University of Guayaquil Builds Experimental Station in Warm Tropical Agroplasticulture

Abstract

The INEC indicates that eight out of every ten Ecuadorians live in poverty and two of them in extreme situations. Small agricultural units with low productivity only allow for subsistence livelihoods. To take advantage of the marginal lands, the universities of Guayaquil and Almería - Spain will work together to investigate agroplasculture in: efficient risk systems, non-polluting high production nutrition. The crops for the investigations are vegetables grown under protected conditions. The main components of the station are: greenhouses of various technologies, each 40 m wide and 60 m long, with a northwesterly direction. The cover is made of tricarpic plastic, a regulating bag covered with a polyethylene geomembrane to guarantee the permanent supply of water, a risk station with automated computers, a risk head and a nutrient solutions tank. Pipes loaded with water with fertilizers are derived from the header. They also have fertigation efficiency control meters. Rainwater evacuation system, road network, electrical energy, infrastructure for transfer and training, soil laboratories, microbiology, biological controllers, and basic organic fertilizer fever, post-harvest room, cold room, for conservation of the harvested product.