Using plastic house shading in the summer improves eggplant and sweet pepper yield

Shading is a way of cooling in hot and sunny areas to modify the microclimate and improve crop growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of shading treatments on eggplant and sweet pepper growth, under plastic house conditions, at the beginning of the summer, when there are high temperatures and solar radiation intensity. The plastic covers were lifted at the beginning of April and the shading nets used in May and June. The shading treatment improved the plant height, vegetative weight, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, plant yield and total yield per plastic house for both crops, especially for the sweet pepper. The sweet pepper hybrid (Charisma) and the local variety of eggplant showed the highest values for most of the studied characteristics.