Use of pigmented mesh covers tunnels and mulchings for growing roquette: environmental effects on model plants

The use of pigmented screens for growing vegetable crops provides an opportunity for adjusting environmental conditions, especially for roquette. This vegetable crop is consumed mainly as raw, and has a large proportion in Brazilian vegetable market since 1990s. The present research was aimed to evaluate the effect the altered environmental conditions (by using pigmented screens tunnels) on agronomic performance of roquette, grown inside tunnels having different color covers. Coverage screens colors were blue, red, silver, screen of shading 50% and transparent plastic. Beside this the effect of different mulching practices was also evaluated inside the tunnels. The experiment was laid out under randomized complete blocks design with 24 treatments and three replications. The results of the experiment under such conditions changed environmental and soil conditions and resulted in improved agronomic response by roquette plants.