Analysis of the microclimatic behavior of a greenhouse used to produce carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.)

Abstract

Carnation production in Colombia, the world’s main exporter, takes place entirely in naturally ventilated greenhouses. This type of structure presents non-homogeneous microclimate conditions which differentially affect crop growth and development, which is why this issue has been of great research interest in recent years. The objective was to determine the microclimatic behavior of a passive spatial-type greenhouse used in Colombia for carnation production. The experimental approach included the collection of meteorological data in the external environment through a weather station and in the inside of the greenhouse through a grid of 40 sensors uniformly distributed in a horizontal plane. Data processing to determine the spatial variability of temperature, relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) is done by using geostatistical techniques and predicting these variables at unsampled points through the ordinary Kriging method. The main results obtained allowed us to determine that the conditions generated inside the greenhouse are not the optimal ones recommended for carnation production and that, in addition, the behavior of the variables studied shows a heterogeneous distribution, obtaining spatial variations in the horizontal profile evaluated for the night period of 0.5 °C, 9.1% and 1.5 kPa and for the daytime period of 7.2 °C, 42.6% and 1.5 kPa for temperature, humidity and VPD respectively.

Contribution to the Sustainability of Agricultural Production in Greenhouses Built on Slope Soils: A Numerical Study of the Microclimatic Behavior of a Typical Colombian Structure

“…The figure shows that both the TD thermal gradient and the climatic heterogeneity are dependent on the level of solar radiation; therefore, the higher the radiation levels, the greater the thermal gradients and spatial variability of the temperature inside the greenhouse. These results are consistent with those reported in previous studies of the microclimatic behavior of Colombian greenhouses [65,70,71]. Finally, it is important to mention that the results obtained in this research are a relevant technical input that will allow future microclimatic optimization strategies to manage the temperature conditions inside roof structures built on slope soil.…”

“…The spatial distribution of temperature for each of the simulated scenarios can be seen in Figure 10. The behavior found shows the thermal gain that occurs in the structure via the greenhouse effect between 6:00 and 14:00 h, where the volume of air enclosed inside the structure is heated by the combined effect of higher values of solar radiation and the increase in temperature in the outside environment, which is a typical behavior of structures at the tropical level [65].…”

Research on the Microclimate of Protected Agriculture Structures Using Numerical Simulation Tools: A Technical and Bibliometric Analysis as a Contribution to the Sustainability of Under-Cover Cropping in Tropical and Subtropical Countries

“…The behavior of the microclimate in a protected agriculture structure is also highly dependent on the energy transfers via solar radiation [190]. Likewise, the level of radiation intercepted by the roof and transferred to the interior of the structure directly influences plant physiological processes, such as transpiration and photosynthesis [191,192]. Therefore the coupling of a solar radiation model able to efficiently and realistically simulate radiative transfers has been increasingly an area of interest and continuous development in this area of knowledge [41].…”

Analysis of the Thermal Behavior of a New Structure of Protected Agriculture Established in a Region of Tropical Climate Conditions

“…The temporary qualitative behavior shows that inside the customized structure a greater energy level is generated by the hours of the day, which is translated in higher temperatures between the 7 and the 15 h. This temperature increase is related to higher values of temperature and solar radiation in the external environment of the structure [62,63]. This, together with the structure's own thermal gain, favors this type of thermal behavior that is very characteristic of the protected agricultural structures used in the tropical region of Latin America and the Caribbean [15].…”