For some special plants that have high requirements for the growth environment, such as orchids and phalaenopsis, greenhouses provide ideal growth conditions. By precisely controlling parameters such as light and temperature, the growth needs of these plants can be met. In addition, greenhouses can also be used for customs inspection, quarantine and isolation of plants related to import and export.
1. Environmental regulation and crop growth optimization
Greenhouses can effectively control environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, etc., create suitable growth conditions for crops, and reduce the impact of adverse climate on agricultural production. For example, through heating and ventilation systems, greenhouses can maintain suitable temperatures in cold seasons; through shade nets and fill lights, light intensity and duration can be precisely controlled. Improve yield and quality, a stable and optimized growth environment helps crops grow and develop, reduces the occurrence of pests and diseases, and thus improves yield and quality. The environmental conditions in the greenhouse can be precisely controlled to keep crops in the best growth state, thereby improving yield and quality.
(1) Temperature Regulation: Greenhouses should be equipped with temperature - control systems. In cold - weather seasons, heating equipment like air - source heat pumps can be used to raise the indoor temperature. For example, in northern regions during winter, maintaining the temperature of a tomato - planting greenhouse at around 20 - 25°C during the day and 15 - 18°C at night is beneficial for tomato growth. In hot - weather seasons, measures such as installing shading nets and using evaporative cooling systems can be taken to lower the temperature.
(2) Humidity Regulation: Controlling the humidity in greenhouses is crucial. Excessive humidity can lead to the occurrence of diseases and pests, while too - low humidity is not conducive to crop growth. Humidity - control methods include ventilation, which can be adjusted according to weather conditions and crop growth stages. For instance, in a cucumber - planting greenhouse, the relative humidity should be maintained at 70% - 80% during the day and 85% - 90% at night during the fruiting period. Additionally, the use of drip - irrigation systems can precisely supply water, reducing water evaporation and maintaining appropriate soil and air humidity.
(3) Light Regulation: Supplementing and adjusting light is an important part of greenhouse environmental regulation. In winter or in low - light - intensity regions, artificial light - supplementation equipment such as LED grow - lights can be used. Different crops have different light - requirements. For example, strawberry plants require 12 - 15 hours of light per day during the flowering and fruiting period. The light - intensity and spectrum can be adjusted according to the growth needs of crops. Moreover, the selection of high - transmittance greenhouse films and regular cleaning of the film surface can improve the utilization efficiency of natural light.
(4) Gas - Concentration Regulation: Controlling the concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO) in greenhouses is beneficial for crop photosynthesis. CO - enrichment equipment can be used to increase the CO concentration. Usually, in the morning after sunrise, when the photosynthesis of crops is strong, the CO concentration in the greenhouse can be increased to 800 - 1200 ppm. This can significantly enhance the photosynthetic efficiency of crops and promote their growth and development. At the same time, proper ventilation is necessary to maintain a suitable oxygen concentration and remove harmful gases.
2. Off-season production and meeting market demand
Greenhouses enable agricultural products to be supplied to the market during non-natural growing seasons, meet people's demand for fresh agricultural products in different seasons, and increase the market value of agricultural products. By precisely controlling the environmental conditions in the greenhouse, the growth environment required for crops can be simulated to achieve off-season production. Greenhouses can also grow some crops that were originally restricted by geography and climate, enriching the variety of agricultural products and meeting the diversified needs of the market.
(1) Ensuring Year - Round Supply: Different crops have specific growing seasons in nature. However, through greenhouse off - season production, this natural limitation can be overcome. For example, in regions with cold winters, vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, which are not typically available during the winter months, can be grown in greenhouses. This ensures that consumers can purchase a wide variety of fresh vegetables throughout the year, not just during the traditional growing seasons.
(2) Meeting the Demand for Exotic and High - Value Crops: Greenhouse off - season production also enables the cultivation of exotic and high - value crops that are not native to the local area or are out of season. Consumers' demand for unique and high - quality produce is increasing. By creating the ideal growing environment in greenhouses, farmers can grow fruits like kiwis and blueberries, which are not commonly grown locally, or grow certain flowers out of season for special occasions. This helps meet the market's demand for diverse and high - value products, providing consumers with more choices and satisfying their preferences for unique and premium - quality items.
(3) Stabilizing Prices: The law of supply and demand has a significant impact on agricultural product prices. When a particular crop is in short supply due to the off - season, its price tends to rise significantly. Greenhouse off - season production helps to stabilize prices by increasing the supply of these crops during the off - season. With a more stable supply, the market is less affected by seasonal shortages, and price fluctuations are reduced. This benefits both consumers, who can purchase products at more reasonable prices, and farmers, who can enjoy more stable income.
(4) Reducing Dependence on Imports: In many regions, the local market's demand for certain agricultural products exceeds the local supply during the off - season, leading to a reliance on imports. By developing greenhouse off - season production, the need to import these products can be reduced. For example, if a country can produce a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables in greenhouses during the winter instead of relying on imports from other countries, it can save foreign exchange, enhance food security, and support the development of the local agricultural industry.
(5) Meeting the Demand for Fresh - Cut and Processed Products: In addition to meeting the direct demand for fresh - market produce, greenhouse - grown crops also serve the needs of the fresh - cut and processed food industries. These industries require a stable supply of high - quality raw materials throughout the year. Greenhouse off - season production can provide a continuous supply of suitable crops, ensuring the smooth operation of these industries and meeting the market demand for processed food products such as canned fruits, frozen vegetables, and fresh - cut salads.
3. Scientific research and teaching applications
The environmental parameters in the greenhouse can be precisely controlled, making it an ideal place for agricultural scientific research and biotechnology research. Researchers can conduct experiments such as crop breeding, genetic engineering, and biotechnology here to explore the mysteries of crop growth. Greenhouses are also suitable for agricultural education and training, providing students with an intuitive place to learn and practice. Students can learn crop growth knowledge, greenhouse management technology, modern agricultural technology, etc. here to improve their comprehensive quality and practical ability.
4. Sightseeing and ecological agriculture
Greenhouses can be used as a sightseeing agricultural facility to attract tourists to visit and experience the charm of modern agriculture. Combined with creative agriculture, leisure agriculture and other models, a diversified agricultural industry can be developed. Greenhouses are combined with catering to form ecological restaurants. Customers can enjoy green plants while dining and enjoy the perfect combination of nature and food. However, it should be noted that relevant policies stipulate that greenhouses built on agricultural land cannot engage in leisure and catering activities that are not related to agricultural breeding.
5. Precision agricultural management and resource utilization
Greenhouses facilitate the implementation of precise irrigation, fertilization, pest control and other management measures to improve the scientificity and efficiency of agricultural production. Through intelligent control systems, environmental data in greenhouses can be monitored and analyzed in real time to provide decision support for agricultural production. Greenhouses can significantly improve the utilization efficiency of resources such as water and fertilizers through precise environmental control and automated operations. For example, water-saving irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation and micro-spraying can be used to reduce water waste; through precise fertilization, fertilizer input can be reduced and fertilizer utilization can be improved.
