Greenhouse Technology and Management

Dear Colleagues,

Greenhouse technology has evolved from being a niche cultivation system for specialty crops to becoming the backbone of intensive agriculture both in developed economies and in emerging markets. From a consumer point of view, greenhouse technology has provided a wide availability of high-quality fresh produce all year round at affordable prices, a factor that has undoubtedly permanently changed the market dynamics. From a technological point of view, the reasons for the rapid expansion of greenhouse technology and, in particular, of greenhouse horticulture are manifold, but one main factor arises above all other considerations: Satisfying the increasing consumer demand for the enhancement and stabilization of quality of produce is one of the most imperative challenges of modern agriculture. In this view, it is essential to remember that the product quality of field crops does not improve after harvest and, therefore, a deeper understanding of how to manipulate the pre-harvest factors to maintain and/or maximize the quality of produce going into storage is of crucial importance. The effects of pre-harvest factors on the ultimate quality of harvested products are often overlooked and underestimated, although a wide spectrum of pre-harvest factors, including environmental conditions and field management practices, directly or indirectly impacts the qualitative traits of field crops produce. Particularly, seasonal climatic conditions, soil fertility, variety selection, fertilization, irrigation, pest control, and harvest time play a crucial role in determining post-harvest quality attributes (such as color, flavor, texture, and nutritional value of the harvested product), deterioration, and, subsequently, consumers’ decision to purchase the product in the marketplace.

This Special Issue focuses on the role of pre-harvest factors in determining the product quality of field crops, with a major emphasis on the best agronomic practices, and enabling tools for obtaining products with high and stable quality. This issue will publish highly interdisciplinary studies embracing disciplines from agriculture and biology, to chemistry and human nutrition. All types of articles, such as original research, and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Araceli Peña
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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.

• greenhouse structures
• plant protection
• climate control
• horticulture
• greenhouse
• landscape
• ecosystems
• product quality
• field crops
• environment
• soil characteristics
• variety selection
• fertilization
• irrigation
• pest management