Articles
Higher yield or better quality? The effects of aerial part and root zone temperatures on greenhouse vegetables are different – a mini review
Article number
1437_13
Pages
95 – 102
Language
English
Abstract
Greenhouses are built to create appropriate environmental conditions for vegetable growth, preventing them from heat or cold stress to obtain higher yields.
Growers also control the temperature conditions in greenhouses to achieve higher quality of vegetables by using many techniques.
However, there is a saying that an optimum environment leads to higher yields, while a little stress results in better quality.
Therefore, growers should be concerned about whether the optimum temperatures for the highest yield or the best quality of greenhouse vegetables are the same.
We reviewed 40 observations in 27 peer-reviewed papers with both yield and quality results of greenhouse vegetables under different temperature treatments.
The results showed that both aerial part and root zone temperatures significantly impacted the yield and quality of greenhouse vegetables.
Interestingly, the majority of observations (14 in 20) showed that the optimum aerial part temperatures for the highest yield and best quality of greenhouse vegetables differed.
In contrast, the minority (1 in 20) showed they were the same.
On the other hand, the majority of observations (11 in 20) showed the optimum root zone temperatures for the highest yield and best quality were the same, while the minority (4 in 20) showed they differed.
The possible reason was that the suitable aerial part temperature led to a higher yield, while a suboptimal aerial part temperature (mild chilling or heating stress) improved the synthesis of some secondary metabolites for higher-quality vegetables.
The suitable root zone temperatures facilitated the absorption of both water and mineral nutrients by vegetables and increased the photosynthetic rate, which promoted both the yield and quality synchronously.
Growers also control the temperature conditions in greenhouses to achieve higher quality of vegetables by using many techniques.
However, there is a saying that an optimum environment leads to higher yields, while a little stress results in better quality.
Therefore, growers should be concerned about whether the optimum temperatures for the highest yield or the best quality of greenhouse vegetables are the same.
We reviewed 40 observations in 27 peer-reviewed papers with both yield and quality results of greenhouse vegetables under different temperature treatments.
The results showed that both aerial part and root zone temperatures significantly impacted the yield and quality of greenhouse vegetables.
Interestingly, the majority of observations (14 in 20) showed that the optimum aerial part temperatures for the highest yield and best quality of greenhouse vegetables differed.
In contrast, the minority (1 in 20) showed they were the same.
On the other hand, the majority of observations (11 in 20) showed the optimum root zone temperatures for the highest yield and best quality were the same, while the minority (4 in 20) showed they differed.
The possible reason was that the suitable aerial part temperature led to a higher yield, while a suboptimal aerial part temperature (mild chilling or heating stress) improved the synthesis of some secondary metabolites for higher-quality vegetables.
The suitable root zone temperatures facilitated the absorption of both water and mineral nutrients by vegetables and increased the photosynthetic rate, which promoted both the yield and quality synchronously.
Publication
Authors
Xiaoquan An, N.S. Gruda, Yanning Liu, Zengqiang Duan, Xun Li
Keywords
ascorbic acid, mineral nutrients, soluble solid, titratable acidity, sugar
Online Articles (57)