Sustainable Environmental Management in Greenhouse Crop Production

Advances in crop and product physiology underpin sustainable food systems, with greenhouse production providing vital flexibility in safeguarding food supply amid fluctuating environmental conditions. However, conventional greenhouse practices—particularly those relying on artificial heating and cooling—often lead to high energy demands and environmental impacts. Recent plant science research emphasizes the urgent need to balance high yield and crop quality with resource efficiency. Passive climate control strategies are increasingly recognized for their potential to create more favorable plant growth environments, yet questions remain regarding their physiological effects and impact on crop productivity.This Research Topic seeks to identify, evaluate, and optimize passive climate control solutions that can modulate greenhouse microclimate and impact plant physiological responses. The main objective is to deepen our understanding of how design innovations—such as natural ventilation, novel glazing, adaptable shading, and reflective materials—influence key physiological processes, including photosynthesis, transpiration, stress tolerance, and yield formation. We aim to clarify how these strategies can be precisely leveraged in different climate contexts to support sustainable greenhouse crop productivity, with a special focus on the underlying physiological mechanisms and modeling approaches relevant to crop physiology.The scope is focused on studies integrating passive environmental control with investigations of plant physiological responses and productivity in protected cultivation systems. Both experimental and modeling contributions are welcomed, especially those that unravel interactions between passive structures and crop performance.To gather further insights in sustainable climate management and its influence on crop and product physiology, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Effects of passive ventilation and microclimate modification on plant growth- Impact of innovative covering and shading materials on crop physiology and yield quality- Physiological mechanisms underlying plant responses to passive control strategies- Modeling and simulation of microclimate–physiology interactions in greenhouses- Integration of structural innovation with resource efficiency in crop systems- Comparative studies across different crops and climate zones- Sustainable production in challenging environments Topic editors: Alejandro López Martínez, Fátima Baptista, MARÍADE LOS ÁNGELES MORENO TERUEL Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79027/sustainable-environmental-management-in-greenhouse-crop-production