Modelling of the microclimate of a greenhouse - A review

Greenhouses are used to control or modify many of the environmental factors affecting plant growth. If the environment is controlled, crops can be produced for specific market dates and the quality maintained by eliminating many of the variations and hazards associated with weather. A greenhouse is a structure covered with transparent material that utilizes solar radiant energy to grow plants. The greenhouse environment is represented by a group of spatial average values of climatic factors, such as radiation, temperature and humidity, which affect plant growth and development. The assemblage of environmental factors surrounding living plants in a greenhouse is best termed as greenhouse microclimate. It is this greenhouse microclimate that directly governs energy and mass exchanges and influences plant metabolic activities. The advantages of greenhouse microclimate studies are that it quantitatively describes the energy and mass transfer processes within the canopy, the exchange processes between air and plant elements and other surfaces, and the ways in which plants respond to environmental factors. However, very little information is available on the modeling of the microclimate of a greenhouse. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the research carried out by scientists in modeling of the microclimate of a greenhouse.