INFLUENCE OF THERMAL SCREEN MANAGEMENT ON YIELD, QUALITY AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF A SOILLESS TOMATO CULTURE

To save energy in glasshouse culture, one possibility is to use thermal or shading screens during the night but also during the day.
The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of different thermal screen managements on yield, quality and energy consumption of a soilless tomato crop.
The study was performed in two similar greenhouses each with an area of 358 m², located in Switzerland.
The greenhouses had two screens: a thermal screen (SLS 10 Ultra Plus by Svensson) and an aluminised screen (shading screen, XLS 15 by Svensson). In one greenhouse, the shading screen was removed half an hour after sunrise, and the thermal screen one hour after sunrise if the outside temperature was higher than 5°C and if the light intensity was higher than 3 klux, if not it remained closed (Test management). In the other, the screens were opened at sunrise (Control). Tomatoes ‘Climberley’, ‘Plaisance’ and ‘Komeet’ were planted on February 12^th in a coco substrate. The delayed opening of the screens started one week after planting.
The test management gave an energy saving of 23%. No significant incidence on yield or on analytical quality of the tomatoes was noted.
This result confirms that screen management can provide energy saving without negative impacts on the amount and quality of the yield.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Greenhouse 2010 and Soilless Cultivation

C. Gilli

energy saving, glasshouse, tomato production, outside temperature

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.927.87