A Comprehensive Review on Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops: Present Status and Future Prospects

Protected cultivation of horticultural crops has emerged as a crucial technique in modern agriculture, offering numerous benefits such as increased yield, enhanced quality, and protection against adverse climatic conditions and pests. This comprehensive review aims to present the current status of protected cultivation practices and explore its future prospects in horticulture. The review begins by discussing the various types of protected cultivation structures, including greenhouses, high tunnels, and shade houses, along with their advantages and limitations. It then highlights the significance of protected cultivation in addressing global food security challenges by ensuring year-round crop production and reducing dependence on seasonal variations. The review further explores the impact of protected cultivation techniques on the growth and development of horticultural crops, including improved crop morphogenesis, precipitation management, and the optimization of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. Furthermore, the utilization of advanced technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics, and vertical farming within protected cultivation systems is examined, with an emphasis on their potential for maximizing crop productivity while minimizing resource consumption. Moreover, the paper delves into the challenges and constraints faced in implementing protected cultivation, including cost considerations, energy requirements, and the use of synthetic inputs. It discusses sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches, such as utilizing renewable energy sources and adopting organic farming practices, to mitigate these challenges and promote ecological balance. Lastly, the review discusses some future prospects and trends in protected cultivation, including the integration of precision agriculture techniques, the use of artificial intelligence, and the adoption of smart farming technologies. These advancements have the potential to further optimize resource utilization, improve automation, and enhance crop monitoring and management, ultimately leading to greater yield and quality improvements in horticultural crop production.

Energy partitioning and methane emission by sheep fed sorghum silages at different maturation stages / Partição de energia e emissão de metano por ovinos alimentados com silagem de sorgo em diferentes estádios de maturação

Energy partitioning and methane production by sheep fed silages of three commercially available sorghum hybrids (BRS 610, BR 700 and BRS 655) harvested at three maturation stages (milk, soft dough and floury) were evaluated in open circuit respiration chambers. A complete randomized design was used in a 3 × 3 (hybrids × maturity stages) factorial arrangement, and the means were compared by the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test (P<0.05). The intake of dry matter, digestible dry matter, gross energy, digestible energy and metabolizable energy were not affected by maturation stage, but were influenced by hybrid. The net energy intake was influenced by maturity and sorghum genetics. The fecal output represented the main source of energy loss, as percentage of gross energy intake (48% to 52%), followed by heat increment (10% to 19%), methane emissions (4% to 6%) and urine (1% to 2%). There were no differences (P>0.10) among the treatments for the apparent digestibility of gross energy and metabolizability (qm). An interaction (P<0.05) between sorghum hybrid and maturation stages was observed for the efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization for maintenance (km), which ranged between 0.53 and 0.78. No differences (P>0.10) among treatments occurred in the daily methane production. There is substantial genetic diversity within sorghum species, determining different nutritional values. Sorghum genetics and maturity at harvest should not be an opportunity to reduce the contribution of agriculture to methane emissions.

A partição de energia e a produção de metano por ovinos alimentados com silagens de três híbridos de sorgo comerciais (BRS 610, BR 700 e BRS 655), colhidos em três estádios de maturação (leitoso, pastoso e farináceo), foram avaliadas em câmaras respirométricas de circuito aberto. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 3 x 3 (híbridos x estádios de maturação), e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) (P<0,05). Os consumos de matéria seca, de matéria seca digestível, de energia bruta, de energia digestível e de energia metabolizável não foram afetados pelo estádio de maturação, mas foram influenciados pelo híbrido de sorgo. O consumo de energia líquida foi influenciado pela maturidade e pelo híbrido. As perdas de energia nas fezes representaram a principal fonte de perda energética como porcentagem do consumo de energia bruta (48% a 52%), seguida pelo incremento calórico (10% a 19%), pela emissão de metano (4% a 6%) e pela urina (1 a 2%). Não houve diferenças (P>0,10) entre os tratamentos para a digestibilidade aparente da energia bruta e para a metabolizabilidade (qm). Foi observada interação (P<0,05) entre híbrido de sorgo e estádio de maturação para eficiência de uso da energia metabolizável para mantença (Km), que variou entre 0,53 e 0,78. Não ocorreram diferenças (P>0,10) entre tratamentos na produção diária de metano. A emissão de metano em gramas por kg de matéria seca digestível e por kg de fibra em detergente neutro digestível foi inferior no estádio pastoso comparado ao estádio farináceo.

Invernaderos automatizados para el desarrollo de la agricultura familiar en el marco de la seguridad alimentaria / Automated greenhouses for the development of family farming within the framework of food security

La agricultura en El Salvador es una actividad que se desarrolla aplicando técnicas tradicionales con poco grado de ingeniería y de automatización por parte de los agricultores. En el país existen pocas empresas dedicadas a la producción de verduras y hortalizas por medio de sistemas de invernaderos automatizados o con cierto de grado de control. Los costos de instalación de estos sistemas automatizados representan una alta inversión para la mayoría de agricultores que desean entrar en la industrialización de sus cultivos y aumentar la productividad y calidad de sus cosechas para lograr exportar sus frutos. Es por eso que la Escuela Especializada en Ingeniería ITCA-FEPADE, en conjunto con la Escuela Nacional de Agricultura ENA, se encuentra trabajando en el diseño y montaje de un prototipo de sistema automatizado para invernaderos familiares de menor costo, que les permita a los agricultores mejorar su condición económica por medio de una producción más controlada y protegida.

Agriculture in El Salvador is an activity that is developed by applying traditional techniques with little degree of engineering and automation by farmers. with a certain degree of control. The installation costs of these automated systems represent a high investment for the majority of farmers who wish to enter into the industrialization of their crops and increase the productivity and quality of their crops in order to export their fruits. That is why the ITCA-FEPADE Specialized School in Engineering, in conjunction with the National School of Agriculture ENA, is working on the design and assembly of a prototype of an automated system for lower-cost family greenhouses, which allow farmers improve their economic condition through a more controlled and protected production.

Volatilização de amônia e emissão de óxido nitroso após aplicação de dejetos líquidos de suínos em solo cultivado com milho / Ammonia volatilization and nitrous oxide emissions following soil application of pig slurry in corn

As perdas de nitrogênio (N) através de emissões gasosas de amônia (NH3) e óxido nitroso (N2O) após a aplicação de dejetos líquidos de suínos (DLS) no solo é um assunto ainda pouco estudado no Brasil, sobretudo em plantio direto. Diante disso, o objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar, em condições de campo, a volatilização de NH3 e a emissão de N2O após a aplicação de DLS no milho, com e sem a presença de palha de aveia preta na superfície do solo. Os tratamentos avaliados para medir a emissão de N2O, durante 90 dias, foram: T1 - Solo (testemunha); T2 - Solo + DLS; T3 - Solo + Palha; T4 - Solo + Palha + DLS. Já a volatilização de NH3 foi quantificada durante 12 dias, somente nos três últimos tratamentos. Os DLS, na dose de 60m³ ha-1, foram aplicados ao solo, antecedendo a semeadura do milho, em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. A presença da palha na superfície do solo reduziu as perdas de NH3 em 34%, porém potencializou as emissões de N2O após a aplicação dos DLS, as quais aumentaram em 167%. Os maiores fluxos de N2O ocorreram durante os primeiros 40 dias após a aplicação dos DLS sempre após a ocorrência de chuvas e/ou irrigações.

The nitrogen (N) losses through gaseous emissions of ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) after pig slurry (PS) application in soil is a subject still little studied in Brazil, especially under no-till conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate, under field conditions, the NH3 volatilization and the N2O emission after PS application in corn, with and without surface oat straw. The treatments for measuring N2O emissions, during 90 days, were: T1-unamended soil (control), T2 - Soil + PS, T3 - Soil + oat straw and T4 - Soil + PS + oat straw. The NH3 volatilization was quantified only in the last three treatments. PS, at the dose 60m³ ha-1, was applied prior the sowing of corn, in a randomized design, with three replications. Oat straw on the soil surface reduced NH3 volatilization by 34%, but enhanced N2O emission by 167%. The higher N2O fluxes occurred during the first 40 days after PS addition, always after rain and/or irrigation events.

Avaliação da biomassa foliar de morangueiro hidropônico em diferentes ambientes protegidos / Leaf biomass evaluation of hydroponic strawberry in greenhouses

Realizaram-se experimentos na Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola na Universidade Estadual de Campinas, utilizando quatro cultivares de morangueiro [Fragaria x ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier], quatro sistemas de produção hidropônica (canal de 100mm, canal de 150mm, canal de 150mm, com vaso contendo fibra de coco e tubo vertical contendo casca de arroz carbonizada) e três ambientes protegidos (casa-de-vegetação sem resfriamento evaporativo do ar e sem injeção aérea de CO2, casa-de-vegetação com injeção aérea de CO2 e sem resfriamento evaporativo do ar e casa-de-vegetação com injeção aérea de CO2 e resfriamento evaporativo do ar). Foram avaliados os parâmetros foliares massa fresca foliar (MFF) e massa seca foliar (MSF) em gramas e área foliar (AF) em mm², correlacionando à biomassa da planta. O melhor sistema foi o de canais de 150mm com vaso contendo fibra de coco. O melhor ambiente foi o de resfriamento evaporativo do ar e injeção aérea de CO2.

Analyses were made in the experimental field of the Agricultural Engineering College at State University of Campinas (Unicamp). Four varieties of strawberry [Fragaria x ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier] were tested in four hydroponics production systems (100mm and 150mm channels and 150mm channel with a vase containing coconut fiber and a vertical pipe containing carbonized rice rusk). Three greenhouses were tested: i) a greenhouse without air evaporative cooling nor CO2 aerial injection, ii) a greenhouse with CO2 aerial injection and without air evaporative cooling and iii) a greenhouse with CO2 aerial injection and air evaporative cooling. It was analyzed the leaf fresh (MFF) and dry mass in gram (MSF) and the leaf area in mm² (AF). The best hydroponics system was 150mm channel with a vase containing coconut fiber. The best environment condition was the one with air evaporative cooling and aerial injection of CO2.