The use of plastic film to promote early cultivation is common by small farmers in Northern China for out of season facility fresh grape production, but the lack of effective technical indicators, sensors and temperature control techniques for facility temperature management has resulted in high cost and low yields. To explore effective ways of enhancing grape yield and quality through temperature monitoring and precise temperature control by sensors under the current plastic covering systems of small farmers. By providing a resident service in the Science and Technology Backyard (STB) and using intelligent sensors to monitor and manage the temperature in small farmers' facilities in real-time (on an hourly basis). We found that the phenological and effective accumulated temperature in plastic film-covered facilities was significantly different from those in open field cultivation, with a 15.9% advance in the phenological process and 19.5% reduction in effective accumulated temperature requirements, as well as a 51.4% increase in effective accumulated temperature requirements during the vegetative stage. In the case of the delay in temperature regulation of the plastic film cover system, it is necessary to control the minimum temperature and high temperature to match the effective accumulated temperature demand. By installing the Pycno temperature sensor, using units of minutes, accurately monitoring the temperature changes inside and outside the facility, and deploying smoke to prevent low temperature and open the air outlet to control the high temperature at the right time, plastic film can reduce the proportion of effective accumulated temperature distribution during the vegetative stage by 3.2% and reduce the vigorous growth of new shoots by 22.2%. The result had shown 40.2% increase in spike weight and 30.1% increase in yield. By combining real-time sensor monitoring with grape growth and development indicators, we have quantified the difference in effective temperature requirements between the vegetative and reproductive growth periods of grapes in current smallholder plastic cover systems and open field cultivation systems. By combining sensor monitoring and technical services in a precise manner, the production of grapes in facilities under smallholder plastic cover systems can also achieve smart agriculture and gain yield and quality improvements.
Keywords: Effective accumulated temperature; Facilities for early cultivation; Science and technology backyard; Temperature regulation; Temperature sensors; Vegetative and reproductive stage.
© 2023 The Authors.