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Effects of a shading screen on microclimate and crop water requirements

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An Erratum to this article was published on 13 September 2006

Abstract

Despite the steadily increasing area under protected agriculture there is a current lack of knowledge about the effects of the 30% black shading screen on microclimate and crop water requirements. Meteorological and lysimeter measurements inside a screenhouse planted with sweet pepper were compared to external reference data. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was calculated from yield records Y and water meter readings I applied. Shading reduced mean global radiation R G by more than 40%, and the screen transmissivity τ screen was shown to vary with solar elevation angle β. Wind speed inside the screenhouse u in was reduced by more than 50%. Crop water requirements ET c were 38% lower than estimates for an open field crop, suggesting a significant water saving potential when using screenhouses. However, the screen did not significantly modify maximum temperature T max and daily vapor pressure deficit. The FAO-Penman–Monteith approach based on meteorological measurements in the screenhouse accurately predicted daily crop evapotranspiration, and was in close agreement with lysimeter measurements. IWUE was relatively high (10.7 kg m−3 in 2004 and 13.5 kg m−3 in 2005), but additional research is required to quantify the effect of shading on yield as well as to determine the water saving potential of other commonly used screens.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. S. Cohen, Dr. E. Raveh, A. Grava, K. Narkis and E. Matan and the staff at the Besor Experimental Research Station for their support and the two anonymous reviewers and Prof. S. Stanhill for their critical review of the manuscript. This work was funded by the US Agency for International Development through CDR Grant no. TA-MOU−01-C21-019.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Physics and Irrigation, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, ARO-Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, 50250, Bet Dagan, Israel

    Markus Möller & Shmuel Assouline

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  1. Markus Möller
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  2. Shmuel Assouline
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Correspondence to Markus Möller.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Kassam

Contribution no. 603/06 from the Agricultural Research Organization

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00271-006-0048-6

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Möller, M., Assouline, S. Effects of a shading screen on microclimate and crop water requirements. Irrig Sci 25, 171–181 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-006-0045-9

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