Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 45 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYHorticulturae

Innovations in Agronomy and Their Impact on Greenhouse Vegetable Yields: Species-Specific Perspectives

  • Dimitrios Fanourakis1
  • Theodora Makraki1
  • Emmanouil Vlachogiannakis2
  • Georgios Tsaniklidis3
  • O. Körner4
  • Georgia Ntatsi5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, Landscape and Environment, Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 71004 Heraklion, Greece
  2. 2Biogenus LTD, Menelaou Parlama 106, 71304 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
  3. 3Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Plants and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ‘ELGO-Dimitra’ Kastorias 32A, 71307 Heraklion, Greece
  4. 4Next-Generation Horticultural Systems, Leibniz Institute for Horticultural Sciences (IGZ), 14979 Grossbeeren, Germany
  5. 5Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Open at sourceDOICite

Abstract

Tomato, cucumber, and sweet pepper represent the backbone of greenhouse vegetable cultivation. Over recent decades, developments in agronomic practices have been central to improving yield, resource-use efficiency, resilience to abiotic stresses, and product quality. This review synthesizes dispersed evidence on water and nutrient management, cultivar improvement, grafting, canopy management, biological inputs, and postharvest-oriented agronomy, while highlighting that the three crops exhibit markedly different responses to these practices. These responses are primarily driven by crop-specific differences in source–sink balance, root-zone regulation, canopy architecture, reproductive stability, and postharvest metabolic regulation. Tomato typically demonstrates substantial improvements in yield and water use efficiency under optimized fertigation strategies, with canopy management additionally promoting source–sink balance and stress resilience. Cucumber, by contrast, is particularly sensitive to water deficits, salinity, and nutrient imbalances, necessitating stricter control of irrigation and fertilization to maintain stable root-zone water flux and transpiration dynamics. Sweet pepper often exhibits greater physiological complexity, as yield stability is strongly influenced by microclimate-sensitive metabolic and ionic balance, frequently associated with trade-offs in quality, including firmness, color development, and nutritional composition. The success of grafting, microbial inoculants, and biostimulants further varies considerably among crops, reinforcing the need for crop-specific strategies rather than generalized approaches. Postharvest-oriented agronomy, involving the regulation of nutrient supply, harvest timing, and canopy structure, is becoming increasingly important for prolonging shelf life and improving quality in line with market demands. Sustainability-oriented practices, including nutrient recycling and water-saving strategies, additionally contribute to reducing environmental burdens while maintaining profitability. By identifying species-specific physiological constraints and agronomic priorities, this review highlights that crop-customized and physiologically integrated management strategies are essential for improving productivity, resilience, and quality in protected cultivation.

Related

  1. Apoplastic retention over vacuolar sequestration: a potential more efficient strategy limiting root-to-shoot cadmium translocation in leafy vegetable crops
    Yingying Huang, Huiling Fu, Baifei Huang +2
    Plant Physiology and BiochemistryPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC7 citedEnvironmental science & pollutionOpenAlex
  2. Grow against the flow: The impact of off-season vegetable production in Cambodia
    Liz Ignowski, Pepijn Schreinemachers, Mercy Mwambi +2
    PLOS OnePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textGeneral biologyGeneral earth sciencePLOS
  3. Photocatalytic strategies for mitigating microplastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
    Marjan Salari, Chin Wei Lai, Ali Saber +1
    iSciencePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0CatalysisEnvironmental science & pollutionCrossrefCell Press
  4. Precession and meltwater control of greenhouse gas emissions from terrestrial sources during the last glacial period
    Mateo Duque-Villegas, Thomas Kleinen, Victor Brovkin +3
    EGUspherePreprintCC BY 4.0General earth scienceEGUsphere
  5. Résilience et réactivité des pêcheurs artisans sénégalais : la crise écologique comme moteur d’innovations
    El Hadj Bara Dème, Patrice Brehmer, Aliou Ba +1
    Mondes en DéveloppementPeer-reviewedLicence not statedFull text14 citedEnvironmental science & pollutionHAL

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{fanourakis2026innovations,
  title = {{Innovations in Agronomy and Their Impact on Greenhouse Vegetable Yields: Species-Specific Perspectives}},
  author = {Dimitrios Fanourakis and Theodora Makraki and Emmanouil Vlachogiannakis and Georgios Tsaniklidis and O. Körner and Georgia Ntatsi},
  journal = {Horticulturae},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.3390/horticulturae12060684},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12060684},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Innovations in Agronomy and Their Impact on Greenhouse Vegetable Yields: Species-Specific Perspectives
AU  - Dimitrios Fanourakis
AU  - Theodora Makraki
AU  - Emmanouil Vlachogiannakis
AU  - Georgios Tsaniklidis
AU  - O. Körner
AU  - Georgia Ntatsi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/31
JO  - Horticulturae
DO  - 10.3390/horticulturae12060684
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12060684
AB  - Tomato, cucumber, and sweet pepper represent the backbone of greenhouse vegetable cultivation. Over recent decades, developments in agronomic practices have been central to improving yield, resource-use efficiency, resilience to abiotic stresses, and product quality. This review synthesizes dispersed evidence on water and nutrient management, cultivar improvement, grafting, canopy management, biological inputs, and postharvest-oriented agronomy, while highlighting that the three crops exhibit markedly different responses to these practices. These responses are primarily driven by crop-specific differences in source–sink balance, root-zone regulation, canopy architecture, reproductive stability, and postharvest metabolic regulation. Tomato typically demonstrates substantial improvements in yield and water use efficiency under optimized fertigation strategies, with canopy management additionally promoting source–sink balance and stress resilience. Cucumber, by contrast, is particularly sensitive to water deficits, salinity, and nutrient imbalances, necessitating stricter control of irrigation and fertilization to maintain stable root-zone water flux and transpiration dynamics. Sweet pepper often exhibits greater physiological complexity, as yield stability is strongly influenced by microclimate-sensitive metabolic and ionic balance, frequently associated with trade-offs in quality, including firmness, color development, and nutritional composition. The success of grafting, microbial inoculants, and biostimulants further varies considerably among crops, reinforcing the need for crop-specific strategies rather than generalized approaches. Postharvest-oriented agronomy, involving the regulation of nutrient supply, harvest timing, and canopy structure, is becoming increasingly important for prolonging shelf life and improving quality in line with market demands. Sustainability-oriented practices, including nutrient recycling and water-saving strategies, additionally contribute to reducing environmental burdens while maintaining profitability. By identifying species-specific physiological constraints and agronomic priorities, this review highlights that crop-customized and physiologically integrated management strategies are essential for improving productivity, resilience, and quality in protected cultivation.
SN  - 2311-7524
ER  -