Plastic Film Greenhouse Research Articles

The Development of Wide-span Plastic Film Greenhouse for Strawberry Seedling Cultivation

The Development of Wide-span Plastic Film Greenhouse for Strawberry Seedling Cultivation

Experimental study for the reproduction of particulate matter deposition on greenhouse plastic films

Atmospheric particulate concentrations have been increasing due to secondary particle emissions and climate change. The resulting particulate matter (PM) deposition may decrease the amount of sunlight reaching crops in greenhouses by reducing the light transmittance (LT) performance of the covering film. To determine the cause of this decrease in LT, indoor and outdoor experiments were performed. The indoor experiment comprised exposure to various PM and deposition types (i.e., wet and dry conditions), while the outdoor experiment comprised exposure to a natural environment while testing different film installation methods. These results showed that the decrease in LT through greenhouse films was related to PM conditions. Wet deposition of the ion component of PM caused a greater drop in LT than dry deposition . Additionally, the installation film angle, exposure period, and rainfall exposure of the greenhouse-covering material all significantly affected LT. The decreased LT in the indoor PM-generation experiment was similar to when films were exposed to natural conditions for more than 12 months. These results could assist the farmers in predicting covering materials LT decrease caused by PM and in strategically managing the plastic films of their greenhouses. • The effect of PM on light transmittance (LT) degradation in greenhouses was studied. • Rainfall washes away the deposited particulate matter and helps to restore LT. • The wet deposition of ion components significantly decreased the LT of film. • The outdoor LT decrease was analysed for installation angle, duration, and rainfall. • Decrease in LT in the indoor experiment was similar to that under natural conditions.

Plastics derived from disposable greenhouse plastic films and irrigation pipes in agricultural soils: a case study from Turkey.

Plastics are ubiquitous. It has been used in human activities, from agriculture to packaging, infrastructure, and health. The wide range of usage makes plastics an omnipresent pollutant in the environment. This study investigated the abundance and type of plastics in agricultural soil in the Adana/Karataş region in Turkey, where disposable low-tunnel greenhouse plastic films and irrigation pipes were in use. For this purpose, 1 kg of soil samples from the top 5 cm (from the surface) was taken from 10 different sampling locations. An average of 16.5 ± 2.4 pcs/kg was found in the soil samples. The highest amount of plastics was seen at the Bahçe-4 location with 39.7 ± 12 pcs/kg and the lowest amount of plastics at the Karataş-1 location with 0.7 ± 0.3 pcs/kg. The average size of plastics was found to be 18.2 ± 1.3 mm. The average size of plastics originating from greenhouse cover was 18.9 ± 1.4 mm, and from disposable irrigation pipes was 12.5 ± 3.5 mm. It was determined that 41.9% of extracted plastics were microplastics, 36.3% were mesoplastics, 16.3% were macroplastics, and 5.6% were megaplastics. Results indicated that residual plastics decreased in the soil where used plastics were removed after usage. As a result, it is worth noting that a significant amount of plastics remain in soil due to plastics being used in agricultural areas.

Energy from greenhouse plastic films

Greenhouses are occupying worldwide vast cultivated land for plantation. The polymer film covered on most greenhouses is exactly a ready-made triboelectrification layer for Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG). However, so far, such a huge area of polymer film is still underutilized. Generally, the larger area of the triboelectric film, the better performance of TENG output. Therefore, a new concept of Greenhouse Energy is proposed, which refers to various effective energy directly or indirectly generated by means of greenhouse film. As a typical example of Greenhouse Energy, a model greenhouse based on TENG with transparent electrodes and triboelectric layers is demonstrated. The technologies of charge pumping and switch circuit are adopted to improve the output performance. As a demonstration, the commercial temperature and humidity sensors could be powered for about 20 s after capacitors charged for 500 s. The output power density reaches 3.06 mW/m2. As a reasonable deduction, if a real greenhouse with tens of square meter is constructed in the same way, it will become a promising distributed power source for powering devices such as sensors, controllers, lights, irrigation system in intelligent agriculture. This work aims to pave the way for the application of TENG in the field of agriculture and to provide a new possibility for intelligent greenhouses. Starting from agricultural field, Greenhouse Energy will collaborate with Blue Energy further complementing the new distributed energy system.

Influence of Excessively High Temperatures on the Fruit Growth and Physicochemical Properties of Shiranuhi Mandarin in Plastic-Film Greenhouse Cultivation.

Excessively high temperatures frequently occur between spring and late fall because of global warming. These problems have a negative effect on fruit production capacity and actual production. However, there is a lack of information on the effects of excessively high temperatures (exceeding the optimum range) on the growth of citrus fruits. Thus, the objective of this present study was to determine the effects of excessively high temperatures on Shiranuhi mandarin fruit growth, physiological characteristics, amino acid contents, and antioxidant activity. In this study, five different high-temperature treatments were applied: normal atmospheric temperature (Con), Con + 4 °C during the day (D4), Con + 8 °C during the day (D8), Con + 4 °C during the night (N4), and Con + 4 °C during the day and night (DN4). The total soluble sugar contents were lowest in D8, and the acid content under DN4 was significantly lower than that under Con. Rising temperature during the day or night affected the colouration of the rind, and the free sugar composition ratio under D8 was lower than those under the other treatments. The total amino acid content tended to increase with increasing temperature during the day. The total flavonoid and total phenolic contents in the peel were significantly higher under Con and N4 than the other treatments and in the pulp under Con.

Comparative Analysis on Facility, Environment, Growth of Cut Flower, and Management Performance in Conventional and Smart Farm of <i>Chrysanthemum</i> ‘Baekma’

We analyzed and compared the facility status, cultivation environment, growth of flowers, and management performance of a conventional farm and a smart farm in which Chrysanthemum ‘Baekma’ was grown. The conventional farm consisted of cultivation with soil culture in a plastic film greenhouse, whereas the smart farm consisted of hydroponic cultivation in a glass greenhouse. The smart farm was equipped with sensors for measuring solar radiation, temperature, humidity, CO2, wind speed, rainfall, and pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution, and was managed in real time using computers and mobile phone applications. In contrast, the conventional farm had neither sensors for environmental measurement nor pH and EC sensors for fertigation, and all systems were operated manually. The day and night temperatures in the plastic film house of the conventional farm were lower than the optimum growth temperature of Chrysanthemum ‘Baekma’. The soil EC of the conventional farm was found to be high (3.2 dS･m-1) indicating that it was not suitable for the growth of cut flowers, whereas the smart farm was properly managed at 1.1 dS･m-1. With respect to the cultivation method, no soil disinfection was performed at the conventional farm, whereas disinfection using hydrogen peroxide was performed at the smart farm. Although there were no other significant differences in cultivation methods, symptoms of damage by mites were seen at the conventional farm. The plant growth, such as length of cut flowers, flower diameter, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content were improved in the smart farm compared with the conventional farm. In terms of management performance (based on an area of 1,000 m2), the net income was -419,000 won for the conventional farm and 4,484,000 won for the smart farm, and the yield and sales price were 22% and 52% higher in smart farm than in the conventional farm, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the differences in the plant growth as well as management performance can be attributed to precise plant growth regulation by the automated facilities at the smart farm.

Occurrence, health risks and soil-air exchange of phthalate acid esters: A case study in plastic film greenhouses of Chongqing, China

The residue of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in plastic film greenhouses had become a global concern environmental pollution problem. However, few studies have focused on the occurrence and fate of PAEs in the soil-air interface of the greenhouses. In this study, the occurrence, health risks, and soil-air exchange of PAEs from ten soil samples and four air samples of different greenhouses were investigated by a case study. The concentrations of total PAEs and individual PAEs congeners between two seasons were significantly different in the greenhouse soil and atmosphere. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (1.04 mg kg−1) and diisobutyl phthalate (0.16 mg kg−1) were the predominant PAE congeners of soil in spring and autumn, respectively. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was the major PAE congeners in the greenhouse atmosphere both of spring (0.03 μg m−3) and autumn (1.32 μg m−3). Health risks assessment showed that the predominant exposure route for adults was dietary intake, and the total carcinogenic risk level of PAEs was acceptable. Besides, fugacity model analysis indicated that di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate tended to deposit from air to soil with mean deposition flux of 175.1 kg (h⋅km2)−1 in autumn and 11.9 kg (h⋅km2)−1 in spring. On the contrary, diethyl phthalate escaped from soil with mean volatilization flux of 0.005 kg (h⋅km2)−1 in autumn and 0.025 kg (h⋅km2)−1 in spring. Other PAE congeners have tried to establish an equilibrium status through recycling continuously between the soil and air, and the source-sink relationships depended on their concentrations and hydrophobicity. This study showed that the distribution and movement of PAEs in the soil-air interface might be principally caused by temperature and their chemical properties.

Presence, distribution and risk assessment of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in suburban plastic film pepper-growing greenhouses with different service life.

The widespread usage of plastic film increased the content of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in the environment, causing PAE residue in vegetables and subsequently increasing health risks to humans when consuming them. In this work, the presence, distribution and risk assessment of 15 PAEs in soils and peppers from suburban plastic film pepper-growing greenhouses were investigated. The total PAE contents in soil and pepper samples ranged from 320.1 to 971.2μg/kg (586.3μg/kg on average) and from 196.6 to 304.2μg/kg (245.4μg/kg on average), respectively. Di (2-ethyl)hexyl, dibutyl and diisobutyl phthalates (DEHP, DnBP and DiBP, respectively) were the most abundant in both soil and pepper samples. Specifically, DEHP showed the highest content in soils, while the DnBP content was the highest in peppers. The total PAE content in soils from pepper-greenhouses was much lower than in the agricultural soils mulched with plastic films, but significantly higher than in the agricultural soils from open uncovered fields. The total PAE content in peppers decreased as the service life of plastic film greenhouses increased. Correlation analysis suggested that the difference in distribution and accumulation behaviors of individual PAEs in greenhouse systems was correlated with their physicochemical properties. The non-cancer and carcinogenic risks of priority PAEs show low risks of PAEs detected in pepper and soil samples from the suburban plastic film greenhouses to human health.

Ventilation modes and greenhouse structures affect 222Rn concentration in greenhouses in China

The influences of ventilation modes and greenhouse structures on radon concentrations in single- and multi-span plastic film greenhouses were studied to find effective engineering measures for controlling indoor radon by numerical simulation. The plants and mulch on ground, and sealing conditions had been considered to ensure the accuracy of simulation. Ventilation mode obviously influenced the indoor radon concentration and distribution, while the ventilation wind speed and structural form exerted no clear influence. Mechanical ventilation could reduce radon concentration to a greater extent than natural ventilation, and side-face ventilation was superior to end-face ventilation.

Mycobiota of asparagus vigna seeds (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) on the south of Western Siberia

Composition of seed mycobiota of 87 accessions of asparagus vigna (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) from the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and the Bioresource Scientific Collection of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden (CSBG SB RAS) UNU No.USU 440534 have been investigated on 2018-2019. Seeds of accessions were grown on the south of Western Siberia (54 ° N lat. 83 ° E) in the unheated plastic film greenhouse and examined for fungal microbiota in the Central Siberian Botanical Garden and Novosibirsk State Agrarian University (Novosibirsk). The seed infestation of micromycetes was determined according to GOST 12044-93 (similar to common beans) using the methods of mycological analysis and the Petri dish moist chambers, also on Chapek and KDA media. The following pathogens were assigned to the permanent inhabitants of mycocenosis of asparagus vigna seeds: Fusarium spp., Mucor mucedo, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., Aspergillus niger, to the occasional – Alternaria spp. Botritis sinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum occur moderately and intermittently in the samples of vigna seeds.The highest frequency of occurrence and infestation of asparagus vigna seeds were found for Aspergillus niger (min-max: 30-100% and 0-100%, respectively), the minimum for Alternaria spp. (0-10%).

Catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of waste greenhouse plastic films and rice husk using hierarchical micro-mesoporous composite molecular sieve

Catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of waste greenhouse plastic films and rice husk over a hierarchical HZSM-5/MCM-41 catalyst was performed in an analytical Py-GC/MS. We evaluated the effect of pyrolysis temperature and the ratio of rice husk to waste greenhouse plastic films on the total peak area of condensable organic products and CO2. In order to evaluate synergy possibilities among the two feedstocks, we performed non-catalytic pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis of rice husk and waste greenhouse plastic films separately. In addition, we report results for the catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of the mixture rice husk and waste greenhouse plastic films. The maximum relative content of hydrocarbons from catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of rice husk and waste greenhouse plastic films is obtained at 600 °C. When the mass ratio of rice husk to waste greenhouse plastic films is 1:1.5, the relative content of hydrocarbons reaches a maximum (71.1%). The hierarchical micro-mesoporous composite molecular sieve used in this work has outstanding catalytic activity and increases the relative content of hydrocarbons.

Carbon footprint and economic efficiency of urban agriculture in Beijing——a comparative case study of conventional and home-delivery agriculture

Within the context of climate change and population growth, the development of urban agriculture is of great environmental and economic significance in rapidly urbanizing China. Based on the primary survey data, this paper evaluated the carbon footprint (CF) and economic efficiency of urban agriculture in Beijing (China) using the life cycle assessment method (from cradle to consumption approach). Two cases were analyzed and compared considering their differences in on-farm cultivation and off-farm supply chains: a conventional small householder farm that sells its vegetables directly to consumers in a local market, and a large home-delivery agriculture (HDA) initiative that delivers its vegetables to the consumers’ home directly. Both cases were equipped with greenhouses with plastic covering but no heating system. The CF of the production, transportation and distribution of 1 kg fresh vegetables was estimated at 0.318 kg CO2-eq kg−1 and 0.624–0.652 kg CO2-eq kg−1 for conventional and HDA initiative farm, respectively. However, the HDA initiative showed a better environmental performance than the conventional operation when taking economic efficiency into consideration. The CF per unit of profit of HDA initiative (0.093–0.097 kg CO2-eq per CNY) was lower than conventional farm (0.111 kg CO2-eq per CNY). The lower CF per unit of product weight of the conventional farm was largely attributed to the high yield and the lower CF per unit of profit of the HDA initiative was mainly due to the outstanding economic profitability through income optimization. The major hotspots of CF in both cases were greenhouse plastic films in the cultivation phase (from cradle to farm gate) and transportation in the supply chain (from farm gate to consumption). Simulation of a switch to biodiesel instead of gasoline and diesel in combination with the replacement of current fossil-fuel-dominated electricity by hydro-powered electricity resulted in 20.0–21.8% reduction in the total CF. By identifying the CF hotspots of two farm cases, particular inputs and activities can be targeted for adjustment in order to effectively reduce the CF of urban agriculture in Beijing.

FUNGAL DISEASES OF ASPARAGUS VIGNA IN THE SOUTH OF WESTERN SIBERIA

Increasing popularity of asparagus bean (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) − a new for Russia vegetable crop requires comprehensive study including resistance to biotic environmental factors. Composition of pathogens of germinating seeds, plants (roots, leaves, stems, fruits) of large collection of asparagus bean from the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and the Bioresource Scientific Collection of the CSBG SB RAS UNU No. USU 440534 have been investigated. Plants of 87 samples of asparagus bean were grown in the unheated plastic film greenhouse on the south of Western Siberia (54 ° N lat. 83 ° E) and examined for infestations of diseases in the Central Siberian Botanical Garden and Novosibirsk State Agrarian University (Novosibirsk). The infection of seeds with pathogenic micromycetes was determined according to GOST 12044-93 (similar to common beans) using the methods of mycological analysis and the Petri-dish moist chambers, also on Chapek media and KDA media. The main pathogenic micromycetes are: on germinating seeds − species of the genera Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Mucor, Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum; on seedlings − Fusarium solani; during fruiting on fruits and stems − B. cinerea and S. sclerotiorum; on the root collar − S. sclerotiorum. The dominant forms of white mold were stem, root collar, fruits. Five samples that showed a high level of resistance to B.cinerea and S.sclerotiorum have been selected. System for asparagus bean disease surveillance which should be built in the calendar-phenological sequence, has been recommended.

Nutrient Uptake and Growth of Watermelons in DTPA-Treated Saline Soil in a Plastic Film Greenhouse

Nutrient Uptake and Growth of Watermelons in DTPA-Treated Saline Soil in a Plastic Film Greenhouse

ЗИМОСТОЙКОСТЬ И БИОМЕТРИЧЕСКИЕ ПОКАЗАТЕЛИ ИНТРОДУЦИРОВАННЫХ СОРТОВ ЗЕМЛЯНИКИ В УСЛОВИЯХ ПЛЕНОЧНЫХ ТЕПЛИЦ В ЛЕНИНГРАДСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Background. The intensive inflow of strawberry cultivars from abroad in recent years and a great number of cultivation practices make an accelerated comprehensive study of these cultivars in new soil and climate conditions a high priority for the Northwest of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. In 2016–2017, 35 newly introduced strawberry cultivars were studied at St. Petersburg State Agrarian University according to the Program and Methodology of Variety Research on Fruit, Berry and Nut Crops. The primary study focused on the biometric characteristics of strawberry cultivars, their winter hardiness, performance of the full cycle of phenological stages in plant development, resistance to spider mite, and productivity. These are the main criteria for cultivars to be grown in plastic film greenhouses in Leningrad Province. Results and conclusion. The primary study of the introduced cultivars under plastic film greenhouse conditions in Leningrad Province and their evaluation for winter hardiness, productivity and spider mite resistance made it possible to identify the cultivars ‘Vechnaya Vesna’, ‘Vystavochnaya’, ‘Yubileynaya Govorovoy’ ‘Jive’, ‘Diamante’ and ‘Elianny’ as promising for cultivation. They require further research targeted at a set of economically important traits.

Significant improved quantum yields of CaAl12O19:Mn4+ red phosphor by co-doping Bi3+ and B3+ ions and dual applications for plant cultivations

CaAl12O19: Mn4+ has been reported as a red phosphor with good color purity. A quaternary-doping strategy was adopted to improve the optical properties in this work. Phosphors of general formula Ca1-mAl12-x-y-nO19: xMn4+, yMg2+, mBi3+, nB3+ (CAO:MMBB) were synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method. A broad band deep-red emission from Mn4+ centered at 654 nm was observed, and two strong absorption bands within the ultraviolet range (350–400 nm) and blue-green region peaked at 460 nm were confirmed. The incorporation of co-dopants brought about a remarkable enhancement of the luminescence intensity. The quantum yield of CAO:MMBB reached 84.9%, which is approximately 1.35 times higher than that of as-reported binary-doping phosphors CaAl12-x-yO19: xMn4+, yMg2+ (CAO:MM). The possible mechanism of co-doping Bi3+ and B3+ ions was discussed in detailed. CAO:MMBB phosphor shows a dual application in agriculture either as solar spectral conversion auxiliary in greenhouse plastic films or as a red component in blue-chip based plant growth light emitting diodes (PG-LEDs).

Sucrose metabolism in watermelon fruit is affected by fruit-setting method under plastic film greenhouses

ABSTRACTFruit set represents the very first step of fruit development. This study investigated the effect of different fruit-setting methods [1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-3-phenylurea (CPPU) treatment, artificial pollination, and honey bee pollination] on the concentrations of fructose, glucose, and sucrose, and the activities of sucrose metabolising enzymes of watermelon fruit under plastic film greenhouse conditions. No significant difference in fructose and glucose concentrations was observed among the three treatments at fully ripe stage of fruit [33 days after anthesis (33 DAA)]. However, artificial and honey bee pollination significantly increased sucrose concentration. Measurement of sucrose metabolising enzyme activities and correlation analysis demonstrated that the increased activity of SuSy-s (sucrose synthase, synthesis direction) is the key mechanism of increased sucrose concentration in the artificially pollinated and honey bee pollinated fruits. The concentrations of fructose, glucose, and sucrose were similar between artificially pollinated and honey bee-pollinated fruits at fully ripe stage (33 DAA). Therefore, we can conclude that artificial and bee pollination can improve the sweetness of watermelon fruit. In addition, the honey bee can provide a pollination service that is similar to that of artificial pollination for watermelon grown in a protected cultivation system.

Salt removal of greenhouse soils using electrokinetic technology

Excess nutrients are easily accumulated in greenhouse soils due to the interception of rainfall by plastic film and repeated over-application of compost and fertilizers. This study was conducted to evaluate the application of electrokinetic (E/K) technology for salt removal from soils with high electrical conductivity (EC) in greenhouses. Three types of soil in plastic film greenhouses were used: artificial soil (Site A), poorly drained soil (Site B), and well-drained soil (Site C). The salt-enriched surface soils were used to fill 37-cm-long-box-type E/K cells, and a constant voltage gradient was applied at a rate of 1 V cm−1 for 30 days. The decrease in soil EC was achieved with water content of greater than 30% for silt loam (Sites A and B) and 20% for sandy loam (Site C). The E/K technology decreased soil EC by more than 80%, with a greater reduction ratio for sandy loam than for silt loam. After 30 days of the E/K treatment, 98–99% of NO3-N and 95–99% of sodium were removed in all three sites under saturated condition, implying that nitrate and sodium ions had higher mobility than the other ions during the E/K process. The results obtained from the study suggested, therefore, that the E/K technology is highly efficient for wet and nitrate-enriched sandy loam soils, and the technology can be a feasible and environmentally sound practice for the removal of excessive nutrients in greenhouse soils without water pollution by nutrients such as nitrate as can be caused by flooding and repeated washing with water.

Korean-Style No-tillage Organic Agriculture on Recycled Ridge Ⅳ. Changes in Soil Microorganisms and Enzymes by Split Irrigation and Organic Matter Application in Organic Farming of Red Pepper in Plastic Film Greenhouse

Korean-Style No-tillage Organic Agriculture on Recycled Ridge Ⅳ. Changes in Soil Microorganisms and Enzymes by Split Irrigation and Organic Matter Application in Organic Farming of Red Pepper in Plastic Film Greenhouse

Korean-Style of No-Tillage Organic Agriculture on Recycled Ridge Ⅴ. Changes in Pepper Yield, Soil Chemical Properties and Distribution of Animalcule with Split Irrigation and Organic Matter at Plastic Film Greenhouse Soil in Organic Cultivation of No-Tillage Systems

Korean-Style of No-Tillage Organic Agriculture on Recycled Ridge Ⅴ. Changes in Pepper Yield, Soil Chemical Properties and Distribution of Animalcule with Split Irrigation and Organic Matter at Plastic Film Greenhouse Soil in Organic Cultivation of No-Tillage Systems