Green and camouflaged in the landscape, shaded, ventilated, it reduces high internal temperatures, helps workers, plants, fruits, and beneficial insects. A greenhouse as a result of applied research, the Sant'Orsola cooperative continues to fuel the chain of knowledge for the benefit of its members.
After two years of studies and experiments conducted in Valsugana and the Netherlands, the Sant'Orsola cooperative presented the project yesterday evening to its members in the auditorium of the Village and to those connected remotely. An absolute novelty.
Time to Renew Greenhouses
A greenhouse covered with special green films, camouflaged in the surrounding landscape, shaded. Designed to counter rising temperatures. Trentino in origin because the cooperative has local historical roots, but available to its member producers from the North to the South of Italy and to those interested in entering the fruit-growing sector.
But why a new greenhouse to replace the current tunnels?
Matteo Bortolini, after the initial greeting by President Silvio Bertoldi, said: "The new greenhouse we are proposing is the result of applied research, providing an immediately usable, operational solution for producers. It is time to renew our greenhouse infrastructure, which is on average 30 years old. Moreover, we have also found a way to help members bear the financial burden necessary to invest in the new facilities."
Gianluca Savini (right) and Kevin Kooper
Michele Plancher, head of the administrative and financial area of the cooperative, discussed access to bank credit. The conditions are advantageous for members with a forward-looking vision who wish to improve productivity and profitability while mitigating the effects of climate change by investing in new greenhouses.
Temperature and Water Use Reduction
Under traditional tunnels, summer temperatures in Trentino have reached 43 degrees Celsius (even higher elsewhere), making work more challenging for operators and affecting the health of beneficial insects used for biological control, as well as the plants themselves. Since 2022, researchers from Sant'Orsola's Experimental Field and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, an international center of excellence in advanced agriculture, have joined forces to test their analyses and trials on the farm of Paolo Pintarelli, a cooperative member and grower in Campiello di Levico. In his fields, new greenhouses were tested alongside traditional white tunnels for comparison.
Gianluca Savini, head of research, experimentation, and development at Sant'Orsola, and Kevin Koper from Wageningen University and Research, presented the results of their work aimed at reducing heat in greenhouses and improving the quality and production of strawberries and berries.
Increased Space and Ventilation
The new Trentino greenhouse proposed to members is larger than the current tunnels scattered across the territory. It is 40 meters long, double the current standard, just under 5 meters high, and 7.5 meters wide. The considerable size, the particular anchoring to the ground, and a cupola at the top enable an unprecedented level of internal ventilation. The introduced technology also allows the covering films to be placed and stored easily at the top of the structure.
The green covering films lower the average annual temperature by 3 degrees Celsius (which seems minimal but is significant), provide shading that reduces sunlight inside by 12%, and cut light on the leaves by 30%. Water usage is reduced by 14%. Analyses have shown that shading does not alter fruit quality; the taste remains the same, production capacity increases, and unused spaces are eliminated.
Yield Increase
In summary, yield per square meter increases by up to 20% compared to current tunnels. The necessary investment transforms Sant'Orsola members from traditional producers into modern agricultural entrepreneurs.
The coverings can withstand strong winds, heavy rain, hail, and snow up to 30 centimeters thick.
Supporting the need for change, Nicola Leonardi, the head of the cooperative's commercial area, also spoke during the evening.
He emphasized that the new greenhouse would enable Sant'Orsola to improve its performance in the national market. Growth is essential, he reminded members, as competition is increasingly fierce. Among other things, he pointed out that major international producers of well-known brands are now selling their fruits directly in Italy's most important markets, a development that must be addressed.
Source: S. Orsola
