Lec. 10 Greenhouse Tech.

Lec.
10: GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGY

Introduction
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.
What is Greenhouse?
A greenhouse is a generic term referring to the use of a transparent or partially
transparent material supported by a structure to enclose an area for propagating or growing
plants. Specifically, where the covering material is glass, the structure may be referred to as a
'glasshouse'. A 'greenhouse' or 'polyhouse' refers to the use of plastic films or sheeting. When the
enclosing material is woven or otherwise constructed to allow sunlight, moisture and air to pass
through the gaps, the structure is known as a 'shade house' or 'screen house'.
When looking to develop or expand a greenhouse enterprise, it is important to make sure that the
structures you invest in are suitable and meet your needs.
Greenhouse is a framed structure covered with glass or plastics film (transparent and
translucent) in which plants are grown under the partially or fully controlled environment. The
greenhouse technology has been considerable importance in better space utilization, growing
crops in extreme climatic conditions and high rainfall areas. The plastics film used in greenhouse
act as selective radiation filters. The solar radiations pass through it and trap the thermal energy
inside the greenhouse, which is emitted by the objects that are kept inside, this phenomena is
known as "Greenhouse Effect".
Greenhouse Effect:
 The greenhouse effect is natural warming process of the earth.
 When the sun’s energy reaches the earth some of it is reflected back to space and rest is
absorbed.
 The absorbed energy warms the earth’s surface, which then emits heat energy back towards
space as long wave radiation.
 The outgoing long wave radiation is partially trapped by greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide, methane and water vapour, which then radiate energy in all directions, warming the
Earth’s surface and atmosphere.
 Without these greenhouse gases, the earth’s average surface temperature would be about
33oC cooler.
 The above phenomenon is used in the greenhouse to grow plants in the optimum conditions
by controlling the climate, which is one of the most important aspects of protected
cultivation.
 Growing plants under roof in closed area makes it possible to control the inside environment
or to create the suitable environment to grow the specific crop.
 Today, it is possible to grow most of the seasonal crops throughout the year because of
protected cultivation, which enable us to control and manipulate the environment.
The greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (No2),
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Sulfur hexafluoride and others. CO2 is estimated to account for 50%
of the greenhouse effect, methane for 20%, CFCs for 14% and remainder by other components
including water vapours.
Greenhouse technology:
Greenhouse technology involves constructional design that can take care of climate
control mechanisms to create proper micro-crop-climate and also technology needed for
optimum growth and development of plants grown under this house. So combination of these
two technologies may be expressed as greenhouse technology.
So the ‘Greenhouse Technology’ may be defined as “The technology required to build a
structure, covered fully, partly or porously for manipulating the inside climatic conditions,
under which crops/ plants can be grown with special technology”.
Advantages of greenhouse Technology:
 Provides favourable micro climatic conditions for the plants.
 Cultivation in all seasons is possible.
 Higher yield with better quality per unit area.
 Conserves moisture thus needs less irrigation.
 More suitable for cultivating high value/ off - season crops.
 Helps to control pest and diseases.
 Helps in hardening of tissue cultured plants.
 Helps in raising early nurseries.
 Round the year propagation of planting material is possible.
 Protects the crops from wind, rain, snow, bird, hail etc.
 Generates self- employment opportunities for educated youth
Disadvantages of Greenhouse Technology:

 Protected plants production in the country, though very ancient, is in its infancy. Very little
efforts have been made to exploit vast potentials of protected vegetable production. This
technology involves joint working of engineers, physiologists, physicists, horticulturists,
environmentalist's etc.
 Problems requiring concerted efforts are:
o Standardization of green houses and other structures design for different agro-climatic
regions of the country are not available.
o Cladding materials are very costly. Intensive research to make cladding material
affordable by average vegetable grower is required. Plastic films available in the
country are not only costly but have short life. Ultra violet low-density polyethylene is
not easily available.
o Lack of professional greenhouse manufacturers leading to use of improvised structures.
o Instruments for environment control in the greenhouse are not easily available.
o Plant production technologies for different crops under different types of protected
structures for different agro-climatic zones of the country are not worked out and
documented.
o Lack of major research program on protected vegetable farming.
o Lack of awareness among farmers pertaining to potentials of protected vegetable
Production.
o Import of greenhouses which are not suitable for Indian conditions.
FUTURE STRATEGIES
 Establishment of National Research Centre on protected cultivation.

 Development of suitable varieties/hybrids for protected cultivation.
 Identification of new and potential crop types for protected cultivation.
 Development of cost-effective and location-specific designs of greenhouses.
 Designing and simulation of photovoltaic greenhouse (PVG)systems for Indian
conditions.
 Development of Complete POP for greenhouse crops in different agro-climatic
regions of the country.
 Identification of region specific and techno-economic feasible cropping sequences.
 Development of effective INM and IPDM programme.
 Development of module on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
 Designing and development tools, devices and equipment for easy operations in
greenhouse.
 Because of major concern due to plastic use, there is a need to develop and use of
new generation biodegradable polymers.
 Need to work on sustainability of agriculture under protected structures.
 Standardization of new age technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics, nutrient Film
Technique, agro-voltaic systems, vertical farms etc.
 Developing cost effective agro-techniques for growing different crops and lowering
energy costs if any of the greenhouse environment management.
 Developing professional and skilled polyhouse manufacturers.
 Pollination management in vegetable crops under protected structures.

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Lec.

10: GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGY

Disadvantages of Greenhouse Technology:

 Establishment of National Research Centre on protected cultivation.

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