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Contents
What is the News?
CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur has inaugurated a “Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse Facility” and laid the foundation stone of “Retractable Roof Polyhouse” at Ludhiana in Punjab.
Background:
- Farmers face a number of problems such as excessive or insufficient cold, heat, rain, wind, and other factors associated with insufficient transpiration.
- Transpiration is the biological process by which water is lost in the form of water vapour from the aerial parts of the plants.
- Crop loss, in the country due to insects and pests, is about 15% at present, and it may increase as climate change lowers the plant defence system against insects and pests.
- To some extent, these problems can be overcome by a conventional polyhouse.
About Conventional Polyhouse:
- A conventional polyhouse has a stationary roof to reduce the effect of weather anomalies and pests.
- However, roof covering leads to excessive heat and insufficient light (early morning) to the crops.
- Besides, they are also prone to insufficient levels of CO2, transpiration, and water stress.
- Hence, a combination of open-field conditions and conventional polyhouse conditions is a more effective.
About Retractable Roof Polyhouse Technology:
- Retractable Roof Polyhouse Technology is an all-weather structure.
- It has an automatic retractable roof that will be operated based on weather conditions and crop requirements from the conditional database using a PLC software.
Significance of this development:
- This development will help farmers cultivate both seasonal and off-season crops.
- This can in turn fetch a higher yield and high shelf-life produce by creating optimal indoor microclimate conditions compared to conventional open field tunnels and naturally-ventilated polyhouses.
