HEATING STRATEGIES FOR AN EGGPLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA L.) CROP ON MEDITERRANEAN GREENHOUSES

Horticulture greenhouse production in the Mediterranean area is based on the use simple low-cost structures with a very limited climate control.
During the autumn-spring cycle, low temperatures reduce yield and quality of the different crops.
Heating systems allow an increase of both, but the fuel consumption makes difficult its justification, thus it is necessary to evaluate them for local climate conditions.
The goal of this work was to study the productivity of an eggplant crop in three multispan type greenhouses under three heating treatments, which levels were: minimum night air temperature of 12°C, 16°C and 20°C, with a minimum diurnal air temperature of 20°C for all of them.
Marketable yields for the whole cycle (204 days) were 13.5, 11.8 and 11.6 kg m^-2, for 12, 16 and 20°C, respectively.
Fuel consumption (propane) was 8.4 kg m^-2, 11.8 kg m^-2 and 18.2 kg m^-2, for 12, 16 and 20°C, respectively.
Therefore, the treatment with a minimum night temperature of 12°C, achieved the highest yield and the lowest fuel consumption for an eggplant greenhouse crop.
These results can be explained in the view of the fact that higher night temperatures modify distribution of assimilates, thus stimulating a higher vegetative growth.

International Symposium on High Technology for Greenhouse System Management: Greensys2007

J.C. López, C. Pérez, J.J. Pérez-Parra, E.J. Baeza, J.C. Gázquez, A. Parra

Solanum melongena L., multispan, pipe heating, Almería

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.801.129