Technology Advances in Protected Horticulture
Weitang Song
China Agricultural University (CAU),Professor
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Chinese Solar Greenhouse
3. Conclusion
1. Introduction
Areas of Protected Horticulture in China（104 ha）
Year
Sum
1978
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
0.53
1.04
3.16
7.92
12.00
15.67
24.35
43.46
83.81
138.80
183.27
210.63
257.70
274.15
334.67
362.7
379.1
Small
Big and
Arch Shed Middle Shed
0.37
0.71
2.17
5.39
7.87
9.66
14.33
22.31
37.57
54.66
69.12
75.81
98.87
107.62
127.88
131.5
132.3
0.13
0.18
0.55
1.37
2.15
3.34
5.73
10.67
25.59
52.26
71.27
82.46
106.65
109.07
130.21
145.5
148.3
Energy-saving
General Solar
Heating
Multi-span
Solar
Greenhouse Greenhouse Greenhouse
Greenhouse
0.03
/
/
/
0.11
0.04
/
/
0.01
0.31
0.12
/
0.06
0.85
0.25
/
0.22
1.43
0.33
/
0.75
1.53
0.40
/
2.22
1.57
0.51
/
6.29
3.63
0.55
/
12.53
7.16
0.97
0.01
20.71
8.71
2.52
0.07
28.35
11.68
2.85
0.13
38.31
11.67
2.38
0.11
39.19
10.78
1.47
0.73
45.38
9.55
1.77
0.77
61.77
11.57
1.93
1.31
69.9
11.7
2.3
1.8
80.5
12.3
3.5
2.1
小拱棚 大中棚 节能日光温室 Heating
普通日光温室 加温温室 连栋温室
General Solar
Greenhouse
1
2
3 4 5 6
Greenhouse
Multi-span
3% 1%
1% Greenhouse
Energy-saving Solar
Greenhouse
Small
Arch Shed
21%
Big and Middle
Shed
35%
39%
Crop Distribution of Protected Horticulture(104 ha)
Year
Sum
2008
350
Vegetables 335
Percen-tage
(%)
Small
Arch
Shed
Big and Energy-saving
General
Heating
Multi-span
Middle
Solar
Solar
Greenhouse Greenhouse
Shed
Greenhouse Greenhouse
130
139
64
12
2.4
1.7
95.6
127
130
62
10
1.9
1.3
Orchards
9
2.6
7
5
1
1.6
0.1
Flowers
6
1.8
3
4
1
0.4
0.4
2010
363
131
145
70
12
2.3
1.8
94.9
128
134
66
11
1.8
1.3
Vegetables 344
Orchards
10
2.6
7
5
2
0.7
0.2
Flowers
9
2.5
3
6
2
0.3
0.3
2012
379
132
148
80
12
3.5
2
94.5
129
136
77
11
2
1.5
Vegetables 359
Orchards
11
2.9
7
8
2
0.6
0.9
Flowers
9
2.6
3
4
1
0.4
0.6
Regional distribution of Protected Vegetables
Bohai Bay and
Huang-Huai Area
The middle and
lower reaches of
Changjiang River
Northwest
Region
Other
Achievement

Ensure whole-year vegetable supply:
National output of protected vegetable is 2.5 hundred
million, with per capita 185.66 kg.
Promote employment and increase farmer
income:

Incept 27 million employees directly and 15 million
employees in related industry. Net output of protected
vegetable was more than 580 billion RMB in 2010.
Improve the status of protected vegetable
industry:

Utilizing 3.1% farmland, protected vegetable industry
accounts for 25% of output.
Features
 Low-carbon and energy-saving:
Eight hundred hectares of Energy-saving Solar Greenhouse can save
300 million tons of coal every year, which is equivalent to reduction of 800
million tons CO2, 2.6 million tons SO2 and 2.2 million tons NOx emissions.

Low cost and simple facilities:
Shed with bamboo-wood frame accounts for more than 60%, and Energysaving Solar Greenhouse with bamboo-wood and mud wall frame
accounts for 60%.

Mainly located in area with the lowest tepm.0~-25 oC：
Bohai Bay, Huang Huai Area, The middle and lower reaches of
Changjiang River, Northwest Region accounts for 88%, Solar
Greenhouse is located mainly in north.

Fruit vegetable as primary vegetables:
 Value the exploitation and utilization of low-yielding
fields and non-arable land:
2. Chinese Solar Greenhouse (CSG)
2.1 Charicteristics of CSG
Structure of CSG
Cover (plastic
film) on South
Surface
Back Roof
North Wall
N
S
Thermal Quilt
Cover on
South Surface
W
E
Main components of CSG
Thermal Quilt
Back Roof
North
Wall
Horizontal
Width of
Back Roof
Wall
Height
Roof
Height
N
Cover on
South Surface
S
Span
2.2 Property of CSG
① Low cost for construction (1/10～1/3 of Multi-span
Greenhouse )。
② Low running cost (no heating cost)。
③ Ample light in CSG during day: Light intensity in CSG on
sunny days during winter in Beijing(40o N) is more than
400mmol/(m2∙s)(25,000lx)，which is higher Multi-span
Greenhouse.
④ CSG warms quickly in day，an hour earlier than no-heating
Multi-span Greenhouse; good thermal insulation。Indoor temp.
is well above than outdoor’s in both day and night.
⑤ Production of warm-season vegetable during winter is
capable under no-heating condition in 32°N~43°N.
Sunny days: In day highest indoor temperature is 25~30 oC higher
than outdoor’s; In night lowest indoor temperature is 18~20 oC
higher than outdoor’s
35
oC)
Air Temperature(
气温(℃)
30
25
25 ~30℃
20
15
室内气温
Indoor Temperature
10
5
18 ~ 20℃
0
-5
-10
0
4
8
12
16
20
0
4
8
Outdoor Temperature
室外气温
-15
Time(h)
时刻(时)
35
Cloud days: In day highest indoor temperature is 18~22
oC higher than outdoor’s; In night lowest indoor
temperature is 15~18 oC higher than outdoor’s
30
Air Temperature(
气温(℃)oC)
25
Indoor
Temperature
室内气温
20
15
18 ~22℃
10
5
0
-5
-10
-15
0
4
8
12
16
20
0
4
8
15 ~ 18℃
室外气温
Outdoor
Temperature
Time(h)
As for common Multi-span Greenhouse, even with时刻(时)
good insulation
measures such as multilayer coverage ，in night lowest indoor temperature
is only 6~8 oC higher than outdoor’s without heating.
2.3 The recent development of CSG
1) Diversification of
Mode and Structure
Brick Wall CSG in Liaoning Province
Cob Wall CSG in
Liaoning Province
Cob Wall CSG in
Liaoning Province
under construction
CSG in Beijing
Thermal Quilt
Back Roof
Cover on
South Surface
1~1.5m
North
Wall
N
0.5~0.8m
3~4m
Insulation
Material
Clay Brick
8~10m
Typical Brick Wall CSG
S
Thickness of
the top of wall
d2=1.5~3m
Ridge Height
Hj=4~5m
Wall Height
Hq=3.5~4.5m
N
Thickness of
the bottom of
wall d1=4~8m
Incline of
Sinking depth
Interior Wall
of flooring
dq=0.2~1m H =0.5~1.5m
c
Net Span
L=10~14m
Thick Cob Wall Long-span Sinking CSG
in Shandong Province
S
Thick Cob Wall Long-span Sinking CSG
in Shandong Province
Thick Cob Wall Long-span Sinking CSG
in Shandong Province
Thick Cob Wall Longspan Sinking CSG
in Shandong Province
Double-span CSG
Multi-span CSG
South and North double-span(sunny and shady type) CSG
Sunny shed serves same purpose as common CSG.
 Shady shed has warming effect on the back wall.
 Due to the poor light conditions and low temp.(still
higher than open field),shady shed is used to cultivate
crops like edible mushroom, shade-loving leafy vegetable
and flowers.
 Increase land use efficiency.

Shady
Shed
Sunny
Shed
South and North double-span
(sunny and shady type) CSG
Mountain (sloping field) CSG
Located in the south of slopes,
where is sunny and leeward.
(south by east or west <15o)
Advantages:
High
land use efficiency.
Long
sunlight time and good light
condition
Good
heat insulation.
Mountain (sloping field) CSG in
Ansai County, Shaanxi Province
2） Improve synthetical control ability of
CSG environment

Mechanical ventilation and cooling system

Sun-shading device

Vent opening control system

CO2 enrichment technology (straw biological
reactor et al.)

Soilless cultivation

Application of internet technology
Add mechanical ventilation ,
cooling and shading systems
to lower indoor temperature
in summer.
Electric vent opening device could improve the effect
of environmental regulation and working efficiency.
Soilless cultivation
in CSG
Organic Substrates
Cultivation
Circulating Sponge
Substrate Cultivation
3. Conclusion
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering
in Structure and Environment
Ministry of Agriculture
Academic board
Key Laboratory of Agricultural
Engineering in Structure and
Environment
Professional (Regional) Key Laboratory
Key
Laboratory
of Farm
building in
Structure
and
Constructi
on
Key
Laboratory
of
Protected
Horticultur
e Facility
and
intelligent
control
Key
Laboratory
of Energy
Conservatio
n and waste
Treatment of
Agriculture
Structure
Key
Laboratory
of
Protected
Horticultur
e
Engineerin
g in
Northwest
China Agriculture
University
Scientific observation
experiment stations
Observation
experiment
stations of
Protected
Horticulture
Engineering
in
NorthEast
Observation
experiment
stations of
Protected
Horticulture
Engineering
in
Huanghuaiha
i
Observation
experiment
stations of
Facility
Cultivation
Enginnering
in South
west
Main Researches:
 1. Development strategy and planning of protected
agriculture regional characteristic industry
 2. Production technology mode innovation and
environmental control technology of protected agriculture
 3. Security and standardization of agricultural facilities
structure
 4. Production equipment and intelligent control technology
of protected agriculture
 5. Energy Conservation and waste treatment of protected
agriculture
 6. Protected horticulture engineering technology in
northwest area
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering
in Structure and Environment has been
committed to the development of protected
agriculture and industrial upgrading in
China , especially vegetable industry. Hope
we could work together for the rapid
development of China blueberry industry in
the future.
谢谢
Thanks