| Keywords: | plastic-house, multispan, climate control, heating, ventilation |
| Abstract:
The globalisation of the markets has increased the competitiveness, highlighting the need for increased quality of greenhouse produce, through better climate control in Mediterranean greenhouses. The adoption of better-equipped greenhouses involves higher investments as well as increased production expenses and agronomic performances, being necessary to find a compromise between them. A study comparing two Mediterranean greenhouse “technological packets” was conducted in the Granada coast (south of Spain) along two campaigns, with cherry tomatoes in soilless culture. The first greenhouse (A) was an improved low-cost multispan structure (“parral” type of higher roof slope) with passive ventilation (lateral and roof vents), equipped with hot air heating system, while the other (B) was an arch shaped multispan, with passive (lateral and roof vents) and mechanical ventilation, shading-thermal screen and hot water heating system. In the first cycle, with irregularly high winter temperatures, greenhouse B enlarged the cropping cycle around one month and yielded 0.48 kg m-2 more commercial tomatoes. The second cycle was characterised by low winter temperatures and greenhouse B reached 0.90 kg m-2 more than greenhouse A. In both cycles, these yield differences were not statistically significant (P=0.05). | |
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