New Polyhouse Technology for Horticulture CROPS

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.