Green house technology introduction

GREEN HOUSE TECHNOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
Dr. Ajay Singh Lodhi
Assistant Professor
College of Agriculture, Balaghat
Jawahar Lal Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.)

NEED
 After the advent of green revolution, more emphasis is laid on the
quality of the product along with the quantity of production to meet the
ever-growing food requirements. Both these demands can be met when
the environment for the plant growth is suitably controlled.
 The need to protect the crops against unfavourable environmental
conditions led to the development of protected agriculture.
 Greenhouse is the most practical method of achieving the objectives of
protected agriculture, where the natural environment is modified by using
sound engineering principles to achieve optimum plant growth and yields.

HISTORY
 A French botanist named Charles Lucien Bonaparte (1803 to 1857), is
said to have designed the first modern greenhouse in Leiden, Holland,
which housed medicinal plants.
 There are more than 50 countries now in the world where cultivation
of crops is undertaken on a commercial scale under cover.
 Asia, China and Japan are the largest users of greenhouses. The
development of greenhouse technology in China has been faster than
in any other country in the world.
 The total area of glasshouses in the world as per 1987 reports was
estimated to be 30,000 ha and most of these were found in North-
Western Europe.
 According to 1987-88 estimates, an area of 1,91,500 ha was under
plastic greenhouses.
 In India, the cultivation in the plastic greenhouse is of recent origin. As
per 1994-95 estimates, approximately 100 ha of land are under
greenhouse cultivation.

STATUS IN INDIA
 In India use of greenhouse
technology started only during
1980’s and it was mainly used for
research activities.
 Greenhouses are being built in
the Ladakh region for extending
the growing season of vegetables
from 3 to 8 months.
 In the North-East, greenhouses
are being constructed essentially
as rain shelters to permit off-
season vegetable production.
 In India greenhouse cultivation
is mainly in Maharashtra,
Uttarakhand, Karnataka and
Jammu and Kashmir.

GREENHOUSE CULTIVATION: AN OVERVIEW IN INDIA AND
ABROAD
 In India, protected cultivation technology for commercial
production is hardly three decades old - Defence Research
and Development Organization(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.
 Israel is one country which has taken big advantage of this
technology by producing quality fruits, vegetables, flowers,
etc. in water deficit desert area.

 Several thousand acres are now under glass in the United
States and equally large area in England and Holland, where
horticulture under glass was practiced over a century ago.
 The total greenhouse area in India at the end of ninth plan
period was estimated to be 800 ha. Ladakh region of J&K has
the maximum number of units i.e. more than 14,000 and
each unit is about 50 sq. mt.
 In Himachal Pradesh, the total area under protected
cultivation has been estimated to be 137 ha.
 Cultivation of cabbage, cauliflower, knoll-khol, broccoli,
brussel's sprouts, tomato, brinjal, chilli, capsicum and onion
has been possible because of greenhouse technology in areas
such as Leh and Ladakh

GREENHOUSE EFFECT
 In general, the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is
0.0345% (345 ppm).
 Due to the emission of pollutants and exhaust gases into the
atmosphere, the percentage of carbon dioxide increases which
forms a blanket in the outer atmosphere. This causes the
entrapping of the reflected solar radiation from the earth surface.
Due to this, the atmospheric temperature increases, causing global
warming, melting of ice caps and rise in the ocean levels which
result in the submergence of coastal lines. This phenomenon of
increase in the ambient temperature, due to the formation of the
blanket of carbon dioxide is known as greenhouse effect.

 The greenhouse covering material acts in a similar way, as it is
transparent to short wave radiation and opaque to long wave
radiation. During the daytime the short wave radiation enters into
the greenhouse and gets reflected from the ground surface. This
reflected radiation becomes long wave radiation and is entrapped
inside the greenhouse by the covering material. This causes the
increase in- the greenhouse temperature. It is a desirable effect
from point of view of crop growth in the cold regions.

DEFINITION
 A greenhouse is a framed or an inflated structure covered with a
transparent or translucent material in which crops could be grown
under the conditions of at least partially controlled environment
and which is large enough to permit persons to work within it to
carry out cultural operations.

ADVANTAGES OF GREENHOUSES
 Throughout the year four to five crops can be grown in a
greenhouse due to the availability of required plant
environmental conditions.
 The productivity of the crop is increased considerably.
 Superior quality produce can be obtained as they are grown
under suitably controlled environment.
 Efficient use of various inputs like water, fertilizers, seeds and
plant protection chemicals can be well maintained in a
greenhouse.
 Effective control of pests and diseases is possible as the growing
area is enclosed.
 Percentage of germination of seeds is high in greenhouses.

 Agricultural and horticultural crop production schedules can be
planned effectively to take advantage of the market needs.
 Different types of growing medium like peat mass, vermiculate,
rice hulls and compost that are used in intensive agriculture can
be effectively utilized in the greenhouse.
 Export quality produce meeting international standards can be
produced in a greenhouse.
 When the crops are not grown, drying and related operations of
the harvested produce can be taken up utilizing the entrapped
heat.
 Greenhouses are suitable for automation of irrigation, application
of other inputs, and environmental controls by using computers
and artificial intelligence techniques.
 Self-employment for educated youth on farm can be increased.

Green house technology introduction

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