Abstract
The effect of blocking the ultraviolet (UV) solar radiation using a UV-absorbing low density polyethylene (PE) film on tomato crop yield and fruit quality was evaluated in a two-year study in two arched roof greenhouses located in Central Greece. The UV-A and UV-B radiation transmission values of the greenhouse covered by the UV-absorbing PE film during the first year were 0.4% and 1.2%, respectively and increased to 0.8% and 1.3% in the 2nd year, while the respective values in the greenhouse covered by a traditional PE film were 20.7% and 12.5% during the 1st year and 28.7% and 26.7% during the 2nd year. Under the UV-absorbing film the number of insect injured fruit was reduced and the marketable yield was similar or higher than that under the common PE film, while fruit quality characteristics (size, shape), nutritional value (ascorbic acid and lycopene) and organoleptic quality (pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids) were similar under both covering materials. Moreover, the reduction of incoming UV radiation had an appreciable effect on fruit skin color, indicating an effect on pigments other than lycopene.
Highlights
Greenhouses create an ideal environment for crop and for pest and disease development
The aim of this work was to study the effects of UV-absorbing greenhouse covering films on fruit yield and quality characteristics of a common tomato cultivar
The values changed during the replicate experimental period of 2004 to 73.0%, 28.7% and 26.7% in the common polyethylene (C-PE) greenhouse and to 72.7%, 0.8% and 1.3% in the UV-PE greenhouse
Summary
Greenhouses create an ideal environment for crop and for pest and disease development. Many growers use insect proof screen use, placing them in the ventilators. Screening reduces ventilation (Katsoulas et al, 2006; Teitel, 2007) making the high internal temperature of Mediterranean greenhouses during summer even worse. A complement to using insect screens is the use of a UV-absorbing film for greenhouse covering, which creates a light environment unfavourable to harmful insects. UV-absorbing films do block insect pests and reduce spread of insect-borne viruses (Raviv & Antignus, 2004). UV-absorbing films can reduce crop diseases caused by a range of fungi that use UV as an environmental cue for sporulation (Nigel et al, 2005)
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