INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT PLASTIC FILMS ON THE MICROCLIMATE AND BEHAVIOUR OF SWEET PEPPER UNDER PROTECTED CULTIVATION

Comparison of PE, PEIR and EVA covering materials during the second year of utilization with a second year PE combinated with a mobile thermal screen of black PE indicated that the highest minimum air and soil temperatures were obtained under PE film in combination with a mobile black PE thermal screen.
PEIR film and EVA performed better than PE but PEIR approached the most the results obtained under PE with thermal screen.

On the point of view of maximum air and soil temperatures best results were obtained under EVA and this because of the higher maximum temperatures during the winterperiod and the lower maximum temperatures during the spring.

Plant growth, flowering and early fruitset was in general the best under EVA. EVA and PE combinated with a mobile thermal screen performed the best early and total yields.
Separation of the 4 greenhouses by means of a discrimant analysis upon leaf dimensions and surfaces was possible.
EVA and PE with thermoscreen gave the biggest leaf surface, and this can be related to the higher minimum temperatures, while PE and PEIR produced the most elongated leaves and this seems to be the result of the lower luminosity.

II International Symposium on Plastics in Mediterranean Countries

H. KNANI

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.154.19