Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Low tunnels allow for a temporary pro-
tection of crops and have also developed
mainly in the Mediterranean area and in
Eastern Asia (Tables 1.1 and 1.2).
Direct covers, in the absence of a struc-
ture to support them, are a simple semi-
protection technique that is inexpensive and
effective. The area protected by direct cover
is relatively minor being limited to low
height crops, but is increasing (Table 1.1).
High tunnels, which comprise those
structures in which all crop-related work is
done inside them, are included in the green-
house group, because in fact they are a sim-
plified variant of greenhouses.
The greenhouse industry in the Medi-
terranean area (which includes all the Medi-
terranean coastal countries and Portugal)
covered 65,000 ha in 1987 (Nisen
et al
., 1988),
leading the world, while in 2006 it had
exceeded 200,000 ha (Table 1.2) mainly in
greenhouses covered with plastics (Photo 1.8).
Plastic greenhouses in countries like Spain
represent nearly 99% of the total greenhouse
area (Photo 1.9), estimated at 53,843 ha in
2005 (Table 1.2), which was double the area
that existed a decade earlier (Castilla, 1991).
Table 1.2.
Global distribution of greenhouses
and low tunnels in the Mediterranean area (2006)
(adapted from Castilla, 2002; Jouet, 2004;
Castilla and Hernández, 2005; Schnitzler
et al
.,
2007).
Greenhouses
(ha)
Low tunnels
(ha)
Spain
53,843
13,055
Italy
42,800
30,000
Turkey
30,669
17,055
France
11,500
15,000
Morocco
11,310
3,770
egypt
9,437
25,000
Israel
6,650
15,000
Algeria
6,000
200
Former Yugoslavia
5,040
-
Greece
5,000
4,500
Syria
4,372
50
Lebanon
4,000
700
Libia
3,000
-
Portugal
2,700
100
Jordan
1,989
718
Tunisia
1,579
7,316
Albania
415
-
Cyprus
280
280
Malta
55
102
Total
200,639
132,846
Photo 1.8.
The Mediterranean area; the distribution of greenhouses has increased in this area during
the last few decades.
