Scope and Importance of Protected Cultivation

Scope and importance of protected cultivation, Polyhouse, Greenhouseprotected cultivation of vegetables, Floriculture, Medicinal aromatic  Horticulture crops pdf, ppt free download

Protected cultivation is the modification of the natural environment to achieve optimum plant growth. Modifications can be made to both the aerial and root environments to increase crop yields, extend the growing season and permit plant growth during periods of the year not commonly used to grow open field crops.
Protected cultivation/Greenhouse technology has been in use for crop production for more than fifty countries all over the world. China is believed to have adopted plastic greenhouse concept to a great extent. Japan, with about 42,000 ha. (hectare) under plastic and glass cover land holdings with shorter growing season in Holland and Japan have been the reason behind adopting Protected cultivation /greenhouse for intensive crop production.

SCOPE

1. Cultivation in Problematic Agriculture Zones
There is about 75 mha of land in India comprising of such problematic conditions as barren and uncultivable, cultivable wasteland, fallow land, desert, sever cold. If a small portion of this area put under cultivation using greenhouse technology, then income generation of local habitat could be increased substantially.

2. Greenhouse Complexes around Metropolitan and Other Big Cities
A conservative estimate revels that there is a large and sustained demand of fresh vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants throughout the year in almost every big city. These big cities also experience the need of off-season and high value crops. To meet the city requirement greenhouse cultivation may be a right option.

3. Export of Agricultural Produce
A agriculture in India is being considered increasingly to reduce the foreign trade deficit and there has been good international market for horticulture produce, especially, flowers from India. Promotion and greenhouse cultivation of export oriented crops seems to be possible source of foreign earnings. Such facilities should be constructed near the lifting point to reduce the burden on transportation cost.

4. Greenhouse for Plant Propagation
Greenhouse technology is being, nowadays, considered as an suitable approach for raising of seedlings and cuttings which require control environment for their growth. The existing nurseries without a greenhouse facility could be converted into a greenhouse for improving the capacity as well as quality of the plant material. Even different type of plant material can be propagated using the greenhouse facility. In temperate climatic zone, the plant propagation through greenhouses would mean a considerable reduction in the total time required for preparation of saplings.

5.Greenhouse Technology as Base for Other Biotechnology
The hydroponics or nutrient film techniques require control environmental condition of growing plants. Similarly, material generated though tissue culture and biotechnological methods also need to be propagated in control environment. Greenhouse technology is the best-suited answer to carry out such type of studies.

6.Cultivation of Rare and Medicinal Plants
India has a wide variety of orchids/herbs, which have been identified for large scale cultivation. The greenhouse could provide the right type of environmental condition for the intensive cultivation of these plants.