Polytunnel / Polyhouse farming

Poly house farming is cultivating crops under protected conditions. It can provide higher temperature and/or humidity than are available in the environment. The polytunnels/polyhouses can also protect crops from intense heat, bright sunlight and strong winds. This helps the crops to grow on all seasons. Every factor influencing a crop can be controlled in a polyhouse.

Government provides good amount as subsidy for polyhouse farming. A person having 20 cents of land can start hi-tech farming where the polyhouse will come up in 10 cents of land and the rest of the land for supporting the cultivation A polytunnel (also known as a polyhouse, hoop greenhouse or hoophouse, or high tunnel) is a tunnel made of polyethylene, usually semi-circular, square or elongated in shape. The interior heats up because incoming solar radiation from the sun warms plants, soil, and other things inside the building faster than heat can escape the structure. Air warmed by the heat from hot interior surfaces is retained in the building by the roof and wall. Temperature, humidity and ventilation can be controlled by equipment fixed in the polytunnel.

The polyhouse technologies are advanced in Israel, Holland, Spain, Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Japan and China. But unfortunately much neglected in India

Advantages of Greenhouse / polyhouse farming

• Protection from excess rainfall, wind current, scorching sunlight and extreme cold conditions
• Certain crops can be grown round the year in a particular place for continuous supply
• Production of uniform quality crops
• Production of throughout the year
• Protection from birds, animals and human activities
• Productivity is 8 to 10 times higher than the crops grown in open fields
• Management of insect pests, diseases and weeds is easier under these structures
• These structures are ideally suited for small farmers and unemployed youth from rural areas
• Required minimum labour, water and fertilizers
• Organic farming is easier under these structures
• Any type of land even unproductive soil can be used for erection of these structures
• Precise irrigation and fertilization is possible
• Export oriented production is possible under these structures

Disadvantages

• Greater management is required for greenhouses during off-season months to ensure proper conditions are maintained
• Greenhouses are more drought resistant than in-ground gardens but can build up temperatures quickly because of confined spaces
• Building a greenhouse will be more expensive in the initial setup compared to starting a garden on the ground. Growing costs can be extended through a greater time frame using a greenhouse
• Polyhouse costs a lot of money, not just to build but to maintain. Since they require heating in the winter, greenhouses will add an extra charge to your electric bill
• Chances of entering disease causing organisms from outside is less. But already born organisms will not go out. If not cared will Polyhouses will cause huge financial loss