Everyday human beings break the barriers of doing impossible things. Be it of improving our technology and creating machines that are capable of flying or be it reaching on another planet. And every day, a new invention and everything that used to seem impossible, we humans are making it possible. Greenhouse cultivation is also one of them. To know about Greenhouse farming, let’s move and understand it.
What is Greenhouse farming?
Greenhouse farming referred to as process of cultivating crops in a greenhouse ecosystems environment. But, what is Greenhouse? It is also called botanical garden. In this a transparent material structure (such as glass) is created and the process same as Greenhouse effect takes place. Glass structure captures the sunlight and the region inside of it heats up.
This Greenhouse farming aid farmers in enhancing their cultivation and improving the quality of crops by isolating them in micro-ecosystems that have the ideal conditions for crops to grow healthy.
To create ideal micro-system for cultivation, farmers need to study what are their crop’s requirements and give it to them.
Types of Greenhouse
- Based on Shape
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Saw tooth type greenhouse
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Uneven span type greenhouse
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Even span type greenhouse
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Ridge and furrow type greenhouse
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Quonset greenhouse
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Interlocking ridges greenhouse
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Ground to ground greenhouse
- Based on Construction
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Wooden framed structures
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Pipe framed structures
- Based on Ventilation
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Naturally ventilated greenhouse
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Climate controlled greenhouse (Fan and Pad greenhouse)
Which Crops are suitable for Greenhouse farming?
Choose warmth loving plants for greenhouse farming.
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Fruits- Papaya, Peaches, Banana, Oranges, Strawberry etc.
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Vegetables- Cabbage, Capsicum, Bitter gourd, Chilli, Onion, Cauliflower, Tomato etc.
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Flowers- Rose, Orchid, Marigold, Gerbera, Carnation etc.
How to select site for Greenhouse construction?
Heavy expenditure on infrastructure, equipment, labour and raw material is required for setup of Greenhouse. And for the selection of site for Greenhouse, following points must be considered-
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The site should be free from shadow.
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Soil pH should be in the range of 5.5 to 6.5.
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Site must be a well-drained area and not the place that has water logging issues.
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Greenhouse must not be built near industrial areas to protect it from pollution.
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There should be good communication facility and availability of workers.
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Must be easily accessible through various modes of transport.
Can there be any problems in Greenhouse farming?
Greenhouse farming is done in micro-ecosystem having controlled environment but still there can be some problems, Plants may suffer from deficiency of some nutrients or excess of nutrients, so regular soil check is important to ensure that plants get adequate amount of nutrition and grow properly.
In India, Greenhouse farming is also known as Polyhouse farming, as most used transparent material for greenhouse construction here is Polythene as it is much economical in compare to glass.
This is all about Greenhouse farming and before establishing greenhouse, proper technical guidance is also important. There are many organizations also who provide guidance for Greenhouse farming.
Few of them are-
https://ghgprotocol.org/agriculture-guidance
Happy Farming Happy Country, Keep visiting...!!
