| Abstrakt: |
Greenhouse (GH) technology has been employed in the production of selected crops under a controlled environment for maximum yield. Most often, flowers, medicinal plants and short-duration arable crops are most favoured for cultivation in greenhouses for research and commercial production purposes. Greenhouse is beginning to gain acceptance and usage in crop production in Nigeria in particular. This paper focused on the: origin of greenhouse, type of GH, general research trend in GH development/technology, adaptable irrigation type for GH farming, design criteria for GH, trends in smart GH/farming and GH development and utilization across the globe to produce food crops sufficiently and for future food scarcity. Site selection is a key factor for profitable and sustainable greenhouse production where factors like climate, topography, irrigation water, soil characteristics, flooded areas, air pollution, expansion, labour availability, communications network and orientation affect the utilization of greenhouses for research and production purposes. The types, styles, materials selection and uses, sizes of greenhouses, should be considered in conjunction with factors that determine the siting of greenhouses. Existing localized irrigation methods commonly utilized for crop cultivation include surface (Sprinkler), subsurface (Drip, emitter). The selection of types of GH and irrigation method depends on influencing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
