GREENHOUSE CROP MANAGEMENT: NEW APPROACHES TO AN OLD CHALLENGE

To match a changing scenario in terms of globalization, evolution of consumers expectations and increasing attention to environmental impact, the configuration of protected cultivations must be adapted to new and rapidly evolving requirements.
Therefore, being the crop the basic component of the greenhouse agro-system, it is necessary to improve its productivity and ability to use the available resources.
However, in the European protected horticulture, high product quality and low-external-inputs appear nowadays to be even more relevant objectives than crop yield.
Those aspects are particularly important for Mediterranean greenhouses where plants are often exposed to diverse abiotic stresses, including heat and salinity.
In this respect, resource-efficient crop management and renovated cultural practices should be promoted to improve greenhouse cultivation.
Some of the main issues on crop management and cultural practices are presented and discussed with respect to the Mediterranean greenhouse.
Attention is addressed to crop biological and technical aspects capable of increasing greenhouse production and sustainability.

International Symposium on Advanced Technologies and Management Towards Sustainable Greenhouse Ecosystems: Greensys2011

S. De Pascale, C. Leonardi

cultivar, seedling, light interception, pruning, training

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.952.43