Strawberry and cucumber cultivation under fluorescent photoselective plastic films cover

In the present paper the efficiency of new fluorescent plastic films is evaluated, especially those including additives that work as green to red light converters. Two field tests were carried out in Spanish sites using a strawberry crop under a low tunnel and a cucumber crop under a Kyoto type tunnel-greenhouse. The film' evolution of light properties, the strawberry and cucumber yields and the population size of western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) were determined. The following films were tested: UV-absorbing fluorescent orange coextruded three layer and fluorescent magenta coextruded three layer. An UV-nonabsorbing white coextruded three layer film was used as film control. All the compared films were 75¿ thick. Measurement of light properties throughout crop production had the greatest PAR and UV transmission by the white coextruded three layer film (control). The yields and growth and development characteristics of strawberry and cucumber plants were quite irregular and were independent of the plastic film used. The maximum population of thrips were observed in the tunnel-greenhouses covered with control film. On the contrary, the minimum population of thrips was observed in UV-absorbing fluorescent magenta coextruded three layer film.