A mobile screening system has shown effective as an alternative to traditional whitewashing used to cool greenhouses, according to a recent study by the Andalusian Institute for Research and Training for Agriculture and shading company Svensson.

In the four-month study on tomato plants in La Mojonera, Spain, researchers found that greenhouse crops using the moveable Harmony screen received 27.9% more sunlight than those with whitewashing.

"The report revealed that the tomato yield in the greenhouse using the Harmony mobile screen was 25% higher during the season than the whitewashed greenhouse, with 12.4 more fruits harvested per metre squared," a study press release said.

"The study concluded that using the mobile shading system during the central hours of the day – when temperatures can exceed safe levels for crops – delivered higher precocity and an increase in the tomato yield compared with traditional whitewashed greenhouses."

Whitewashing resulted in yields losses, according to the study, due to its negative impact on light reception throughout the entire day, even when shading is unnecessary. The mobile system, however, allowed a balance in managing temperature and light intensity.

Photo: Greenhouse with interior, mobile shading

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