I3284E-copertina-final.pdf 1 03/06/2013 16:41:59 221177 FAO PLANT PRODUCTION AND PROTECTION PAPER G o o d A g r ic u lt u r a l P r a c t ic e s Good Agricultural Practices f o r G This publication capitalizes on the experience of scientists from the r North Africa and Near East countries, in collaboration with experts from ee for greenhouse vegetable crops n around the world, specialized in the different aspects of greenhouse crop h o production. It provides a comprehensive description and assessment of u s the greenhouse production practices in use in Mediterranean climate areas e V Principles for Mediterranean climate areas that have helped diversify vegetable production and increase productivity. e g Guidance is provided on potential areas for improvement of greenhouse e C t cultivation. More specifically the document aims at strengthening technical a b M capacity in the use of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) as a means to le Y improve product quality and safety, and achieve sustainable production C r o CM intensification of greenhouse vegetables in countries in Mediterranean p s climate areas. The publication is also meant to be used as a - MY P reference and tool for trainers and growers as well as other r CY in actors in the greenhouse vegetables value chain c CMY in this region. ip le K s f o r M e d it e r r a n e a n C lim a t e A r e a I9SBN7 98789-9225-51-107064796-14 91 s F Ministry of Agriculture I3284E/1/04.13 A O NCARE I3284E-copertina-final.pdf 1 03/06/2013 16:41:59 217 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. Produced with a contribution of the Belgian Development Cooperation to FAO´s Horticulture Facility 217 FAO PLANT PRODUCTION AND PROTECTION PAPER Good Agricultural Practices for greenhouse vegetable crops Principles for Mediterranean climate areas Editorial board: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Plant Production and Protection Division Wilfried Baudoin, Remi Nono-Womdim, NeBambi Lutaladio, Alison Hodder International Society for Horticultural Science Commission Protected Cultivation Nicolás Castilla, Cherubino Leonardi, Stefania De Pascale National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension, Jordan Horticulture Department Muien Qaryouti Editorial support and layout: Ruth Duffy, English Language Editor FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2013 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-107649-1 (print) E-ISBN 978-92-5-107650-7 (PDF) © FAO 2013 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licencerequest or addressed to [email protected]. iii Contents Acknowledgements v Preface vii List of acronyms and abbreviations x 1. Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region: history and development 1 A. Papasolomontos, W. Baudoin & N. Lutaladio 2. Greenhouse site selection 21 N. Castilla & E. Baeza 3. Greenhouse design and covering materials 35 J.I. Montero, M. Teitel, E. Baeza, J.C. Lopez & M. Kacira 4. Greenhouse climate control and energy use 63 C. Kittas, N. Katsoulas, T. Bartzanas & S. Bakker 5. Choice of species and cultivars for protected cultivation 97 C. Leonardi & A. Maggio 6. Water requirements and irrigation management in Mediterranean greenhouses: the case of the southeast coast of Spain 109 M. Gallardo, R.B. Thompson & M.D.Fernández 7. Protected cultivation for improving water-use efficiency of vegetable crops in the NENA region 137 A.F. Abou Hadid 8. Microirrigation 149 G. Barbieri & A. Maggio 9. Irrigation water quality for greenhouse horticulture 169 S. De Pascale, F. Orsini & A. Pardossi 10. Soil fertility and plant nutrition 205 G. Gianquinto, P. Muñoz, A. Pardossi, S. Ramazzotti & D. Savvas 11. Growing media 271 N. Gruda, M.M. Qaryouti & C. Leonardi 12. Soilless culture 303 D. Savvas, G. Gianquinto, Y. Tuzel & N. Gruda iv 13. Quality of planting materials 355 C. Kubota, A. Balliu & S. Nicola 14. Cultural practices 379 Y. Tuzel 15. Integrated pest management and plant hygiene under protected cultivation 399 M. Abdel Wali 16. Integrated pest management 427 A. Hanafi 17. Integrated pest management and farmer education: FAO experiences from the Near East and the Maghreb 511 A.S. AlHawamdeh, M. Fredrix & A. Impiglia 18. Harvest and post-harvest management 529 E.W. Hewett 19. Integrated preventive environmental strategy in greenhouse production 565 A. Antón & P. Muñoz 20. Product safety 581 M. Allara, M. Fredrix, C. Bessy & F. Praasterink 21. Labelling and certification: integrated farm assurance with fruit and vegetable production 603 K. Patsalos v Acknowledgements This document is the result of a cooperative effort of a team of scientists who have provided their voluntary contributions under the aegis of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region. The genuine cooperation, professional commitment and dedication of the authors, co-authors, reviewers and collaborating scientists, as illustrated in chapter one, are gratefully acknowledged and most appreciated. Special recognition is given to the peer reviewer, Prof. Laurent Urban, University of Avignon, France. His diligence and detailed analysis of the text are highly valued. vii Preface A very significant event in the world history of Agriculture is the domestication of plants by mankind. Instead of depending on wild growth, it was realized that the planting of seeds or cuttings allowed the propagation of the type of plants desired. Another important breakthrough resulted from the need to protect the domesticated plants from abiotic and biotic stress factors. Protected cultivation emerged as a way to protect crops from adverse weather conditions allowing year-round production and the application of an integrated crop production and protection management approach for better control over pests and diseases. Greenhouse crop production is now a growing reality throughout the world with an estimated 405 000 ha of greenhouses spread over all the continents. The degree of sophistication and technology depends on local climatic conditions and the socio-economic environment. The experience of greenhouse production, which emerged in northern Europe, stimulated development in other areas, including the Mediterranean, North America, Oceania, Asia and Africa, with various rates and degrees of success. It has been shown that a mere transposition of north European solutions to other parts of the world is not a valid process. Each environment requires further research, development, extension, training and new norms of application to meet local requirements. During the last 20 years countries in the Mediterranean climate area have become increasingly competitive producers of greenhouse vegetables. During this time there has been a revolution in greenhouse production technology in terms of greenhouse design, type and quality of the plastic covering material, fertigation, mulch, use of high-yielding hybrids and cultivars, plant training and pruning techniques, integrated pest management, the use of pollinator insects, climate control, soil solarization etc. Only a few years ago, a yield of 100 tonnes per hectare of tomato in a greenhouse was considered a good performance. Today, for growers in Mediterranean climate areas, a harvest of 300 tonnes per hectare is not unusual. Besides supplying the local markets, the production of greenhouse vegetables is greatly valued for its export potential and plays an important role in the foreign trade balance of several national economies in the Mediterranean region. However, the intensification of greenhouse crop production has created favourable conditions for many devastating pests and diseases. This has significantly increased the need for pesticide applications. At the same time, legislative measures and standards requirements regarding the quality and safety of vegetables have become viii increasingly demanding. Consumer awareness has risen and the demand for pesticide-free products is a reality which cannot be ignored. Since 1993, the Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crops in the Mediterranean Region facilitated by the FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division has supported training and research and development initiatives to strengthen national capacities in upgrading the greenhouse crop sector in Mediterranean climate areas. This publication builds on experience gained through partnerships forged by the working group and represents the interpartner effort of two decades. It aims to summarize the knowledge and practical experiences of scientists from the Near East and North Africa region, specifically from Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia and Turkey and in collaboration with the Commission of Protected Cultivation of the International Society for Horticulture Science (ISHS) and a worldwide panel of subject matter specialists. This technical document intends to illustrate the benefits that can be drawn from an “integrated production and protection” (IPP) approach linking production technologies and plant protection practices to minimize the use of pesticides and adopting “sustainable intensification” of greenhouse crop production as the guiding principle. It is in line with the new FAO “Save and Grow” paradigm that helps to limit agriculture’s impact on climate change and strengthens resilience of open-field and greenhouse farming systems to socio-economic and climate risks. It is believed that greenhouse crop production is destined to play an increasingly important role in the Mediterranean climate environment as a means for sustainable crop intensification leading to optimization of water-use efficiency in an environment of water scarcity in addition to better control of product quality and safety, in line with the market demand, standards and regulations. By sharing their knowledge and experience, the authors of this publication wish to sustain the competitiveness of the vegetable greenhouse sector in the Mediterranean climate areas and contribute to its further development to the benefit of growers, consumers and the environment. This publication discusses the principles of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) as they may be applied to greenhouse farming in the Mediterranean climate areas. It illustrates different aspects of greenhouse crop production and protection with special emphasis on greenhouse technologies, design and climate control, cropping systems, in particular those practices which help reduce pests and diseases incidence in crops, integrated pest management, the use of adapted cultivars, and the need for traceability and product labelling.