Evaluation of greenhouse horticultural research in Colombia: impact of European collaboration and key sector challenges

Greenhouse production, which originated in Europe, has been adapted and replicated worldwide. In South America, specifically in Colombia, more than 15,000 ha are cultivated under greenhouse conditions. Owing to the remarkable growth in the use of protected growing environments, an assessment of the degree of adoption of technologies and the current challenges facing this sector are required. This analysis aims to identify the research needs in the coming years. This investigation sought to assess the extant literature on greenhouse agriculture in Colombia and its association with European institutions. The results are juxtaposed with contemporary trends in greenhouse tomato productivity, thereby elucidating critical future research imperatives. The literature review was carried out in December 2023 using databases such as ScienceDirect, Springer Link, Scopus, Scielo, and Google Scholar, using Boolean operators that matched the terms relevant to the topic of interest. The search was limited to the time interval 1990 to the present. Official data were obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture. The information and data analyzed indicate that in Colombia, research has been conducted by a small group of organizations. The main research topics include the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), accurate and uniform supply of water and nutrients, and environmental performance for crops grown in greenhouses. However, appropriation of the productive sector remains to be assessed. Moreover, when examining the findings based on plant species, it is evident that ornamental plants and vegetables such as tomatoes and lettuce have garnered the most attention. Furthermore, research efforts have been directed toward medicinal species, such as cannabis. We conclude that there is no evidence in the literature regarding the widespread adoption of technologies. In contrast, there is an interest in local developments in aspects such as the design of greenhouses and the search for local materials for substrates, in response to the growing interest in hydroponic systems. In Colombia, the adoption of European technologies remains low and the preference for local development with considerably low levels of standardization stands out.