ISHS Acta Horticulturae 797: International Workshop on Greenhouse Environmental Control and Crop Production in Semi-Arid Regions
CLOSED GREENHOUSES FOR SEMI-ARID CLIMATES: CRITICAL DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE RESULTS OF THE WATERGY PROTOTYPE |
| Authors: | G. Zaragoza, M. Buchholz |
| Keywords: | closed greenhouse, water conservation, CO2 enrichment, anti-fog cover |
| Abstract:
The Watergy first prototype of a closed greenhouse minimizes the use of water and energy. It has been operating since autumn 2004 in the semi-arid region of El Ejido in Almerķa, Spain. A balance with the main conclusions from the evaluation of the prototype is presented. A healthy crop has been maintained inside the greenhouse during all seasons, improving the production with respect to traditional open greenhouses and achieving a drastic reduction of the water consumption (about 80%). One of the main challenges has been to keep the temperature below 35°C with its passive cooling system. Several strategies have been followed and the results are outlined. Another sensitive point has been the short durability of the anti-fog property of the plastic cover material. The implications of both aspects in further designs are discussed. | |
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