Short Feature
Off Season
Fruits in
Poly-houses
RESHU CHAUDHARY &
R.S. SENGAR
I
F you are yearning for your favourite Iron pipe structure is costly but durable than
vegetable or fruit that is not available bamboo. The structure is covered with
during the season, poly-houses could 1501-micron thick plastic sheet.
be the answer to your predicament. Generally the length of the poly-
In temperate countries, it is house is 25-30 feet and width 4-5 feet. The
impossible to grow crops in the winter direction of the poly-house is always East
season, unless of course, you grow them to West, so that the maximum sunshine is
in glasshouses. But these glasshouses available. The house should not be
require more time and money to erect constructed in shade. The size of the poly-
and maintain them. Their durability is also house may differ depending on the
less in comparison to poly-houses. The necessity. And they may be kept cold or
invention of poly-houses has hot depending upon the season.
revolutionised the production of local off- During daytime, the solar energy helps
season vegetables, fruits, flowers etc. in increasing the temperature of the poly-
during the last 5-6 years. This has promoted house. Little energy is lost from the different
the trade of plastic as well. parts of the poly-house.
Now, what is a poly-house? A poly- Heating is required in the winter
house is generally made of transparent, season. Generally the solar energy is
tight, cheap and flexible polythene. In sufficient to maintain inner temperature of
these houses vegetables and other crops poly-house but some times a micro
can be grown in any season of the year temperature is required to be supplied to
depending upon their requirement, some crops. For this a few methods may
because temperature and humidity can be followed:
easily be controlled in poly-houses. (i) Constructing a tunnel below the earth
Polythene conserves the thermal of the poly-house.
radiation, which increases the temperature (ii) Covering the northern wall of the house
and provides enough energy for the by jute clothing.
process of photosynthesis. (iii) Covering the entire poly-house with jute
For the production of vegetables, cloth during night.
fruits and flowers, availability of suitable (iv) The temperature of the poly-house can
(iv) Fitting a solar energy driven device in
temperature and relative humidity is a must. be controlled by running water-misting
the poly-house.
These conditions are created in a poly- machine.
house especially for the production of off- In summer season when the ambient
season vegetables and fruits in sufficient temperature rises above 40 o centigrade The Poly-house—Where &
quantity. The importance of polyhouse is during day time, cooling of poly-house is When?
further enhanced due to the possibility of required, which may be achieved by the From the point of view of earning more
production of creeper vegetables. following methods: profits, only such off-season crops should
(i) Removing the internal air of the poly- be grown that are being sold at higher
The Poly-house house. prices in the market. Big hotels in cities are
The poly-houses are constructed with the (ii) Sucking external air by putting a fan on. mostly in need of off-season vegetables
help of ultraviolet plastic sheets, which last (iii) Installation of coolers on eastern or and so is the case with some prosperous
for more than five years. The basic structure western wall not only keeps temperature people in big cities. In such areas and also
is prepared with bamboos or iron pipes. low but maintains proper humidity also. in the hill and remote regions where fresh
47 SCIENCE REPORTER, SEPTEMBER 2011
Short Feature
Heating is required in the winter season.
Generally the solar energy is sufficient to
maintain inner temperature of
poly-house but some times a
micro temperature is required
to be supplied to some crops.
kept inside the poly-house till the plants
grow to about 10-15 centimetres and are
then transferred to pots or earth. These
plants should be given manure and water
from time to time. Generally disease does
vegetables are required regularly for In regions with excess rains and cold not spread, if at all, a little spray may be
meeting out the requirements of security climatic conditions, it is difficult to grow a required. In a period of about one month
forces, the construction of poly-houses is nursery of crops in the open environment formation of fruits start.
more lucrative and must. but in poly-houses this can be done without For earning maximum profit through
Crops grown under the poly-house any problem. If the nursery of these crops maximum production from the crops
are safe from unfavourable environment is grown in poly-houses in the month of grown in the poly-house, it is not only
and hailstorm, heavy rains or scorching December and January it can easily be necessary to pay proper attention to the
sunshine. They are also saved from birds transplanted in plains as soon as the winter supply of manure and water to the plants
and other wild animals. The humidity of is over. Following this practice early crop and protect them from disease but their
the poly-house is not adversely affected of different types of vegetables such as cleanliness and pruning is also ver y
by evaporation resulting in less requirement tomatoes, brinjals and cucurbitacae important. Luxuriantly growing tomato crop
of water. In the limited area of the poly- family can be grown in plains to earn more requires sticking or otherwise their plants
house, insect and pest control is also easy profits. Similarly rainy season nurser y of will fall on the ground and get spoiled.
and less expensive. cauliflowers or onion can be grown in
By adopting the modern technology August or September in the poly-houses. The Economics
of polyhouse, the difference in the demand Keeping in view the initial expenditure
and supply of off-season vegetables and The Technique incurred on poly-houses, it can be said
fruits can be minimised. This facilitates Crops can be grown in pots or in the soil. without any doubt that poly-houses can
maintaining of the quality of the product For growing various crops, their nursery is prove very profitable provided proper crop
also. grown first. is grown in them following proper
In the poly-house one can easily grow Before sowing the seeds, rotten technique and it is supervised properly.
trees like Lemons, Bananas, Papaya, manure is filled in polythene bags of 10 x Here’s a tentative look at the economics
Strawberr y, and Pineapple; flowers like 15 centimetres size, along with equal involved:
Akas, Corneson, Jakhaira etc. and quantity of soil and sand. Next, water is It is obvious from the above account
vegetables like Bottlegourd, Lady finger, sprinkled on the bags and seeds are sown of income and expenditure incurred on
Brinjal, Tomatoes, Onion, Peas, Cabbage, in the bags. Small holes are formed in the the crop that from the second year
Chillies etc. bags for easy aeration. These bags are onward the profit would start rolling in. The
G.I. pipe used in the construction of
The Economics structure of poly-house will last for many
1. Expenditure on the construction of poly-house App. Price (Rs.) years but plastic film will be replaced once
(i) G.I. pipes, nuts bolts, cement, concrete, bricks and 12,000.00 in 4-5 years. Keeping in view all these facts
wood etc. for erecting the structure an income of rupees 6000/- can be
(ii) Plastic film (U.V. standardized) 7,000.00 earned ever y year (in six months) by
(iii) Labour 1,000.00 growing Shimla chilly and kheera in a poly
Total 20.000.00 house of 100 square meter (1/40 acre).
2. Expenditure on crop production (Shimla chilly and The income and expenditure can
Kheera from October to March, six months) decrease or increase on the basis of
(i) Price of seed (20 gms) 100.00 existing market rates in a particular part of
(ii) Manure and fertilizer 200.00 the country. If arrangements can be made
(iii) Irrigation 100.00 to cool down the poly-house, then three
(iv) Crop security sowing to plucking 100.00 crops can be grown easily in a year and
(v) Labour from sowing to plucking 1000.00 more profits can be earned.
(vi) Others 200.00
Total 1700.00 Reshu Chaudhary and R.S. Sengar are in the
3. Income Tissue Culture Lab, College of Biotechnology, Sardar
Shimla chilly 10 qtl (rate Rs. 8/kg) 8000.00 Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture &
Kheera 10 qtl (rate Rs. 10/kg) 10000.00 Technology, Meerut-250110
SCIENCE REPORTER, SEPTEMBER 2011 48
