Review of optimum temperature, humidity, and vapour pressure deficit
for microclimate evaluation and control in greenhouse cultivation of tomato: a review
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1
Smart Farming Technology Research Center, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
2
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
3
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 21881 N Cardon Ln, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
4
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Publication date: 2018-04-17
Int. Agrophys. 2018, 32(2): 287-302
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ABSTRACT
Greenhouse technology is a flexible solution for sustainable year-round cultivation of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill), particularly in regions with adverse climate conditions or limited land and resources. Accurate knowledge about plant requirements at different growth stages, and under various light conditions, can contribute to the design of adaptive control strategies for a more cost-effective and competitive production. In this context, different scientific publications have recommended different values of microclimate parameters at different tomato growth stages. This paper provides a detailed summary of optimal, marginal and failure air and root-zone temperatures, relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit for successful greenhouse cultivation of tomato. Graphical representations of the membership function model to define the optimality degrees of these three parameters are included with a view to determining how close the greenhouse microclimate is to the optimal condition. Several production constraints have also been discussed to highlight the short and long-term effects of adverse microclimate conditions on the quality and yield of tomato, which are associated with interactions between suboptimal parameters, greenhouse environment and growth responses.