Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 10
Protected Crops
Nazim Gruda and Josef Tanny
Abstract
The increasing demand by world markets for high quality products has
lead more and more agricultural/horticultural crop production systems to protected
environments. Covering the crop allows regulation of macro and micro-environ-
ments, which facilitates optimal plant performance, extension of the production
duration, induction of earliness, and obtaining higher and better quality yields.
A spectrum of covered structures is used by growers, depending on the crop, the
climatic region and the anticipated benefit. These structures can be generally
classified as either screen construction or greenhouse. This chapter comprehen-
sively discusses the effects of the most common types of structures on the major
environmental variables: radiation, temperature, humidity, air velocity, ventilation,
and carbon dioxide concentration, as well as the effects of these climate modifica-
tions on the various crop attributes such as plant growth and development, water
and fertilizer supply, and some cultural practices. Moreover, the chapter outlines
the objective, measurable aspects that relate to external and internal product qual-
ity that are under the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Finally, some rec-
ommendations concerning optimization management in protected cultivations are
highlighted, in order to achieve high yields and high quality horticultural products,
on time delivery, and energy saving at minimal expense.
Keywords
Evapotranspiration
·
Greenhouse
·
Climate conditions
·
Cultural
practices
·
Photosynthesis
·
Product quality
·
Soilless culture
·
Screenhouse
·
Transpiration
