Articles
Use of ‘double roof’ with photoconversion films to improve yield and photosynthetic activity in Mediterranean greenhouses
Article number
1426_52
Pages
373 – 380
Language
English
Abstract
Enhancing the sunlight spectrum can increase crop photosynthesis and yields, reduce pests and diseases incidence.
The French company CASCADE developed the ‘LIGHT CASCADE®’ (LC®) technology that shifts and adapts the sunlight spectrum closer to plant needs.
LC® technology dispersed into plastic foils absorbs UV and green wavelengths in the sunlight spectrum and reemits into respectively blue (400-500 nm) and red (600-700 nm) wavelengths.
The aim of this work was to analyse the effect on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) crop of two sunlight spectrum photoconversion films used as double roof inside greenhouses.
The effect on photosynthesis and yield was analysed in 2 fertigation modalities (standard and 25% reduced). The trial was carried out during autumn-winter 2020 season in two multispan greenhouses located in Almería (Spain). Every greenhouse was divided in four parts, two with a double roof with blue (greenhouse 1) and pink photoconversion LC® films (greenhouse 2) and two with a double roof with standard colourless film.
In greenhouse 1, photosynthetic activity measured in plant leaves was 2.7% higher under the blue photoconversion LC® double roof (12.6 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1) compared to the standard film (12.2 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1). In the case of greenhouse 2, photosynthetic activity was 3.8% higher in plants with double roof with pink photoconversion LC® double roof (13.3 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1) compared to the standard colourless film (12.8 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1). Cumulative marketable yield of the cucumber crop increased by 0.36 kg m‑2 (5.3%) with the blue film and 0.25 kg m‑2 (3.0%) with the pink spectrum photoconversion film in classic fertigation.
For the treatment with a 25% of reduction in fertigation, the increase in marketable production was 0.08 kg m‑2 (1.2%) with the blue spectrum photoconversion film and 0.42 kg m‑2 (5.1%) with the pink film, compared with the standard colourless film.
The French company CASCADE developed the ‘LIGHT CASCADE®’ (LC®) technology that shifts and adapts the sunlight spectrum closer to plant needs.
LC® technology dispersed into plastic foils absorbs UV and green wavelengths in the sunlight spectrum and reemits into respectively blue (400-500 nm) and red (600-700 nm) wavelengths.
The aim of this work was to analyse the effect on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) crop of two sunlight spectrum photoconversion films used as double roof inside greenhouses.
The effect on photosynthesis and yield was analysed in 2 fertigation modalities (standard and 25% reduced). The trial was carried out during autumn-winter 2020 season in two multispan greenhouses located in Almería (Spain). Every greenhouse was divided in four parts, two with a double roof with blue (greenhouse 1) and pink photoconversion LC® films (greenhouse 2) and two with a double roof with standard colourless film.
In greenhouse 1, photosynthetic activity measured in plant leaves was 2.7% higher under the blue photoconversion LC® double roof (12.6 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1) compared to the standard film (12.2 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1). In the case of greenhouse 2, photosynthetic activity was 3.8% higher in plants with double roof with pink photoconversion LC® double roof (13.3 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1) compared to the standard colourless film (12.8 μmol CO2 m‑2 s‑1). Cumulative marketable yield of the cucumber crop increased by 0.36 kg m‑2 (5.3%) with the blue film and 0.25 kg m‑2 (3.0%) with the pink spectrum photoconversion film in classic fertigation.
For the treatment with a 25% of reduction in fertigation, the increase in marketable production was 0.08 kg m‑2 (1.2%) with the blue spectrum photoconversion film and 0.42 kg m‑2 (5.1%) with the pink film, compared with the standard colourless film.
Publication
Authors
M.A. Moreno-Teruel, F.D. Molina-Aiz, K. Proost, F. Peilleron, A. López-Martínez, D.L. Valera
Keywords
protected crop, market production, photosynthesis, spectrum conversion film, cucumber
Groups involved
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Working Group Nettings in Horticulture (subgroup of Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates)
- Working Group Light in Horticulture
- Working Group Organic Greenhouse Horticulture
- Working Group Vegetable Grafting
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Working Group Protected Cultivation, Nettings and Screens for Mild Climates
- Working Group Computational Fluid Dynamics in Agriculture
- Working Group Design and Automation in Integrated Indoor Production Systems
- Working Group Mechanization, Digitization, Sensing and Robotics
- Working Group Greenhouse Environment and Climate Control
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Working Group Vertical Farming
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