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Page count: 42

Water use efficiency in agriculture is crucially important in (semi-arid) regions. Greenhouse technology helps by combining a similar water consumption at a much higher yield, a better livelihood and labour opportunities. In this project, a demo centre was designed to disseminate innovations directly to growers. Design was based on computer simulations using local climate data. Two improved, span shaped, greenhouses and two traditional tunnels have been constructed in the Bekaa Valley. Cultivation is both in soil and in substrate, thus showing four steps in innovation. Cultivation started in April 2018 with tomatoes, followed by cucumber in October. Due to the limited project and growing period only preliminary conclusions can be drawn. The improved greenhouses showed a 3° higher night temperatures in April due to passive heating, the climate in summer and autumn was similar to the traditional greenhouses. The tomato production in the improved tunnels was 40% higher, mainly due to improved pollination. The effects on water use efficiency could not be demonstrated yet due to technical problems.