Crop production in controlled-environment greenhouses with an integrated solar desalination system

Abstract

The burgeoning world population requires intensified efforts to increase food production, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. The authors report below on a controlled-environment saltwater greenhouse with integrated solar desalination which has been designed and field tested for food production. First results from the system, which uses passive design features to provide a continuous supply of freshwater from seawater, show its viability in producing high yields of crops irrigated only with water derived from the sea.