plastic seaA study of the IMIDE opens a new line of work with the transformative companies of the sector of plastic.

The Murcian Institute of research and agricultural development and food (IMIDE), dependent of the Ministry of water, Agriculture and environment, It has been found that greenhouse covering materials, with the optimum formulation for the transmission of certain radiation, It can be considered as the nutritional characteristics of tomato Enhancer factor.

The IMIDE, through FEDER funds, It has financed the project 'Improvement of productivity and the quality of the production of protected vegetable cultivation induced by the multifunctionality of plastic materials'.

This project has been linked a PhD Fellowship, that has allowed the realization of the doctoral thesis entitled ' effect of environmental conditions on the agronomic behaviour, quality and antioxidant capacity of tomato grown under different covering materials ', made by the PhD student Marta Rodríguez Alburquerque, and directed collaboratively by the Dr. Josefa López Marín, of the Department of horticulture of the IMIDE, and Juana Morillas Ruiz, the Department of food technology and nutrition of the UCAM, He obtained the qualification of outstanding cum laude.

According to the researcher of the IMIDE, Josefa López, studies on the influence of different types of radiation are scarce, as one of the environmental factors, on vegetative and productive development of the plant, as well as the presence in the fruit of such important principles for human health as antioxidants, hydrosoluble and liposoluble.

In this sense, the Director of the IMIDE, Juana Mulero, He noted that this research "opens a new line of work to develop between processing firms in the plastics industry and agricultural and academic research centers that have carried out the project mentoring".

The obtained results indicate that the highest levels of UVA radiation and temperature influence positively in the organoleptic quality of the fruits and the increase in UVB index of macronutrients. In addition, the increase in the fraction of grape provides seniors and best values of antioxidant activity in general, and the reduction of UVB, the lipophilic phase and the content of lycopene.

Also, the greater thermal induction effect of radiation-induced inside the greenhouse go, favors activity antioxidant levels, as well as the rate of most of the contents of the fruit.

Methodology

After use of five cover materials of permeabilities alternatives to solar radiation in the mentioned project, There are no sensitive agronomic differences between crop, Although in terms of content in the fruit of different treatments. This may be motivated by the environmental capacity of the greenhouse, not sufficiently dimensioned to transfer the inertia of the environmental variations generated with the use of different covers.

For this reason, it is recommended that results are found using a similar methodology in culture of some units 200 M2, before being transferred to the producer sector.

Covering materials

Plastic cover materials provide different benefits depending on the polymer base of its composition, Add to that generated by a range of additives that can be incorporated.

As a result, you get cover films that can select the quantity and quality of the radiation that penetrates into the interior of the greenhouse and is absorbed by the plant. The presence of an additive, formulated with a technical objective, as mitigate aging of the film cover, enhancing the opacity of UV radiation, It can cause side effects on the indices of the number content of the fruit, Thus varying its nutritional value.