Protected cultivation of horticultural crops by Kisan Forum Pvt. Ltd.

Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops

D.K. Singh Professor Department of Vegetable Science G..B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology Pantnagar – 263 145, Uttarakhand

& K.V. Peter Director World Noni Research Foundation Chennai – 600 096, Tamil Nadu

NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY New Delhi – 110 034

NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY 101, Vikas Surya Plaza, CU Block, LSC Market Pitam Pura, New Delhi 110 034, India Phone: + 91 (11)27 34 17 17 Fax: + 91(11) 27 34 16 16 Email: info@nipabooks.com Web: www.nipabooks.com Feedback at feedbacks@nipabooks.com ÂŠ Editors, 2014 ISBN: 978-93-83305-15-5 All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher or the copyright holder. This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author/s, editor/s and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The author/s, editor/s and publisher have attempted to trace and acknowledge the copyright holders of all materials reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission and acknowledgements to publish in this form have not been taken. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify it, in subsequent reprints. Trademark notice: Presentations, logos (the way they are written/presented), in this book are under the trademarks of the publisher and hence, if copied/resembled the copier will be prosecuted under the law. Composed, Designed and Printed in India

DEVOTION Times Magazine rated Prof. M S Swaminathan as one among the icons of Indian History-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Ravindranath Tagore. The Mahatma dreampt of a hunger free India.Tagore called hunger a national shame. It is the legendary Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan who made hunger a thing of the past by the Ever Green Revolution. We devote this book as a token of gratitude and love to him. It is a divine destiny that the historical Food Security Bill which makes access to food a fundamental right is piloted by Professor Kuruppassery Varkey Thomas, the Union Minister of State (Food, Civil Supplies, Public Distribution). I join my late parents Varkey and Rosa to facilitate him. We devote this book to Prof. K.V. Thomas who goes to history by accomplishing the dreams and actions of Mahatma Gandhiji, Tagore and Swaminathan.

Dated: 27th July 2013

Foreword India is on its course to become the most populous country in the world, even surpassing China. Availability and accessibility of food and nutrition to this increasing population continues to be a daunting task for agricultural planners, researchers, farmers and others involved in the production consumption chain. Climate change and resource constraints are posing serious constraints on the profitability and sustainability of food production technologies. Productivities of vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants, spices and aromatic plants are lower in India on account of vagaries of weather and dwindling availability of space, water, fertilizer, labour and energy. Efficient technologies for horticultural production in terms of space, labour and other inputs are emerging in a big way to meet the requirements of the expanding consumer base. Protected cultivation in the form of greenhouse, cloches, row covers, mulching, kitchen gardening, indoor gardening, terrace gardening, vertical farming, hydroponics, aeroponics etc. is drawings the attention of young farmers for more productive and dignified agriculture. High density planting, use of root stocks, pruning and training integrated pest and disease management, use of good agricultural practices, harvesting and post harvest technologies and establishment of food supply chains are all components of successful protected cultivation technology value chain. The ICAR initiated efforts to conduct R&D in the area of protected cultivation in the early 80s. The All India Coordinated Research Project on Plastics in Agriculture and the Plasticulture Development Centre Scheme of the National Committee on the use of plastics in agriculture were the early structured programmes on development of protected cultivation in India. These schemes have over the three decades, resulted into appropriate technologies on greenhouses, low tunnels, plastic mulches, integrated pest, disease and nutrient management and appropriate machinery. The centre for protected cultivation technology at IARI, New Delhi has created awareness on the feasibility and economics of protected cultivation of horticultural crops in the country. Needless to say that, at present, several thousand hectare area in the country has been brought under protected cultivation.

viii

Foreword

The present book edited by Dr. Dinesh Singh, Professor, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology and Dr. K.V. Peter, Director, World Noni Research Foundation, Chennai is an excellent reference material being made available at the appropriate time when many state governments are promoting hi-tech agriculture. I congratulate the scientists who have contributed to this references book and the New India Publishing Agency, New Delhi to make this book available to the stakeholders.

Pitam Chandra

Preface Productivity of vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, spices and aromatic plants are lower in India, being the above crops left to vagaries of weather; space,water, fertilizers, labour and energy being limiting factors. Space, water and energy saving horticulture are emerging in a big way in urban and peri-urban areas. Protected cultivation is known as vertical horticulture, terrace gardening, indoor gardening, kitchen gardening and with innovation has turned to hydroponics and aeroponics. High density planting, use of root stocks, pruning and training, integrated pest and disease management, use of good agricultural practices, harvest and post harvest technologies and above all establishment of cold chains and scientific retailing where producer farmers get at least 60% of customers price are all components of protected cultivation. The All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Plastics in Agriculture concentrates on structures in Protected Cultivation Houses. Water and nutrients are saved and efficiently used by drip fertigation. Mulching is done to save water and manage weeds in the polyhouses/net houses/rain shelters. Integrated Pest, Disease and Nutrient management technologies are used to produce clean fruits and vegetables. Agro-machineries are available for precision farming, prepararion of nursery beds, grafting and planting, regulating light and heat inside and waste disposal at the end. Self sufficiency in organic manures are assured by composting of the left over plant biomass. The Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT), IARI, New Delhi has demonstrated the economics and feasibility of protected cultivation of horticultural crops. The present book comes up in the most appropriate time when many State Governments are promoting hi-tech agriculture. We congratulate the scientists who contributed the chapters and New India Publishing Agency, New Delhi for publishing the book. Editors

Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Vice-Chancellor, G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar for the support and encouragement extended to the first editor (Dr D K Singh). Dr K V Peter acknowledges Prof. P I Peter, Chairman Noni Biotech, Chennai for the fullest support and Dr Kirti Singh, Chairperson, World Noni Research Foundation for guidance. No words are sufficient to express gratitude to both of them. Mrs. Dinesh Kumar Singh and Ms Vimala Peter need special mention for their patience and endurance. We acknowledge all the contributors for putting their best to the chapters. We also acknowledge The Staff of NIPA for excellent printing of the book. Anvar K Peter, Ajay K Peter and Cynara Justin provided needed encouragements.

Editors

Contents Devotion ............................................................................................................ v Foreword ....................................................................................................... vii Preface ............................................................................................................ ix Acknowledgement ........................................................................................... xi Contributors ................................................................................................... xv Introduction ................................................................................................. xvii Pioneering Polyhouse Vegetable Breeding in India .................................... xxv D.K. Singh

1. Protected Cultivation of Horticulture Crops â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Present Scenario and Future Prospects .................................... 1 D.K. Singh and K.V. Peter

2. Space Saving Horticulture .............................................................. 33 Binoo Bonny, Jyothi Bhaskar, M. Prabhakar and K.V. Peter

3. Principles of Hi-tech Horticulture ................................................. 51 A.A. Patil, S.M. Mantur, M.S. Biradar and I.M. Mannikeri

4. High-Tech Interventions in Horticulture Crops ......................... 91 P. Soman

5. Technological Advances in Irrigation Management for Protected Cultivation .................................................................... 113 P.K. Singh, Ganga Joshi and D.K.Singh

6. Indigenous Approach Towards Popularization of Greenhouses in Himalayan Regions ........................................... 133 Sanjai K. Dwivedi and Deepa H. Dwivedi

7. Protected Cultivation Technologies for Diversification and Livelihood Security for Indian Farmers ...................................... 149 Balraj Singh

xiv Contents

8. Polyhouse Vegetable Crop Breeding .......................................... 159 D.K. Singh

9. Recent Advances in Fertigation Techniques for Protected Cultivation of Vegetable Crops .................................................... 187 A.S. Sidhu, M. Prabhakar, S.S. Hebbar, A.K. Nair and H.P. Bhagya

10. High Altitude Protected Vegetable Production ......................... 205 Brahma Singh

11. Recent Advances in Raising of Vegetable Transplants under Protected Conditions ......................................................... 223 Chaurasia, S.N.S. and Naik, P.S.

12. High Value Vegetable Production in Greenhouse .................... 259 M. Prabhakar, S.S. Hebbar, A.K. Nair and J.K. Chinnu

13. Protected Cultivation of Vegetables in Tropics ......................... 281 Pradeepkumar, T and Ajay Bhardwaj

14. Protected Cultivation of Spices: Realities and Challenges ..... 311 A.K. Sadanandan and K.V. Peter

15. Protected Cultivation of Floricultural Crops ............................. 325 S.S. Sindhu

16. Scenario of Flower Breeding for Protected Cultivation ........... 357 Ramesh Kumar, Ganesh B. Kadam and Prabhat Kumar

17. Structural Support vis-Ă -vis Quality Concerns of Protected Floriculture ................................................................... 381 Ranjan Srivastava, Satish Chand and D.K. Singh

Index ................................................................................................ 419

Fi r s tf e wp a g e so ft h i sb o o ka r ep u b l i s h e d o nk i s a n . c o mb yi t sp u b l i s h e r . I fy o uwi s ht op u r c h a s eah a r d c o p y o ft h i sb o o k , p l e a s ec o n t a c tt h ep u b l i s h e r .

Publ i sher