Horticultural Crop Cultivation in Greenhouse Ecosystems: Environmental Regulation and Sustainable Production
A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Protected Culture".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 July 2026 | Viewed by 13
Special Issue Editors
Interests: horticulture; plant photobiology; controlled environment agriculture; plant physiology; vegetable grafting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops has increased in recent decades. The growth and productivity of plants depend on their genetic potential (i.e., their species and variety or hybrid) as well as the environment in which they develop. The environmental factors that critically affect the growth and productivity of plants in a greenhouse can be divided into two groups:
- Factors that affect the functions performed in the above-ground parts of plants, which are primarily radiation (light), heat (temperature), humidity, and carbon dioxide.
- Factors that affect the functions performed in the roots of plants, which are mainly heat (temperature), water, oxygen, inorganic nutrients, and pH.
The canopy environment is influenced by the greenhouse conditions, while the root environment is influenced by the soil, growing substrate, or hydroponic cultivation system used in the greenhouse.
To maximize production, it is not sufficient to adjust each environmental factor to a specific optimal point; rather, all factors must be regulated in in relation to each other. In addition, in recent years, horticultural cultivation has expanded to indoor farming, where precise control of environmental conditions is a key factor.
The objectives for future greenhouses can be summarized as follows: the creation of a suitable microclimate for the production of fresh plant products, the production of the highest-quality products, economically beneficial operation, minimal use of pesticides, the sustainable use of production inputs with a focus on environmental protection, operation independent of conventional fuels, and the utilization of excess solar energy during the day for other activities.
This Special Issue, “Horticultural Crop Cultivation in Greenhouse Ecosystems: Environmental Regulation and Sustainable Production”, aims to present research papers, short communications and review articles that demonstrate recent findings in this field.
Dr. Filippos Bantis
Dr. Ioannis Lycoskoufis
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- solar radiation
- artificial lighting
- shading
- carbon dioxide
- dehumidification
- ventilation
- cooling
- mist
- heating
- resource-use efficiency
- air recirculation
- pH
- electrical conductivity
- nutrient solution
- water-use efficiency
- available water
- root-zone temperature
- dissolved oxygen
- irrigation
- vertical farms
- plant factories
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