Current trends in protected cultivation in Mediterranean climates

Hernández, Juan Antonio Fernández; Orsini, Francesco; Baeza, E.J.; Özteki̇n, Gölgen Bahar; Muñoz, Pere; Contreras, J.; Montero, J.I.

doi:10.17660/ejhs.2018/83.5.3

Cited by 41 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 83 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…As a consequence, higher yields at a reasonable production cost and high product quality can be attained in these systems [13,37]. Recently, the greenhouses production is increasingly carried out with machines as an "unmanned working model" in some soilless systems [38].…”

Section: Soilless Culture and Growing Media: Pros And Consmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Increasing Sustainability of Growing Media Constituents and Stand-Alone Substrates in Soilless Culture Systems

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Decreasing arable land, rising urbanization, water scarcity, and climate change exert pressure on agricultural producers. Moving from soil to soilless culture systems can improve water use efficiency, especially in closed-loop systems with a recirculating water/nutrient solution that recaptures the drain water for reuse. However, the question of alternative materials to peat and rockwool, as horticultural substrates, has become increasingly important, due to the despoiling of ecologically important peat bog areas and a pervasive waste problem. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive critical review of current developments in soilless culture, growing media, and future options of using different materials other than peat and rockwool. Apart from growing media properties and their performance from the point of view of plant production, economic and environmental factors are also important. Climate change, CO 2 emissions, and other ecological issues will determine and drive the development of soilless culture systems and the choice of growing media in the near future. Bioresources, e.g., treated and untreated waste, as well as renewable raw materials, have great potential to be used as growing media constituents and stand-alone substrates. A waste management strategy aimed at reducing, reusing, and recycling should be further and stronger applied in soilless culture systems. We concluded that the growing media of the future must be available, affordable, and sustainable and meet both quality and environmental requirements from growers and society, respectively.

show abstract

Section: Soilless Culture and Growing Media: Pros And Consmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nowadays, "vertical farming systems" in tower shapes have started to be applied. This system provides 10x more plants per unit area, a 50% reduction in the harvest period, water and fertilizer savings, clean production, and all year-round production [38].…”

Section: Soilless Culture and Growing Media: Pros And Consmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing Sustainability of Growing Media Constituents and Stand-Alone Substrates in Soilless Culture Systems

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, industrial agricultural activities also help to generate employment, contributing to economic growth and drive the services sector in industrial regions [34]. Therefore, greenhouse agriculture has expanded rapidly in many regions throughout the world in recent decades [35]. On the other hand, this type of agriculture is not exempt from limitations and disadvantages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, technological development provides the fundamental elements to take on these challenges and to contribute to achieving a greater sustainability in agriculture, both in terms of resource depletion and socio-economic and environmental dimensions [45,46]. The greenhouse industry is continually developing new strategies and technologies to resolve specific limitations of the crops, reducing any related environmental impact and adapting to the new market requirements [35]. Therefore, soilless crops [36]; the comprehensive control of the factors that constitute the microclimate inside the greenhouse [47,48]; the creation of vertical agroecosystems that can be located in urban environments [49]; the development of specific environmentally sustainable solutions for supplying greenhouse production with renewable energy [50,51]; the development of new materials and structures capable of optimising production [52,53]; etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis of Global Research Trends on Greenhouse Technology: Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

Aznar-Sánchez

Velasco-Muñoz

López-Felices

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Greenhouse farming is an agricultural management system that has demonstrated its efficiency in intensifying food production. These systems constitute a feasible alternative for ensuring food supply, which is one of the greatest challenges faced by humankind in the twenty-first century. Technology has been able to meet the challenges related to greenhouse farming in both contributing to overcoming its limitations, correcting adverse impacts and ensuring system sustainability. The objective of this article is to analyse the global research trends in greenhouse technology over the last two decades, in order to identify the main driving agents, the most outstanding research lines and possible gaps in the literature. Different methodologies have been used for the analysis; both quantitative and qualitative. The principal results show that there are different relevant lines of research related to different aspects of greenhouse farming: the use of water for irrigation, the design of the optimum structure of the greenhouse, conserving the soil in the best growing conditions, energy consumption of the system as a whole, climate control within the facility and pest control. The research is characterized by the being composed largely of ad hoc studies, which hinders the international collaboration between researchers and institutions. The research approach has shifted from being focused on increasing production and cost savings to aspects related to resource conservation and sustainability.

show abstract

“…Greenhouse production, or "protected cultivation," is on its rise throughout the world and is becoming an important system of food production [13]. Many novel aspects are being developed, which include better engineering and environmental control, crops, and cultivation techniques, water and nutrient management, and IPM [13]. Insect pest management in these controlled environments can greatly benefit from the application of DSS in environmental management and control of structure ventilation to reduce pest invasions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Integrated Decision Support System for Environmentally-Friendly Management of the Ethiopian Fruit Fly in Greenhouse Crops

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Ethiopian fruit fly (EFF), Dacus ciliatus, is a key, invasive pest of melons in the Middle East. We developed and implemented a novel decision support system (DSS) to manage this pest in a greenhouse environment in Southern Israel. Dacus ciliatus is commonly controlled in Israel with repeated calendar-sprayings (every 15 days) of pyrethroid pesticides. The current study compares the performance of a DSS against calendar-spraying management (CSM). DSS was based on EFF population monitoring and infestation. DSS took into consideration concerns and observations of expert managers and farmers. During 2014, EFF damage was concentrated in the spring melon production season. Fall and winter production did not show important damage. Damage during the spring of 2014 started to increase when average EFF/trap/day reached 0.3. This value was suggested as the threshold to implement pesticide spraying in DSS greenhouses. EFF/trap/day trends were derived from monitoring with conventional traps and a novel electronic remote sensing trap, developed by our group. CSM during the spring of 2015 included 3 EFF control sprays, while DSS-managed greenhouses were only sprayed once. At the end of the spring season, damage was slightly higher in DSS greenhouses (1.5%), but not significantly different to that found in CSM greenhouses (0.5%). Results support continuing DSS research and optimization to reduce/remove pesticide use against EFF in melon greenhouses. Interactions with farmers and managers is suggested as essential to increase adoption of DSS in agriculture.

show abstract

Current trends in protected cultivation in Mediterranean climates

Cited by 41 publications

References 83 publications

Increasing Sustainability of Growing Media Constituents and Stand-Alone Substrates in Soilless Culture Systems

Increasing Sustainability of Growing Media Constituents and Stand-Alone Substrates in Soilless Culture Systems

An Analysis of Global Research Trends on Greenhouse Technology: Towards a Sustainable Agriculture

An Integrated Decision Support System for Environmentally-Friendly Management of the Ethiopian Fruit Fly in Greenhouse Crops

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About