Autor/es:
E. Fereres, F. Orgaz, M. D. Fernández, M. Gallardo Pino, S. Bonachela

Fecha de publicación:
3 de septiembre de 2004

Resumen:
Large unheated greenhouse areas are located in the coastal lands of the Mediterranean Basin, based on low-cost structures covered with plastic. Water is a scarce resource in these areas and therefore it is necessary to optimise irrigation practice by applying the crop water needs, thus avoiding waste. This work was undertaken to determine the water requirements of four major horticultural crops grown in an unheated plastic greenhouse located in Almería, Spain. Drainage lysimeters were used to determine the seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) of four crops (melon, green beans, watermelon and pepper), which ranged from 170 to 371 mm and it was associated with the reference ET (ET0). Compared to irrigated crops outdoors, the seasonal ETof the greenhouse horticultural crops is relatively low due to the lower evaporative demand inside the greenhouse and to a further reduction in solar radiation transmission by whitening in late spring and ...