THE EFFECTS OF HUMIDITY ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF GLASSHOUSE CUCUMBERS, TOMATOES AND SWEET PEPPERS

The effects of day and night humidity on growth and production of autumn and spring grown cucumbers, tomatoes and sweet peppers were investigated in a series of glasshouse experiments.
With cucumber vegetative growth was enhanced by either high day or night humidity.
A significant correlation was found between vapour pressure deficit by day and final yield.

Final yield of tomatoes was increased by low humidity by night or 24-h average.
Calcium deficiency in leaves of cucumber and tomato was closely correlated to 24-h average humidity.

No significant correlation was found between final yield of sweet pepper and vapour pressure deficit by day, by night or 24-h average.
Vegetative growth of sweet pepper was also not significantly affected by environmental humidity.

Fruit quality of all three crops was reduced by high 24-h average humidities.

Symposium on Biological Aspects of Energy Saving in Protected Cultivation

J.C. Bakker

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1988.229.13