ENCLOSURES FOR RESEARCH ON CONTROL OF A ERIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR PROTECTED CROPS

The postulated purpose is to control three crop parameters, rate of net carbon uptake, rate of transpiration and canopy temperature, by the use of four control actions, heating ventilation, evaporative cooling and CO₂ supply. These parameters and actions are directly related not to each other but to factors of aerial environment, and complex interactions are shown.

Three types of enclosure are required: refrigerated cuvette greenhouses to determine short term environments for optimum rate of net carbon uptake, multifactorial refrigerated greenhouses to determine longer term environments for optimum yield and multifactorial ventilated greenhouses for applying results commercially. Design aspects of these enclosures are discussed.