This document provides an overview of protected cultivation of vegetable crops. It discusses the need for protected cultivation due to factors like globalization, climate change, and shrinking land. Protected cultivation ensures higher yields, quality, and profits. India has seen growth in protected cultivation, especially in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand. The document outlines the potential crops well-suited for protected cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, including tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber, and french beans. It also discusses polyhouse design principles, types of polyhouses from low to high-cost, and considerations for site selection, orientation, and production systems. The key challenges of greenhouse cultivation include climate control and management of

1. Submitted to: Dr. Parveen Sharma
Speaker: Harmanjeet Singh(A-2015-30-075)
Protected Cultivation
Of
Vegetable crops

2. CONTENT
• Introduction
• Protected cultivation
• Need of protected cultivation
• Present scenario
• Protected cultivation in hills
• Potential crops for protected cultivation
• Area and productivity of vegetables under protected cultivation in H.P.
• Principle of polyhouse
• Site selection
• Types of polyhouses
• Production systems and media for protected cultivation
• Problem management in greenhouse cultivation

3. INTRODUCTION
• With globalization of markets, shrinking land and
climate change, the protected cultivation of high value
crops has emerged as the single most important
technology for ensuring:
 high productivity
 improved quality and
 profitable returns

4. Protected cultivation on commercial scale is
undertaken in over 50 countries across the globe.
First modern greenhouses were built in Italy in the
thirteenth century.
In India, green house technology started in 1980
and initially it was used for research only.
In India, first polyhouse was designed and set up in
1985 at Leh (J & K).

5. In Ladakh , greenhouses are being built for
extending the growing season of vegetables from
3 to 8 months.
In India greenhouse cultivation is mainly in
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Utarakhand , J&K.

6. Protected
Cultivation
• A technique wherein the
microclimate around the plant is
controlled fully, partially or
modified to protect the crop
from adverse weather.
• Protected cultivation ensures:
Conservation of soil
moisture
Efficient use of energy
mainly solar

7.  Higher yield
 Year round cultivation
 Better quality
 Off-season production
 Assured production
 Generate self employment for the educated rural youth in the
farm sector
 Least pesticide residues
 Controlled pollination
 Vagaries of weather
 Easier plant protection
 Weed free cultivation
Need of Protected Cultivation

8. Present Scenario
Country ha (‘000)
China 81.0
Spain 70.4
South Korea 47.0
Japan 36.0
Turkey 25.0
India 25.0
Italy 16.5

9. Protected Cultivation in Hills
Hilly topography of the region limits the possibility of increasing
cropping area and intensification of cropping systems.
Therefore, polyhouses can make small holdings viable by producing
maximum from limited land, overcoming vagaries of nature and
diversification to high value vegetable crops.
It can also stabilize production system in addition to quality
improvement through utilization of vertical space and precision
farming.
Further, these structures can facilitate crop production in areas where
vegetable production during extreme weather conditions is not
possible.

10. There is a great variation in agro-climatic conditions in H.P.
These ranges from sub-humid sub tropical to dry temperate.
Due to these climatic variations, variety of crops are grown
during different periods of the year.
Majority of cash crops mainly vegetables grown in the
Himachal Pradesh are exported and consumed by the
neighbouring states of plains.
There is lot of demand for off season vegetables grown in
the Himachal Pradesh and also there is a great export
potential.

11.  Himachal Pradesh has more than 300 hectare area and
productivity = 18.9 t/ha.
 In H.P. maximum area under protected cultivation is in
Bilaspur followed by Kangra ,Una and others.
 In production Kullu is leading followed by Bilaspur
 In Kangra, area under protected cultivation is approx. 37 ha.
Anonymous,2015

12. Area and Productivity of vegetables under
protected cultivation in H.P.
Crop Area (%) Avg. yield(q/100m2)
Tomato
19.6
3.37
Capsicum 57 4.42
Cucumber 5.5 4.58
French bean 6.6 1.70
Others 11.0 -
Anonymous (2015)

13. POTENTIAL CROPS FOR PROTECTED
CULTIVATION
Greenhouse technology is
more suited to vegetables
crops (such as tomato,
capsicum, cucumber, french
bean, cabbage, chillies,
spinach, cauliflower etc.)
Flowers (like rose, gerbera,
carnation etc.) and nursery
for all vegetable crops,
because of their small life-
span.
This technology is mainly suitable for commercial farming, as it
requires investment in setting up the entire framework.

14. Tomatoes Under Protected Cultivation

15. Principle of Polyhouse

16. SITE SELECTION
A good site can make all the difference in the functional and
environmental operations of a polyhouse.
• The soil should have pH of 5.5-6.5
• Availability of continuous source of quality water.
• The pH of the irrigation water should be 5.5-7.0
• Good supply of electricity.
• A ground slope for drainage is an important factor to divert surface
water way from the green house.
• Greenhouses should be located away from the buildings and trees to
avoid obstruction to sunlight. And should be pollution free.
• Facility of good road transport to near markets.
• Easy and cheap availability of labourers.
• Communication facility should available at site.

17. Orientation
Orientation of the
greenhouses could be in any
direction when they are in single
spans.
Multi-span greenhouses should
be oriented in north-south
direction only, to avoid continuous
shading of certain-portions of the
greenhouse by its structural
members.

18. TYPES OF POLYHOUSES
 Low cost or Naturally ventilated polyhouses
 Medium cost or Partial climate controlled polyhouses
 High cost or Fully climate controlled polyhouses
 Plastic low tunnels
 Net houses
 Plastic mulches

19.  Low initial investment
 Constructed with locally
available material such as
bamboo, timber etc.
 No specific control devices for
regulating environmental
parameters inside the
polyhouse.
 Suitable during cold weather,
especially in hilly areas.
LOW COST OR NATURALLY VENTILATED POLYHOUSE

20.  The structural frame is made up of
galvanized iron pipes
 Exhaust fans are used for ventilation,
these are thermostatically controlled
 Cooling pad is used for humidifying the air
entering the polyhouse
 These are suitable for vegetable
cultivation during mild winter and mild
summer for the low hills in NW Himalayas
MEDIUM COST OR PARTIAL CLIMATE CONTROLLED
POLYHOUSES

21.  Consists of sensors.
 Frame is made up of iron or aluminum
 Designs are dome shaped or cone shaped
 These are highly durable, 5-6 times costlier
 Growing medium used in these type of greenhouses are Peat, Perlite,
Vermiculite, Rock wool
 In India coco fibres and rice husks are used as growing media as these
materials are cheaper
 Fertigation and pesticide sprays are done by fogging machine
HIGH COST OR FULLY CLIMATE CONTROLLED POLYHOUSES

22. HIGH COST OR FULLY CLIMATE CONTROLLED POLYHOUSES

23.  Miniature form of polyhouse
 Protect the plants from rains, winds,
low temperature, frost and other
vagaries of weather
 Provide the best way for off season
vegetable nursery production by
modifying the microclimate around the
plants
 Nursery bed of size 3x1x0.15 cm
 A portable low plastic tunnel of size
3.5x1.20x1.0 m size with polythene
sheet of 120 GSM is put on the nursery
bed
PLASTIC LOW TUNNELS

24.  Seedlings germinate faster and
their hardening is done
simultaneously by removing the
portable tunnels during day time
or when the weather conditions
is favourable.
 Can be transported from one
place to another with ease.
Hardening of Seedlings

25.  Simple framed structure
or small row like
structure
 Nets of 40 and higher
mesh are effective
 Control entry of flying
insect
 Save crop from viral
disease
 Netting to maintain an
environment which also
provide isolation from
insect borne pollen
NET HOUSES

27.  Mulching is a practice of covering the soil
around plants to improve crop growth and
development.
 Mulch material may be organic (leaves, straw,
grass etc.) or synthetic (plastic).
 Now a days plastic mulches are commercially
used in protected cultivation.
 Black plastic mulch used in winters.
 White plastic mulch of 30-40  used in
summers. Yellow plastic mulch- reduction of
virus incidence in several vegetables like
Solanaceous crops.
PLASTIC MULCHES
Tomato under different coloured plastic
mulches

28. PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND MEDIA FOR
PROTECTED CULTIVATION
1.) Soil System or Geoponics: crops grown in natural soil.
 Disadvantages :
 Presence of disease, insect and weeds in the soil
 Excessive nutrient level could leach into ground water
tables
 Flooding of irrigation water cause high water table
which reduces aeration, thereby root growth

29. 2.) Soil less culture: growing of vegetables in the media
other than soil.
 Media used are:
Cocopeat, perlite, vermiculite, saw dust, rockwool,
peanut hulls, rice hulls or the mixtures.

30. 3.) Hydroponics or water culture: system of
growing plant in nutrient solution, in water,
without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown
with their roots in the mineral solution only,
or in an inert medium, such
as perlite or gravel.
4.) Aeroponics : it involves the growing of
plants in a trough or container in which the
roots are suspended and sprayed with a
nutrient mist.
 The rooted plants are placed in a special
type of box with computer controlled humid
atmosphere.
It is a relatively new production system
used especially for research purpose.
Hydroponics
Aeroponics

31. Healthy nursery of potential crops for protected cultivation
cucumber Tomato
capsicum
Fibrous root growth

32. CLIMATE CONTROL
• Maintain humidity 60-80%
• Maintain optimum temperature 18-24oC (avoid >35
and <12 oC)
• Use agro shade net to control temperature and light
• Ensure sufficient air circulation around the plants
• Ensure carbon dioxide concentration >300 ppm

33. Fertigation is the
application of fertilizers,
soil amendments, or other
water soluble products
through an irrigation
system.

34. OBJECTIVES OF FERTIGATION
Maximize profit by applying the right amount of water
and fertilizer.
Minimize adverse environmental effects by reducing
leaching of fertilizers and other chemicals below the
root zone.

35.  ADVANTAGES:
 Relatively uniform fertilizer application
 Less fertilizer used
 Reduced costs
DISADVANTAGES:
Potential contamination hazard from equipment malfunctions
Careful handling of liquid fertilizers required

36. Problem management in greenhouse
cultivation
The troubles which arise in the culture of crops in the
greenhouse may be divided into several groups :
a) failure to supply the essential factors for optimum growth
such as light, moisture, carbon dioxide and heat in amounts
necessary for each individual crop
b) fertilizer deficiencies
c) fertilizer excesses
d) toxic gases
e) attacks by insects, animals, and allied pests and
f) susceptibility to fungus, bacteria and virus troubles.

37. IMPORTANT INSECT PEST AND DISEASES
OF POLYHOUSE
Insect Insecticide
White fly Acetamiprid
Thrips Metasysstox
Aphids Roger
Spodoptera Spodocyte
Mites Dicofol
Nematode Carbofuron
Diseases Fungicides
Bacterial
wilt
Captan(2.5gm)+bavistin
(1gm)
Powdery
mildew
Carathane (1gm/lt)
Damping
off
Indofil M-45 (2.5gm/kg
seed )
Alternaria
leaf spot
Blitox (3 gm/lt)
Fusarium
wilt
Carathane (1gm/lt)
Blossom
end rot
Calcium chloride
(5gm/lt)