DEVELOPMENT OF A GREENHOUSE BY USING SOLAR ENERGY FOR PRODUCING PEPPER CROP

This study aimed to utilization of solar energy as a renewable energy source to enhance the environment of greenhouse for pepper crop production through comparing between two greenhouses. Two semicircle greenhouses (30 m × 6 m × 3 m) were used to achieve the objective of this study. The solar collector with vacuum tubes was used for heating greenhouse (developed greenhouse). The second, greenhouse without any heating sources (traditional greenhouse). This study indicated that the heating system for greenhouse has a big effect of temperature distribution uniformity inside the greenhouse. The soil temperatures for developed greenhouse were 17.2, 16.49, 16.68 and 17.11 °C at soil depth 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm respectively. The highest values of ultra violet (UV) dose were 13 and 10.2 mJ.cm-2 for developed greenhouse and traditional greenhouse respectively. The highest values of heating degree day (HDD) were 0.3 °C and 0.1 °C for traditional greenhouse and developed greenhouse respectively. Generally, the developed greenhouse was lower needy to cooling degree day (CDD) and HDD than traditional greenhouse. The heating system for developed greenhouse has a significant agronomic effect especially on the precocity of the production. Developed greenhouse was better than traditional greenhouse for all vegetative growth of pepper plant parameters. Pepper crop specification of developed greenhouse yield was better than traditional greenhouse especially second packing for all early yield and yield components of pepper plant parameters.