Technology Details:
In hills, frost during the winter season is very common and the farmers face problems in preparing nurseries of vegetables, flowers, and other high-value crops due to very slow germination and growth. Also, the seedlings in the nursery in their initial growth stage are more prone to damage caused by frost, hails, and snowfall. If the nursery fails, there is not only economic loss to farmers in terms of the very high cost of the seeds but also the resowing of the nursery delays its transplanting in fields thus decreasing the total production. Thus, a polytunnel may be a cheap, suitable, and profitable alternative for preparing nursey under such conditions and accordingly the Institute under the NICRA project at ICAR-VPKAS has developed a steel pipe made “VL Polytunnel” as a protective structure for raising nursery of high-value crops. The VL Polytunnel is of semi-circular shape (2.0 m length x 1.0 m width x 0.75 m center height) covering a ground area of 2 sq m and the total available area is 4 sq m. This is made of steel pipes and UV polythene and its price is Rs. 6,000/-. In addition to its primary use in winter for nursery raising, farmers can also use it for drying and covering their farm produce during the rainy season. This polytunnel is very easy to transport because the maximum parts are detachable and one polytunnel will require only (105x25x80 cm3) volume for safe transportation:
Salient features • The VL Polytunnel is of semi-circular shape (2.0 m length x 1.0 width x 0.75 m center height):
• This is made of round steel pipes, GI wire, profile springs, solar penal, DC fan, and UV polythene:
• It covers a ground area of 2 sq m and the total available area is 4 sq m:
• The VL Polytunnel will create a sort of microclimate that allows growing various plants even when they are out of season:
• It protects plants from frost, hails, heavy rains and snowfall, strong winds, and hot and cold waves:
• In addition to its primary use in winter for nursery raising, farmers can also use it for drying and covering their farm produce during the rainy season:
• Its price is Rs. 6,000/-.