Prospects of growing vegetables in India under protected environment structures

Abstract

The importance of growing vegetables under protected structures improves its quality, quantity, appearance and, above all fetches the favorable market price to farmers. By adopting few changes in crop sequence, farmers can augment their income by off season growing in protected cultivation structures as compared to seasonal gluts leading to low prices. One of the most profitable technologies in North India is the raising of cucurbits, tomatoes, broccoli, capsicum and salad crops under low plastic tunnels. Walk-in tunnels can also provide favorable and efficient for increasing off-season cultivation due to lower initial costs. Insect-proof net houses can be used for cultivation of tomatoes, chilies, sweet peppers and other vegetables mainly during the monsoon season under virusfree environment. These low-cost protection structures are suitable for growing green vegetables without pesticides. Low-cost greenhouses are used for long (5-10 months) high-quality vegetable cultivation, mainly in the near-urban areas of the country. The poly trenches are most useful for growing vegetables in cold desert conditions of the upper regions of the Himalayas.