PERFORMANCE OF A POLY-GREENHOUSE COVERED BY DOUBLE LAYERS OF POLYETHYLENE WITH AIR GAP

Abdel-Galil, H. S.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2014.100005

PERFORMANCE OF A POLY-GREENHOUSE COVERED BY DOUBLE LAYERS OF POLYETHYLENE WITH AIR GAP

Document Type : Original Article

Author

H. S. Abdel-Galil

Assist. Prof. of Agric. Eng., - Fac. of Agric.- Fayoum University., Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2014.100005

Abstract

Two similar experimental poly-greenhouses were used in this study. The first one was covered by double layers of polyethylene with 8-cm air gap and the second one was covered by double layers of polyethylene stick to each other. The experiments were carried out to study the effect of using double layers of polyethylene with air gap on the energy transport characteristics and most relative vegetative growth parameters and production of a tomato crop under Fayoum depression climatic conditions (Egypt). Hybrid variety (ALZAIN F1, seeds) of tomato seeds were germinated under poly-greenhouses and one-month-old seedlings (120-mm length and six leaves approximately) were transplanted in both poly-greenhouses. The obtained results indicated that using 63% shading cover for both greenhouses (in summer months) resulted in reduction of solar radiation by 69.2% and 72.4 % inside the first greenhouse (G1) and the second greenhouse (G2), respectively. The greatest value of cooling effect (11.86 °C) and effectiveness of evaporative cooling system (73.85%) were achieved inside the first greenhouse (G1), which covered by double layers of polyethylene with 8-cm air gap, whereas, the cooling effect (9.19 ^oC) and effectiveness of cooling system (67.57 %) occurred inside the second greenhouse (G2), which covered by double layer of polyethylene without air gap. The first Greenhouse (G1) increased the temperature of cold air just leaving the cooling system by 3.86 °C, while the second greenhouse (G2) increased the interior ambient air temperature by 5.46 °C. Thus, the first greenhouse (G1), on the average, increased the rate of vegetative growth by 11.5%, and fresh yield of tomato crop by 34.39% comparing with the second greenhouse (G2).

References

Abdel-Galil, H. S. (2009). Effect of poly-greenhouse shading ratios on germination and yield of tomato under Fayoum depression climatic conditions. The 17^th Annual Conference of the Misr Society of Ag. Eng., 28 October 2010. Vol. 27 (4): 2048 – 2068.

Abdel-Ghany, A. M. ; Ishigami, Y. ; Goto, E. and Kozai, T. (2006). A method for measuring greenhouse cover temperature using a thermocouple. Biosystems Engineering 95 (1), 99–109.

Al-Amri, A. M. (2000). Comparative use of greenhouse covers materials and their effectiveness in evaporative cooling systems under conditions in eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin America. 31(2):61-66.

Alhamdan, A. M. and Al-Helal, I. M. (2009). Mechanical deterioration of polyethylene greenhouses covering under arid conditions. Journal of materials processing technology 209: 63–69.

Al-Helal, I. M. (2007). Effects of ventilation rate on the environment of a fan-pad evaporative cooled, shaded greenhouse in extreme arid climates. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. ASABE, MI. USA. Vol. 23(2): 221-230.

ASHRAE, (1989). ASHRAE Handbook and Product Directory Fundamentals. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Inc. New York.

El-Batawi, I. E.; Mohri, K. and El-Rayes, A. (2004). Air temperature predication model to control heating in a germination greenhouse under Egyptian conditions. The 12^thConference of Miser Society of Agric. Eng., 4-5 October 2004: 97-106.

Elsner, B. V.; Briassoulis, D.; Waaijenberg, D.; Mistriotis, A.; Zabeltitz, Chr. Von.; Gratraud, J.; Russo, G. and Suay-Cortes, R. (2000). Review of structural and functional characteristics of greenhouses in European Union countries: part i, design requirements. J. agric. Engng Res. 75, 1-16.

Heinemann, P. H. and Walker, P. N. (1987). Effects of greenhouse surface heating water on light transmission. Transactions of the ASAE, Vol. 30 (1): 215-220.

Kenneth, H.; Richard, S. and Charles, W. (2005). Budget for greenhouse tomatoes, Extension Service of Mississippi State Univ., Cooperating with U.S. Dept. of Agric. Publication 2257.

Lau, A. K. and Staley, L. M. (1989). Solar radiation transmission and capture in greenhouses. Can. Agric. Eng. 31: 204-214.

Nelson, V. P. (1990). Greenhouse operation and management. Third Edition, A Reston Book, Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood cliffs, New York, USA, 598 pp.

Papadakis, G. M. M.; Meneses, J. F. and Boulard, T. (1996). Measurement and analysis of air exchange rates in a greenhouse with continuous roof and side opening. J. of Agric. Eng. Research, 63, 219-228.

Takakura, T.; Manning, T. O.; Giacomelli, G. A. and Roberts, W. J. (1994). Feed forward control for a floor heat greenhouse. Transactions of the ASAE, Vol. 37(3): 939- 945.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2007). Solar greenhouse (technical). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/solar_greenhouse_(technical).