A research on technical and structural properties of greenhouses in Kumluca district of Antalya

The aims of this study were to determine technical and structural properties of greenhouses in Kumluca district of Antalya, and to find solutions for problems concerning to the greenhouses. This resarch was conducted in Kumluca district of Antalya, where intensive greenhouse growing are made, during the year of 2006 (June, July and August). The study was made as an questionnaire survey. For improving representativeness of the questionnaire survey, the greenhouses were separated to 5 layers by the using of Layered Sampling Method as the consideration of greenhouses floor areas so that 76 greenhouses were selected to make questionnaire. The number of greenhouses in each determined layer were determined by Neyman Method. The questionnaire has been contained plant production in the greenhouses, structural properties, design and planning criteria, adequacy of inside environmental conditions and greenhouse growers'problems. Moreover, findings related with ventilation, heating and cooling system of the greenhouses were recorded. As these systems are important for designing and inside environmental of greenhouses. According to research results, the total area of 76 greenhouses investigation was found as 167990 m2. 47511 m2 of the total greenhouses were covered by glass and 120479 m2of the total were covered by PE films. Average floor area of the greenhouses were determined as 2.2 da (2200 m2). The percentage of seedlings production greenhouses was 17.1 % and the rest ovan for vegetable production. Crops in vegetable production greenhouses were determined as tomato (41 %), pepper (24 %), egplant (21 %), squash (7 %), water melon (4 %) and cucumber (3 %). In this study, it was found that 82.9 and 17.1 % of the whole greenhouses were growing greenhouses and production greenhouses, respectively. The whole greenhouses were not suitable for the region climatic conditions except production greenhouses of private companies as the side of design and planning criterias. Also, ventilation, heating and cooling systems of vegetable production greenhouses were not sufficient. For these reasons, it could be said that greenhouse growing in Kumluca was not modern. At the end of the study, prototype greenhouses were developed as a glass covered saddle roof and PE film covered gothic arched roof and their flor areas were 432 m2 (9×48) and 416 m2 (8×52), respectively. These prototype greenhouses were suggested to improve structural properties of the greenhouses and expansion of modern greenhouse growing in the region.