India is the second largest producer of vegetable crops in the world. However, its vegetable production is much less than the requirement if balanced diet is provided to every individual. There are different ways and means to achieve this target, e.g., bringing additional area under vegetable crops using hybrid seeds and use of improved agro-techniques. Another potential approach is perfection and promotion of protected cultivation of vegetables. It is a method where plants are getting protected from adverse conditions like rains, freezing temperature, hailstorm, sun burn, insect and disease pest etc. The main purpose of protected cultivation is to create a favourable environment for the sustained growth of crop so as to realize its maximum potential even in adverse climatic conditions. Protected cultivation offers several advantages like production risk is comparatively less than open field condition, 10-12 times higher yield than that of outdoor cultivation, proper nourishment of the crop, opportunity for year round production of high-value vegetable crops, disease free quality planting material production, efficient utilization of land and resources (Sindhu and Chatterjee 2020) . In hilly areas parts of the country especially in Northern plains the soils are highly fertile but extremes of temperature ranging from 0-48 °C during the year do not allow year round outdoor vegetable cultivation. Similarly, in several parts of the country biotic stresses mainly during rainy & post rainy season, do not allow successful production of vegetables like tomato, chilli, okra, cauliflower etc. in the fields (Wani et al., 2011). DIHAR one of the DRDO laboratories, is providing adequate support and technological help to set various types of green houses, both for the Army Units deployed in the far-flung areas and for the local farmers in the Ladakh (Mishra et al., 2010).

1. DOCTORAL
SEMINAR-I
VSC - 691
Potentials of Protected Cultivation in India
Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture,
UHF, Nauni
Solan-173230

2. INTRODUCTION
With globalization of market, 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
 Efficient use of energy mainly solar energy
 Conservation of soil moisture

3. Protected Cultivation will make Agriculture
Lucrative for Farmers
• India’s economy with over 58% of the rural households depending on
farming and contributing around 17-18% to the country’s GDP.
• Protected Cultivation is a new age farming technique and plays a critical
role in the roadmap of actualizing Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of
‘Doubling Farmers income by 2022’.
• Protected Cultivation by providing subsidies through various bodies such
as NHM, MIDH etc. and in the form of schemes such as Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchai Yojana etc.
• In Himachal, state government has initiated many schemes for promoting
protected cultivation such as HTM and PDDKBSY.

4. Scenario of Protected Structures
 Around 115 countries in the world are growing vegetable in greenhouse.
 According to World Greenhouse Vegetable Statistics 2019, an estimated
world greenhouse vegetable area is 4,96,800 ha (www.cuestaroble.com).
 The total area covered under protected cultivation in our country is approx
30,000 hectares.
 The leading states in the area of protected cultivation are Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and North-eastern states, Uttarakhand,
Tamilnadu and Punjab (Shweta et al., 2014).
 Himachal Pradesh has 223.18 ha area under polyhouses.
 In HP maximum area under protected cultivation is in Bilaspur (38.06 ha)
followed by Kangra (36.02 ha), Mandi (28.53 ha) and Solan (25.69 ha).
 In production, Kullu is leading followed by Bilaspur .
Spehia R S, 2015

5. Protected cultivation: Historical aspect
 The idea of growing plants in environmentally controlled condition has
emerged since Roman times.
 The Roman gardeners used artificial methods (similar to the protected
system) for growing vegetables for consumption every day (Janick et al.,
2007).
 First modern greenhouses were built in Italy in the thirteenth century.
 The concept of protected structures also appeared in Netherlands and
England in the 17th century.
 1718 : First green house with glass on all sides built in Boston &
Chicago (USA)
 1815 : First commercial green house in USA.
 First use of polyethylene as a greenhouse covering material was in 1948
 1985: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) designed and set up
green house at Leh.

6. Definition
• Protected cultivation can be defined as a cropping technique where
in the micro climate surrounding the plant body is controlled
partially/ fully as per the requirement of the plant species grown
during their period of growth (Chandra, 2001).
or
• Greenhouse technology is the most practical way of achieving the
goal of protected cultivation (Nagarajan et al., 2002).
or
• A greenhouse can be defined as a “framed or an inflated structure
with a transparent or translucent material in which crops could be
grown under at least partially controlled environment and which is
large enough to permit persons to work within it to carry out cultural
operations” (Devi and Thakur 2013).

7. Principle of Protected Cultivation
 The greenhouse cultivation is based upon the principle called
as greenhouse effects.

8. An ideal polyhouse for hilly regons
Double door
Side Vent
Shade net
Top vent
An Ideal Modified naturally ventilated polyhouse

9. Pictorial view of polyhouses in Himachal Pradesh

10. CLASSIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE/ POLYHOUSE
A. Common types of greenhouses being used in India
1. Plastic greenhouses with natural ventilation
2. Greenhouses with fan and pad cooling system
3. Solar greenhouses (Leh design)
4. Walk-in tunnels
5. Plastic low tunnels
6. Net houses and Anti-insect cages
7. Underground trenches
B. Type of Greenhouse Based on Cost of Installation
1. Low Cost Polyhouse/ Greenhouse
2. Medium Cost Greenhouse
3. High Tech Greenhouse

11. C. Type of Greenhouse based on Construction
1. Wooden framed structure
2. Pipe frame structure
3. Truss frame structure
D. Type of Greenhouse Based on Shape
1. Lean to type
2. Even span type
3. Uneven span type
4. Ridge and furrow type
5. Saw tooth type
6. Quonset type

12. Types of protected structure
Hi tech polyhouses Shade Net House Poly tunnels
Ladakhi Structure Glasshouse Polycarbonate House

13. HOT BEDS COLD FRAMES

14. Over view of greenhouses in cold desert areas
Over view of greenhouses- Polyench/ ladakhi

15. Polyench/ ladakhi

16. Trench (Underground polyhouse)

17. Leafy vegetable in trench greenhouse during winter in Ladakh

18. Type of Greenhouse Based on Cost of
Installation
Low cost polyhouse

19. Medium Cost Greenhouse

20. High Tech Greenhouse

21. Type of Greenhouse based on Construction
Wooden framed greenhouse

22. Pipe framed greenhouse

23. Truss framed greenhouse

24. Greenhouse types based on shape
Lean to type greenhouse Ridge and Furrow type Saw tooth type greenhouse
Quonaset Greenhouse Polyhouse with max vent Shadow Hall

25. Why Protected Cultivation ?
• The open field production of vegetable encounter with many
production constrains like heavy rain, thunderstorms,
excessive solar radiation, temperatures and humidity levels
above plant growth optima (Max et al., 2009), high insect pest
infestation pressure (Nguyen et al., 2009) and fungal diseases
(Sringarm et al., 2013).
• Environment is the most determinate factor in horticultural
crop (Trivedi and Singh, 2015).
• Protected cultivation is being used to control the environment
effect.

26. Which Type of Crop is Suitable for
Protected Cultivation?
High value crop
Sustainable market demand
Utilizes vertical space
Multiple harvest

27. Year-round supply of high-quality
products
Protection against rain in regions of
high rainfall
Widespread in greenhouses Production of high value exotic
vegetables
Advantages of Protected Cultivation

28. 1) Vegetable forcing for domestic consumption
and export
• During winters in NEH region, the temperature
and solar radiations are sub-optimal for growing
off season vegetables.
.
• In tomato, low temperature and low radiation
cause puffiness and blotchy ripening.
• Hence during extreme conditions of winter
season (October-February) these vegetables will
be cultivated under polyhouse.
• In metro cities like Delhi there is year round
demand of these high quality vegetables
Wani et al., 2011

29. Protected conditions raises the temperature which helps the plants grow
more, quickly and mature earlier.
Northern region of India where poly houses found to helpful in raising
early vegetable crops, an extension of growing season and vegetable
production during frozen winter (Singh 2000).
Vegetables grown under low cost plastic tunnels, plastic rain shelters or on
black plastic mulch can be harvested 7 to 21 days earlier which often
significantly increases market advantage and the prices growers receive.
(Yadav et al., 2020).
2) Early maturity

30. 3) Raising off season nurseries
• The main purpose of raising nursery in the protected structure
is to get higher profit and disease-free seedlings in off season
to bring the early crop.
• Sanwal et al. (2004) studied that raising of the vegetable
nursery in protected structures has many fold benefits such as
easy management, early nursery, and protection from biotic
and abiotic stresses.
• Income generated through the production of vegetable
seedlings in poly house was more, followed by shade net
house and open field units of the same area (Linganagouda and
Mahajanashetti 2016).

31. 4) Protected Cultivation of Exotic Vegetables
Demand for exotic vegetables in
India over the years has increased
annually at the rate of 20 per cent, yet
80 per cent of the demand of exotic
vegetables is met through export of
lettuce, asparagus, colored capsicum,
globe artichoke, baby corn, snow peas
and broccoli are the main.

32. 5) Vegetable seed production
• Seed production is the limiting factor for cultivation of vegetables in
NEH region of India as well as in other parts of India.
• Vegetables require specific temperature and other climatic conditions
for flowering and fruit setting.
• Seed production of brinjal, capsicum, cauliflower and broccoli is very
difficult in open conditions in this area due to high rainfall at maturity
stage.
• Maintenance and purity of different varieties/ lines can be achieved by
growing them under greenhouse.
• Such production system has not only extended the growing season of
vegetables and their availability but also encouraged conservation of
different rare vegetables.
Wani et al., 2011

33. 6) Hybrid seed production
X
Gynoecious inbred P 1 Gynoecious inbred P 2
Gynoecious parthenocarpic F1
 In 21st century,
protected vegetable
production is likely to
be commercial practice
not only because of its
potential but out of
sheer necessity.
 Protected
environments helpful
in production of hybrid
seeds of cucumber and
summer squash by
using gynoecious lines.

34. 7) Productivity is manifold in greenhouses in
comparison to growing the vegetables in open field
 Performance of tomato varieties under polyhouse and open
field conditions in NEH region (Barapani), Meghalaya
Varieties Polyhouse
yield
(q/ha)
Open field
yield (q/ha)
Varieties Polyhouse
yield (q/ha)
Open field
yield (q/ha)
BT-117-5-3-1 342.00 115.00 Selection-
2
233.00 73.83
KT-10 283.60 117.40 Selection-
1
200.98 84.03
BT-10 294.00 111.65 KT-15 211.60 51.65
Arka Alok 260.00 57.90 H-24 243.17 58.75
BT-12 302.40 101.00 Arka
Abha
193.50 70.33
Sanwal et al., 2004

35. Variety/
Hybrid
Protected conditions
(Poly house)
Open field
Average Yield
(kg /m)
Average Yield
(q/ ha)
Average Yield
(kg /m)
Average Yield
(q /ha)
Bomby 8.96 899.01 7.72 767.04
Aishwarya 10.07 1009.75 7.68 766.42
Manhattan 9.48 946.17 8.54 840.93
Orobelle 11.98 1116.42 7.84 790.37
Indra 9.83 985.25 7.94 838.27
California
Wonder
11.77 1169.82 8.59 867.96
Effect of environment conditions on yield of different Capsicum
varieties/hybrids
Malshe et al., 2016

36. 8) Resource Use Efficiency of Protected
Structures
 The greenhouse can benefit from the reduction of waste through better
management of irrigation and climate (Stanghellin and Montero 2012).
 In open field conditions nearly one-third of the crops may be lost due to the
attack of insects, whereas in polyhouses, we can harvest the crops about 2-
3 times more without much damage. Which help the farmer to generate
more income around the year growing multiple crops and fetching premium
pricing for off-season vegetables (Kumar et al., 2017).
 Involves the intensive use of resources such as soil, water, fertilizers,
pesticides, and energy. Polyhouse increased production and productivity
per unit of land, high quality and clean products, high water and fertilizer
use efficiency (Ghanghas et al., 2018).

38. Name and Incidence of insect- pest on high value vegetable and fruits crops under
open field and polyhouse conditions
Crops Insect pest Four season pooled practices, during 2006-2010
Incidence of Insects - pests per plant and No. of
Insecticide sprain with IPM practices
Open field
condition
Polyhouse
condition
No. of spray of
insecticide in
open field
condition
No. of spray of
insecticide in
polyhouse
condition
Tomato White fly 20.50 0.66 8 3
Aphid 25.60 0.83
Beetle 17.40 0.33
Mealy bug 15.50 0.00
Fruit borer 5.60 0.00
Capsicum White fly 25.50 0.33 9 3
Aphid 35.30 0.66
Mites 25.60 0.33
Thrips 11.30 0.83
Beetle 15.50 0.33

39. Hydroponics
Vegetables Tomato, Chilli, Brinjal, Green bean,
Beet, Winged bean, sweet pepper,
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers,
Melons, Radish, Onion
etc.
Leafy vegetables Lettuce, Parsley etc.
Hussain et al.,2014
Also known as Liquid Hydroponics method.
Plants grown in solution culture have their roots
suspended directly in a nutrient solution
Sardare et al., 2013

40. Hydroponic Plants List

41. Hydroponic averages
compared with ordinary soil
yields
Vegetables Production
(g/m² /day)
Carrot 56.5
Cucumber 226
Garlic 57
Ginger 57
Leek 57
Green Bean 113
Lettuce 226
Onion 56.5
Peapod 113
Potato 56.5
Salad greens 226
Tomato 113
Greens 113
Sardare et al., 2013

42. Aeroponic Technology: Revolutionising Potato Seed
Production
• Most rapid methods of
propagation
• Technique is able to produce
large numbers of mini tubers in
one generation, thus, eliminating
the need for more field
multiplications thereby reducing
costs and saving time.
• An individual potato plant can
produce over 100 mini tubers in
a single row (Otazu, 2008) as
opposed to conventional method
that create approximately 8
daughter tubers only in the
course of a year while only 5–6
tubers per plant are produced
using soil in the greenhouse in
90 days
Buckseth et al., 2016

43. DRDO Is Helping Ladakh Farmers Grow Vegetables In
a Cold Desert!
• In 1964, the first greenhouse was introduced to Ladakh.
• This allowed the locals to grow a few crops, particularly leafy vegetables like
spinach during the harsh winter, when temperatures drop to -20° Celsius.
• Also, these greenhouses would last only 5-10 years with the walls collapsing
because of humidity.
• DIHAR developed these passive solar greenhouses with walls made of stone and
cement on three sides, which absorbs more heat.
• More importantly, the fourth side of the greenhouse is covered with a polycarbonate
sheet, which has a better insulation capacity than the average polythene.

44. Passive solar green house covered in snow during the winter
Work on this project began 5-6 years ago, but on-field trials began
in the winter of 2017.

45. Inside the greenhouse

46. • In greenhouses, the temperature inside does not reach sub-zero levels, but it
is around 3° Celsius in the peak of winter from December-January.
• Tomato is a temperature-sensitive warm season crop. If temperatures hit
zero or lower, then the crop dies the very same day.
• In the past two years, they have demonstrated that tomatoes can be grown
even in December and January.
• Farmers can also grow crops like capsicum and cauliflower in these
conditions.
• Farmers go for transplanting in September, and from December, they can
harvest crops until March. From a single plant, a farmer can get 2.5-3 kg
tomatoes.

47. Protected Cultivation for Food and Nutritional
Security at Ladakh
• DRDO is engaged in research for men behind the weapons since it is also
needed to look into their needs. This mission is led by DRDO Life Science
Laboratories and DIHAR is one of these, which has specialisation in high
altitude agro-animal technologies.
• The basic recommended quantity of vegetables for Indian soldier/ head/
day is 140 g potato, 60 g onion, and 170 g fresh vegetables .
• This has been summarised by Frederick as ‘‘An army fights on its
belly’’ or by Nepoleon as ‘‘Army marches on its stomach’’.
• Since the region remains landlocked for over seven months in a year due
to heavy snowfall which closes the road passes from November to May.
that time vegetables reach Ladakh through air route which costs the freight
charges around 131 Rs/kg.
Mishra et al., 2010

48. • Vegetables are potential source of vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, proteins, and fibres. These are the essential
ingredients of a balanced human diet to meet daily
requirements. High nutrition value of leafy vegetables
produced in trenches under cold desert condition of Leh was
also reported by (Yadav et al.,1999).

49. A Vegetable Success Story
Gharaunda Centre of Excellence, Karnal
• First to be established within the framework of the Indo-Israeli cooperation
agreement, serves as model for the establishment of the additional Centers.
• Over 20,000 farmers visit the Center every year. During its first 3 years of
operation, the effectiveness of the Israeli technologies became evident
showcasing a dramatic 5 to 10 times increase in crops.
Crop Open field
(Kg/Acre)
Protected
Cultivation
(Kg/Acre)
Tomato 16,000 96,000
Cherry
Tomato
Cannot be
cultivated in
open field
72,000
Cucumber 3,500 45,000
Capsicum 12,000 72,000
Dr. Satyender Yadav, Head of Vegetable cluster and Centre of Excellence of Karnal

50. CASE STUDIES

52. Performance of tomato genotypes for yield traits under net-house and open field
conditions
Genotypes Plant height
(cm)
No. of fruits
per cluster
Total no. of
fruits per
plant
Fruit yield
(kg/plant)
Net
house
Open
field
Net
house
Open
field
Net
house
Open
field
Net
house
Open
field
Sel-12-1-16 180.00 170.50 8.00 3.00 22.42 17.20 1.04 0.65
Sel-2-1-1 152.50 140.00 8.00 3.50 13.60 14.15 1.23 0.65
Sel-12-1-17 175.00 164.00 5.50 4.00 16.55 8.90 0.99 0.40
NDT-9 192.50 167.50 6.00 3.50 25.00 8.40 1.02 0.38
CLN-1466-A 172.50 154.00 9.50 5.50 23.50 22.40 1.41 0.80
CLN-146-B 172.50 169.00 9.50 4.50 16.50 16.00 1.71 0.75
Sel-2-1 179.00 135.00 4.50 3.00 41.50 7.00 1.66 0.45
VTG-13 172.00 118.00 4.50 4.00 41.50 7.00 1.22 0.63
VTG-93 164.00 164.00 4.00 2.50 24.00 12.50 1.11 0.40
VTG-106 162.50 124.00 7.50 4.00 18.00 20.50 0.82 0.50
ArkaVikas 173.00 153.00 4.00 4.00 10.00 13.50 0.39 0.41

53. Comparison of growth and yield of cabbage hybrid under low tunnel and open field
conditions.
Character Low tunnel Open field
Germination (%) 91 75.3
Days to maturity of seedlings 46.6 53.0
Transplantation survival (%) 96.6 76.3
Days to head maturity 72.3 85.3
No. of head formed plant (%) 96.3 89.6
Average head weight (kg) 0.87 0.93
Yield (q/ha) 569.0 600.9
Yield of super heads (q/ha) 290.2 186.2

54. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIFFERENT CAPSICUM VARIETIES
UNDER OPEN AND PROTECTED CONDITIONS
KV Malshe*, MG Palshetkar and BG Desai
Dr B S Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), India.
Plant Archives Vol. 16 No. 2, 2016 pp. 931-933
Variety/
Hybrid
Plant height
(cm)
Average fruit weight (g) Average Yield per plant (kg)
PC OF PC OF %
increase
over OF
PC OF %
increase
over OF
Bomby 69.00 44.94 65.51 54.18 20.99 1.815 1.564 16.07
Aishwarya 71.75 49.63 61.55 51.76 18.91 2.039 1.555 31.11
Manhattan 78.44 47.13 68.66 60.84 12.86 1.920 1.729 20.93
Orobelle 66.82 45.94 76.48 53.91 41.85 2.384 1.588 37.14
Indra 73.38 46.88 63.31 51.88 22.05 1.990 1.608 23.74
California
Wonder
76.00 51.30 63.19 59.45 6.29 2.426 1.729 40.30
PC: Protected conditions (Poly house), OF: Open field

55. Indoor agriculture seen as key to feeding planet
 A prototype greenhouse for use on lunar or Mars missions is displayed at a
recent conference on food production at Southern Arizona’s famous
Biosphere 2 research laboratory.
Bob Granath, 2017
NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida

56. Hydroponic plant growth chamber, the Prototype Lunar Greenhouse is designed to sustain a
continuous vegetarian diet for astronauts on distant locations such as the moon or Mars. It
employs plants and crop production designed to provide not only food, but air revitalization,
water recycling and waste recycling.
Credits: University of Arizona

57. Conclusion
 The growing population and rapid industrialization and urbanization is
gradually decreasing the cultivated land.
 The demand of fresh vegetable under shrinking land area forces the policy
maker to think beyond open field cultivation.
 The protected cultivation technology is still in its preliminary stage in India
and concerted efforts are required from all concerned agencies to bring it at
par with the global standards.
 Globalization coupled with economic liberalization will help in achieving
the desired results.
 This technology is highly productive, amenable to automation, conserve
water and land.
 In 21st century, protected vegetable production is likely to be common
commercial practice not only because of it potential but out of sheer
necessity

58. THANK YOU