Protected cultivation involves controlling the microclimate around plants to optimize growth conditions. It has several benefits like conserving moisture, improving crop quality and yield, and allowing year-round production. In India, protected cultivation began in the late 1990s and has grown to around 30,000 hectares currently, focused on high-value crops. Major producing states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Northeast states. Globally, over 405,000 hectares use protected cultivation led by China, Japan, and European nations.

1. Protected cultivation- EC-24
(2+1)
PRESENTED BY:
RAKESH KUMAR PATTNAIK
Asst. Prof. Horticulture
MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

2. Lecture 1: Protected cultivation-Importance and scope, status of
protected cultivation in India and World
Protected cultivation practices can be defined as a cropping
technique wherein the micro climate surrounding the plant
body is controlled partially or fully as per the requirement of
the vegetable /flower species grown during their period of
growth.
It ensures:
 Conservation of soil moisture
 Efficient use of solar energy

3. Importance of Protected cultivation:
1.Crop is protected from cold, wind, storm, rain and frost.
2.Due to controlled conditions there is better germination, plant growth and
crops mature faster.
3.Improved quality & quantity of produce with long shelf life.
4.Use of water is optimized and there is reduction in its consumption by 40-
50%.
5.Effective utilization of inputs
6.Incidence of disease and pests is reduced or eliminated.

4. 7.Crops can be grown throughout the year.
8.Best technology for commercial production of high value crops like flowers,
medicinal plants, etc.
9.Can be used for solar drying of farm produce.
10.Involvement of labor force can be reduced.
11.Crop cultivation under inclement climatic conditions.
12.Certain crops cultivated year round to meet the market demands.
13.High value and high quality, even organic, crops grown for export markets

5. 14.Income from small land holdings increased several fold.
15.Successful nurseries from seeds or by vegetative propagation
prepared as and when necessary.
16.More Self-employment opportunities for educated youth on
farm.
17.Manipulation of microclimate and insect proof feature of the
greenhouse for plant breeding and, thus, the evolution of new
varieties and production of seeds.

6. Scope of protected cultivation in India:
1.Cultivation in problematic agro-climate:
2.Greenhouses around big cities:
3.Export of horticultural produce:
4.Greenhouses for plant propagation:
5.Greenhouse technology for biotechnology:
6.Greenhouse for cultivation of rare and medicinal plants:

7. Status of protected cultivation In World:
 Estimated 405,000 ha of greenhouses spread over all the continents.
 There are more than 55 countries now in the world where cultivation of crops is
undertaken on a commercial scale under cover, and it is continuously growing at a fast
rate internationally.
 In India, protected cultivation technology for commercial production is hardly three
decades old(DRDO).
 In developed countries viz., Japan, Holland, Russia, UK, China and others, it is about
two century old.
 China started protected cultivation in 1990's and today the area under protected
cultivation in China is more than 2.5 m ha and 90 per cent area is under vegetables.

8. Status of protected cultivation In India:
 Indo-Israel project on greenhouse cultivation, initiated at the New Delhi-
based Indian Agricultural Research Institute(IARI)in 1998.
 However, the Israeli experts left India in 2003 at the end of this five-year
project, IARI continued to maintain the facility, calling it the Centre for
Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT).

9.  The area under greenhouse cultivation reported by the end of 20th century was about 110 ha
in India and world over 275. 000 hectare.
 During last decade this area must have increased by 10 per cent if not more.
 Presently total area covered under protected cultivation in our country is approx.. 30,000
ha. Leading states area under protected cultivation are MH, KT, HP, & N-E STATES, UK, TN, &
Punjab. The major crop grown in the protected cultivation are tomato, capsicum, melons,
rose, gerbera, carnation, and chrysanthemum.