Improvement in pesticide application on greenhouse crops: results of a survey about greenhouse structures in Italy

Horticultural crops in Italy are grown on about 33,000 hectares under frame. This type of cultivation, in plastic tunnel or in glasshouse, due to its peculiar conditions, is a very specific agro-system where diffusion of diseases and weeds is very likely. Therefore this cultivation system marks itself out because of a very high pesticide consumption, leading to heavy problems for the operator security. Therefore the choice of the type of sprayer and its way of use should be made taking into account some parameters, among other things the type of greenhouse. Within the framework of the Research Project about pesticide application in greenhouses started in 2005, a survey was taken about the situation of under frame cultivation in Italy. This was made by means of questionnaires which were filled up at 184 greenhouse growers in six Italian regions where under frame cultivation is very important. The survey regarded many features of the farms, and among them the type of structures. The results of the surveys pointed out the presence of a wide variety of types of structures, plants and spraying equipments; in particular, the most common type of structure resulted the multiple tunnel with plastic coverage fitted on an iron framework