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Greenhouse Agriculture in Almería

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Greenhouse Agriculture in Almería Greenhouse agriculture in Almería A comprehensive techno-economic analysis Serie Economía [27] Greenhouse agriculture in Almería A comprehensive techno-economic analysis Diego Luis Valera Martínez Luis Jesús Belmonte Ureña Francisco Domingo Molina Aiz Alejandro López Martínez UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERÍA CENTRO de INVESTIGACIÓN en BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGROALIMENTARIA UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERÍA Advisory Council of the Cajamar Chair of Economics and Agri-Food of the University of Almería Director: Francisco Camacho Ferre Deputy Director: Diego Luis Valera Martínez Secretary: Luis Jesús Belmonte Ureña Member: Antonio Posadas Chinchilla Member: Antonio Fernández Martínez Member: Roberto García Torrente Member: David Uclés Aguilera Member: Ana Cabrera Sánchez Greenhouse aGriculture in almería. a comprehensive techno-economic analysis © 2016 text and images (unless source is cited): the authors © edition: Cajamar Caja Rural Edited by: Cajamar Caja Rural www.publicacionescajamar.es [email protected] Design and layout: Beatriz Martínez Belmonte ISBN-13: 978-84-95531-75-9 Legal Deposit: AL-256-2013 Release Date: marzo 2016 Cajamar Caja Rural is not responsible of the information and opinions that are contained in this publication, being the exclusive responsability of their authors. © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission obtained from the Copyright holders. FOREWORD ....................................................................................................11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................13 1. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES ..................................................................15 2. INTENSIVE HORTICULTURE IN THE GREENHOUSES OF ALMERÍA ..........................22 S 2.1. Brief historical review ............................................................................ 2.2. Current situation of intensive horticulture in Almería ........................... 2.3. Crops .................................................................................................... 2.3.1. Tomato ........................................................................................... 2.3.2. Pepper ............................................................................................ 2.3.3. Courgette ........................................................................................ 2.3.4. Watermelon ..................................................................................... 2.3.5. Cucumber ....................................................................................... 2.3.6. Melon ............................................................................................. 2.3.7. Eggplant ......................................................................................... 2.3.8. Green bean ..................................................................................... 2.4. Soil management ................................................................................... 2.4.1. Mulch or «arenado» ......................................................................... 2.4.2. Plastic mulching .............................................................................. 2.4.3. Soilless crops .................................................................................... 2.5. Greenhouse structures ........................................................................... 2.5.1. Almería-type greenhouse ................................................................... 2.5.2. Multi-span greenhouse ..................................................................... 2.5.3. Venlo-type greenhouse ....................................................................... 2.5.4. Screenhouse ..................................................................................... 2.5.5. Plastic-covered «gabled» greenhouse................................................... 2.5.6. Geometric characteristics of greenhouses ............................................. 2.5.7. Cover materials ............................................................................... 2.6. Natural ventilation systems used in the greenhouse agriculture of Almería ... 2.6.1. Sidewall ventilation systems.............................................................. 2.6.2. Roof ventilation systems.................................................................... 2.6.3. Eciency of natural ventilation ........................................................ 2.6.4. Insect-proof screens used in greenhouse windows ............................... 2.7. Forced ventilation systems ................................................................... 2.7.1. Design recommendations ................................................................ 2.7.2. Forced ventilation systems installed in Almería-type greenhouses ........ 2.8. Evaporative water cooling systems ....................................................... 2.8.1. Pad and fan systems ....................................................................... 2.8.2. Fog systems .................................................................................... 2.9. Heating systems .................................................................................. 2.9.1. Hot-air heating systems .................................................................. 2.9.2. Hot-water heating systems .............................................................. 2.9.3. Underoor heating systems ............................................................. 2.9.4. Eciency of heating systems ............................................................ S 2.10. Shade nets, thermal screens and darkening screens ............................ 2.10.1. Shade cloths ................................................................................ 2.10.2. ermal screens ........................................................................... 2.10.3. Operation ................................................................................... 2.10.4. Darkening screens ........................................................................ 2.11. Simple energy saving methods ........................................................... 2.11.1. Double walls ............................................................................... 2.11.2. Semi forcing tunnels .................................................................... 2.11.3. ermal blankets ......................................................................... 2.11.4. Greenhouse partitioning ............................................................... 2.12. Carbon-dioxide enrichment systems .................................................. 2.12.1. CO2 distribution in the greenhouse ............................................... 2.12.2. CO2 supply control ....................................................................... 2.12.3. Optimisation of carbon dioxide enrichment ................................... 2.13. Management of climate control systems ............................................ 2.14. Fertigation equipment ....................................................................... 2.14.1. Fertiliser tanks ............................................................................ 2.14.2. Direct-aspiration pump tanks ....................................................... 2.14.3. Venturi suction equipment ........................................................... 2.14.4. Injection-based fertilizer dispensers ............................................... 2.14.5. Automatic equipment .................................................................. 2.14.6. Fertigation control ....................................................................... 2.15. Desalinisation equipment .................................................................. 2.16. Machinery used in greenhouses ......................................................... 2.16.1. Mechanisation of horticultural labour ........................................... 2.16.2. Machinery for the application of phytosanitary products ................. 2.17. Environmental impact of the greenhouse agriculture in Almería ........ 3. PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING FIELD DATA .....................................................213 3.1. Farmers’ survey .................................................................................... 3.2. Sample validity .................................................................................... 3.3. Obtaining data from the collaborating companies ............................... 4. ANALYSIS OF THE GREENHOUSE INFRASTRUCTURES AND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPACT ... 225 4.1. Personal data ....................................................................................... 4.2. Crops .................................................................................................. 4.3. Machinery ........................................................................................... 4.4. Soil ...................................................................................................... S 4.5. Auxiliary buildings and irrigation systems ........................................... 4.6. Marketing ........................................................................................... 4.7. Structural characteristics of the greenhouse
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