To provide an alternative method of cultivation to farmers of this arid district, the horticulture department has decided to introduce, for the first time, the lucrative poly greenhouse method for the cultivation of cucumber and capsicum, and flower crop of marigold.
District Collector K. Nanthakumar inaugurated on Thursday, the 1000-square metre poly greenhouse erected at the model farm at Sundaramudayan near here, with interline micro drippers for irrigation, fertigation and fogging system for the purpose of demonstrating the efficacy of the method to the farmers.
About 250 farmers have visited the greenhouse and some of them evinced interest in setting up the house for cultivating hybrid varieties of cucumber and capsicum, which commanded good market in Kerala, B. Ilango, Assistant Director of Horticulture, said.
Stating that the Centre has made available the 1,000 square metre poly greenhouse under the National Horticulture Mission and the State Planning Commission, 5,000 sq m poly greenhouse under the State Balanced Growth Fund with 50 per cent subsidy to the farmers, he said a 1,000 sq m shed could be erected at an estimated cost of Rs. 9.5 lakh.
The Nammalvar Agriculture College at Peraiyur, near Kamudhi, has come forward to erect a 1,000 sq m poly greenhouse and the Collector presented the work order to its Correspondent Ahmed Yasin after he presented a cheque for Rs. 4.75 lakh towards beneficiary’s contribution.
The houses with ultra virus plastic sheets were ideally suited for this high light intensity district as the recommended crops could be grown under controlled atmosphere, he said.
The fogging system helped to control the humidity and temperature inside the shed, he added.
Under greenhouse, a farmer could plant 600 plants each of cucumber and capsicum and another 300 plants of marigold. They could start the harvest after 120 days and get a high yield of four to five kilograms per plant. After investing about Rs. 6 lakh, a farmer could breakeven at the end of the year after two or three harvests, he said.
The District Rural Development Agency has erected the demonstration shed, S. Nagarajan, Assistant Director, Horticulture said. He said a Mahindra Group Company has erected the shed with imported UV plastic sheets. The sheets should be replaced at least once in three years for maximum yield, company’s Agronomist N Gopalakrishnan said.
