This document discusses different types of vegetable tunnels for off-season production, including high tunnels, walk-in tunnels, and low tunnels. It describes the structures, materials, advantages, and disadvantages of each. High tunnels are 10-12 feet tall and made of iron or pipes, walk-in tunnels are 6 feet tall and made of pipes, and low tunnels are 3 feet tall and made of bamboo. The document also provides information on suitable crops, yields, sowing periods, and cultivation periods for different vegetables grown in tunnels.

2. Off season vegetable Production
Tunnel Farming
Or
Tunnel Technology
Presented By Allah Dad Khan PPD Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa to Agriculture Staff and
Farming Communities of CMPII Districts

3. Types of Tunnels
Three types;
1. High Tunnels - 10 to 12 feet or above
high
2. Walk-In Tunnels - 6 feet high
3. Low tunnels - 3 feet high

4. High Tunnels
Kinds of structure
1. T.R / Angle Iron structure
− 11 to 14 feet height from center
− 7 to 8 feet height from sides
− 30 feet width & 100 – 200 feet length.
− Made by T. Iron & Angle Iron
− Average life 20-25 years.
− Safe for heavy productive
− Most expensive structure
− Not good for heavy wind area.
− Unpopular due to high cost.

5. High Tunnels
Kinds of structure
2. Pipe Structure
− Made by iron pipe of 1.5” dia & 14 -16 gauge.
– 11 to 14 feet height from center
– 7 feet height from sides
– 30 feet width & 100 – 200 feet length.
– Average life 15-20 years.
– Safe for heavy productive vegetables.
– Relatively less expensive than T. R structure
(Rs. 9-10 Lac/acre)
– Good for heavy wind area.
– Relatively more popular than T.R tunnels.
– Good for all vine type vegetables

6. High Tunnels
Kinds of structure
3. Bamboo or Mix Structure
− Made by bamboo or bamboo + iron pipe 1.5” dia.
– 10-11’ height from center
– 7’ height from sides
– 30’ width & 100–200’ length.
– Average life 1 to 2 years.
– Very risky for heavy productive vegetables.
– Very cheap structure (Rs. 1 to1.3 Lac/acre).
– Very risky in heavy wind area.
– Farmers use it to initiate the tunnel farming.
– Some times structure collapsed due to heavy load.
– Not reliable.

7. Walk-IN Tunnels
•
Merits:
– Best for bushy vegetables i.e sweet/hot peppers, squashes, Freshbean etc.
– Vine vegetables i.e tomato, cucumber, bitter gourds, spong gourds etc. can
also be grown.
– Relatively less expensive & high profitable.
– Very popular in farmers being less expensive.
– Installation is easy, quick and needs no technical expertise
• Demerits:
− Production of vine vegetables remain less than high tunnels due to
restricted growth.
− Income is also relatively less than high tunnels.
– Management operations i.e spraying, hoeing, plants training are difficult
than high tunnel.

8. Walk-In Tunnels
Kinds of Structure
G.I. Pipe structure
− 6-6.5’ height from center
− 2 to 2.5’ height from sides
− 10-12’ width & 100–200 feet length.
− Made by 1/2” & 3/4’’ dia & 18-20’ long G.I. pipe.
− Average life 10-12 years.
− Less expensive structure
− (Rs. 3 to 3.5 Lac/acre)
− Good for heavy wind area.
− Very popular due to low cost & high profitability.
− Very easy to construct & install.

9. Low Tunnels
 Merits:
– Used to protect vegetables from frost & chilling.
– All types of vegetables can be grown.
– Very cheap
– Very popular in farmers being less expensive.
– Installation is easy& quick.
 Demerits:
− Vegetables can only be early for 20-30 days.
− Production of vegetables and Income is too less than walk in & high tunnels.
– Crop Management operations i.e spraying, hoeing, fertilizer application etc
are difficult and are conducted by lifting plastic paper.

10. Low Tunnels
Kinds of structure
ii. Bamboo/Mulberry sticks Structure
− 3’ height from center
− 4-5’ width & 100-200’ length.
− Bamboo or Mulberry of 0.5 to 0.7” dia
&10’ long are
bent into half moon shape & fixed in soil.
− Average life 1 season.
− Very Cheap structure (Rs. 25-30
thousand/acre)
− Good for heavy wind area.
− Very easy to construct & install.

11. TUNNEL STRUCTURETUNNEL STRUCTURE
It depends upon type of tunnel. If tunnel is:It depends upon type of tunnel. If tunnel is:
- LOW- LOW then structure will be different.then structure will be different.
- WALKIN- WALKIN then it would be different.then it would be different.
- HIGH- HIGH then it would be differentthen it would be different..

12. TYPE OF TUNNELTYPE OF TUNNEL
Depends upon:-Depends upon:-
1. Crop to be sown.
2. Stature of the crop.
3. Investment capacity.
4. Nature of the crop.
5. Variety to be sown.
6. Management level.

13. Crop and Type of tunnelCrop and Type of tunnel
Crop Tunnel Type Tunnel Height
Cucumber
Tomato
Bottle gourd
High tunnel 10 to 12 feet
Sweet Pepper
Hot pepper
Walk in tunnel 5 to 6 feet
Red gourd
Sponge gourd
Water melon
Musk melon
Bitter gourd
Bottle gourd
Low tunnel 2.5 to 3 feet

14. LOW TUNNELLOW TUNNEL
((5 x 2.5 ft)5 x 2.5 ft)
Best Material
Steel rods of 6mm dia and 10 feet long bent in the
shape of half moon.
Sticks of different plants can also be used but often
create problems.
Plastic need to be removed at flowering for
pollination.
Make the crop about 1.5 month early.
Problem of weeds if not controlled.

15. WALK IN TUNNELWALK IN TUNNEL
(12 W x 6 ft H)(12 W x 6 ft H)
Best Material
Zn galvanized steel pipes of 0.75 inch
dia and of medium thickness bent in
the shape that it gives 12 ft wide and 6
ft high tunnel. It should be at least 2.5
ft high at the sides.

16. HIGH TUNNELHIGH TUNNEL
(30 W x 12 ft H)(30 W x 12 ft H)
Best Material
Zn galvanized steel pipes of
about 1.5 inch dia and of
medium thickness bent in the
shape that it gives 30 ft wide
and 12 ft high tunnel. It
should be at least 6 to 7 ft high
at the sides.

17. The yield of some of the vegetables is shown
in table
Vegetables Yield Tons per acre
Cabbage 12-45 tons
Carrot 19-30 tons
Lettuce 2-6 tons
Onion 2-4 tons
Chilli 1-3 ton
Tomato 12-23 tons

18. Name of vegetable Sowing period Cultivation period
Tomato Sept to Oct January to March
Cucumber Mid November January to February
Chilli Mid October January
Bottle Gourd January and February May to June
Bitter Gourd June July September to October

19. Remember!
Always purchase;
Seed & Tunnels from;
Renowned Firms

21. Questions