Poly house is a framed structure covered by transparent or translucent material like glass or polyethene wherein plants are grown under well-controlled climatic conditions. It is rather used to protect the plants from the adverse climatic conditions such as wind, cold, precipitation, excessive radiation, extreme temperature, insects and diseases. It is also of vital importance to create an ideal microclimate around the plants.

In India, polyhouse farming is a popular greenhouse technology due to its low cost of construction and easy maintenance. The area of the poly house should be large enough for a person to work inside. Generally, heat accumulation (70-75% of solar energy is retained) takes place inside the poly house. Solar radiation is allowed to pass through but thermal radiations by plants are trapped. The minimum size of 500 M2 is sufficient for a single person to go for commercial cultivation inside the poly house.

Crops are grown in Polyhouse

1. Vegetables that can be grown include Cucumber, Capsicum, Cabbage, Tomato, Bitter Gourd, Radish, Cauliflower, Spinach, etc.
2. Fruits that can be grown are Papaya, Strawberry etc.
3. Flowers like Carnation, Gerbera, Marigold, Orchid, and Rose can also be easily grown.

Benefits of Polyhouse

Polyhouse is very beneficial for the farmers specially those who prefer organic farming. here are few of the benefits of a polyhouse:

1. Your plants are grown under controlled temperature thus there is less chances of crop loss or damage.
2. You can grow crops throughout the year and will not have to wait for any particular season.
3. There are less pests and insects in a polyhouse.
4. Off Season cultivation of vegetables/fruits which enables the farmer to have a better price realisation
5. External climate will not have any impact of the growth of crops.
6. Quality of produce is obviously higher in polyhouse.
7. Good drainage and aeration for better plant growth
8. Polyhouse can be maintained with good sanitation.
9. Propagation of Ornamental Crops can also be done effortlessly in a polyhouse.
10. Poly House gives the right environmental facilities to your plants in any season.
11. It also increases yield for about 5 to 10 times.
12. Less cropping period
13. Fertilizer application is easier and is controlled automatically with the help of drip irrigation.

Challenges in Polyhouse Farming

Since plants are being cultivated under controlled climatic conditions in a greenhouse, it has its own share of problems too. One of the chief problems is ensuring nutrient availability and protecting the plants from deficiency of various minerals like boron, nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, iron and potassium. Similarly, plants may also suffer from excess of nutrients. Constant monitoring and soil testing is necessary to ensure that the plants get adequate amount of nutrition and grow properly.

Do you want to know how to construct Polyhouse? If yes, click on the ♡ icon to like the article and read the next one! Vegetables that can be grown include Cucumber, Capsicum, Cabbage, Tomato, Bitter Gourd, Radish, Cauliflower, Spinach, etc.