Articles
Modelling the effect of a white marble gravel mulch on the energy balance inside a Mediterranean naturally ventilated greenhouse with a tomato crop
Article number
1425_26
Pages
199 – 206
Language
English
Abstract
The use of soil mulching is an agricultural technique used for hundreds of years with the objective of reducing soil evaporation and heat loss at night.
The reflection of solar radiation that reaches the ground depend on the type of mulching, affecting both energy balances in air and on plants.
In winter, when the aim is to increase the temperature of the greenhouse, black mulches are suitable while in summer white mulches are used to reduce heat absorption in the soil.
However, the use of plastic mulches with high reflective power can produce negative effects on pollinating insects or cause burns on fruits or leaves.
In order to reduce the solar radiation absorbed by the soil and avoid the reflection of direct radiation, in September 2022 a white marble gravel mulch was installed in the western sector of a multispan greenhouse in Almería (Spain). In the east sector, a black polypropylene plastic mulching was maintained.
The increase of solar radiation reflection, from the 11% produced with the plastic black mulching to the 44% obtained with the marble mulching, allowed reducing a 10% the net radiation at 2 m height.
As consequence, the PAR radiation was increase at the level of the tomato leaves while maintaining the same temperature of the air and the plants.
In this work the different components of the energy balances of greenhouse and plants were analyzed.
The model used allows predicting the air temperature for a week within the sectors with white marble and black plastic mulching with an average error of 10% and R2>0.91. The model also allows us to predict that the use of marble mulching would permit to eliminate the whitewashing of the roof, increasing inside radiation by 38%, maintaining the same temperature as with the black plastic mulching and the cover whitewashing.
The reflection of solar radiation that reaches the ground depend on the type of mulching, affecting both energy balances in air and on plants.
In winter, when the aim is to increase the temperature of the greenhouse, black mulches are suitable while in summer white mulches are used to reduce heat absorption in the soil.
However, the use of plastic mulches with high reflective power can produce negative effects on pollinating insects or cause burns on fruits or leaves.
In order to reduce the solar radiation absorbed by the soil and avoid the reflection of direct radiation, in September 2022 a white marble gravel mulch was installed in the western sector of a multispan greenhouse in Almería (Spain). In the east sector, a black polypropylene plastic mulching was maintained.
The increase of solar radiation reflection, from the 11% produced with the plastic black mulching to the 44% obtained with the marble mulching, allowed reducing a 10% the net radiation at 2 m height.
As consequence, the PAR radiation was increase at the level of the tomato leaves while maintaining the same temperature of the air and the plants.
In this work the different components of the energy balances of greenhouse and plants were analyzed.
The model used allows predicting the air temperature for a week within the sectors with white marble and black plastic mulching with an average error of 10% and R2>0.91. The model also allows us to predict that the use of marble mulching would permit to eliminate the whitewashing of the roof, increasing inside radiation by 38%, maintaining the same temperature as with the black plastic mulching and the cover whitewashing.
Authors
F.D. Molina-Aiz, M.N. Honoré, H. Fatnassi, D.L. Valera-Martínez, A. López-Martínez, M.A. Moreno-Teruel
Keywords
white marble gravel mulch, canopy growth, heat transport, radiation transfer, tomato crop
Groups involved
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Working Group Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
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