A simple climagraph for characterizing regional suitability for greenhouse cropping in Greece

Abstract

A Flimatic analysis is presented for the rational development of crops under cover in Greece. From the climatic requirements of thermophile species commonly grown in greenhouses in Greece, we have characterised the corresponding outside climate requirements and constructed the climagraphs for different regions of Greece. These graphs combine the average monthly minimum and maximum air temperatures versus the corresponding global irradiance and allows delimiting the appropriate climatic periods for cultivation of thermophile species, with and without air conditioning. These climagraphs may be used for the primary assessment of suitability for the development of crops under cover in a given area. From its application over different regions in Greece it can be concluded that: (1) natural ventilation is insufficient from May to September over the whole of the country; (2) summer greenhouse crops can only be grown in Crete without evaporative cooling where dynamic ventilation and shading are sufficient; (3) winter cultivation in unheated greenhouses is only possible in Crete and (4) spring cropping under cover would be the principal use of greenhouses with autumn cultivation envisioned as a merely complementary cropping season.