Greenhouse Project Interim Report

7/27/2019 Greenhouse Project Interim Report

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A REPORT

ON

POTENTIAL OF PROTECTED FARMING AS THE GREEN FACTORY

By

NEEL PATEL

&

MUNEEK SHAH

CEPT UNIVERSITY

AHMEDABAD


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Contract/Project/Job Number _____

A REPORT

ON

POTENTIAL OF PROTECTED FARMING AS THE GREEN FACTORY

By

NEEL PATEL

&

MUNEEK SHAH

FOR

NEEL AGROTECH PVT. LTD.

AHMEDABAD

17TH

JULY 2013


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Abstract

Protected cultivation is a unique and specialized form of agriculture. The intent is grow

crops where otherwise they could not survive by modifying the natural environment to

prolong the harvest period, often with earlier maturity, to increase yields, improve

quality, enhance the stability of production, and make commodities available when

there is no outdoor production. Greenhouse is one type of protected cultivation

technique. We have been assigned to carry out market survey of 5 districts of Gujarat,

by doing which we will be able to find out success and failure probabilities of

greenhouses implemented during 2010-2013 in Gujarat. Currently there are around 850

greenhouses in Gujarat and expanding at a high rate. We have till date conducted

interview of around 25 people from different districts and we able to see common

problems such as, not availing expected price in market and spreading of diseases

which have no cure. After analyzing the data from the surveys we will be able to spot

many other problems and then will try to provide probable solutions by discussing with

our company guide


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Introduction

What is protected agriculture?

1. It is anything that helps growers control elements such as rain, snow , heat, cold ,humidity, wind , dust , pests etc.

2. It is defined as a permanent structure covering a field, whether its made of

glass, plastic, or shade-net

What is a Greenhouse?

The term greenhouse refers to a structure covered with a transparent

material for the purpose of admitting natural light for plant growth. The structure is,

usually, heated artificially and differs from other growing structures.

Greenhouse effect:-

In a greenhouse with illumination from the sun, heat enters the house with little of it

escaped as the glass/plastic traps it. The temperature inside the house is much higher

than outside air. Plants grown there can have more warmth and healthier. This effect is

greenhouse effect.

Advantages of Greenhouse:-

One can grow crop under controlled environment and throughout the year four to

five crops can be grown due to availability of required conditions.

Helps in increasing productivity and superior quality of produce

Various inputs like water, fertilizer, seeds and plants protection chemicals can be

controlled and easily passed to plants.

Pests and diseases can be controlled in greenhouse.

Export quality can be produced

Limited use of water.

Can be integrated with controllers and artificial intelligence.

Production in a greenhouse increases yield by threefold when compared with

conventional farming.


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Production in a greenhouse improves the quality of the produce by at least 50%.

The output is disease free and conforms to the international hygiene standards.

Production in a greenhouse reduces the harvesting period by half.

Minimizing the command area optimizes land mass utilization.

Any crop can be produced at any time, irrespective of the conditions prevailing

outside the greenhouse, by simulating/creating the required environmental

conditions.

The ability to market more steady supplies is better because protected

agriculture products are not as susceptible to harsh weather.

We have prepared a questionnaire for greenhouse/net house owners. This

questionnaire is meant to collect detailed information of farmer, crop cultivation details,

and technical details of greenhouse and market of the produce. In the survey, we will

find out whether farmer had undergone training prior to implementation of the

greenhouse or not. If they are trained then, we will try to find out answers to, what type

of training was provided to them, by which organization/agency was it conducted? We

will also compare trained farmers yield and un-trained farmers yield. This will help our

organization in starting new training programmes. In technical details, we will check the

level of satisfaction of farmers for services provided by Greenhouse manufacturing

companies.

EC(Electrical Conductivity)-pH are the critical parameter required to be maintained for

better yield of greenhouse crops, therefore we are also going check the knowledge and

methods employed by farmers for EC-pH controlling. EC-pH of soil and water is to be

maintained at a certain level for the growth of the crop.

After the survey phase, we will analyze the collected data and will be able to map the

current protected cultivation industry of Gujarat state. With the help of our organization,

Neel Agrotech Pvt. Ltd, we are planning to find out solutions which can increase

farmers satisfaction, production yields and in turn increase their profit.


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Literature Review

Industry of floriculture around the world:-

The world floriculture industry is in a state of unrest, with drastic changes in supply and

demand positions. New markets as well as new suppliers are emerging and

disappearing in short span of time. The growth potential of the industry though affected

significantly by the recent global economic crisis; nevertheless, the global exports has

been growing at an annual average growth rate of 10.3 percent, and at this growth rate

world exports are expected to reach US$ 25 billion by 2013.

The world floriculture trade is characterized by a high degree of concentration by

product and sources. Developed countries in Europe, America, and Asia account for

more than 90 percent of the total world trade in floriculture products. International trade

in floriculture, to a large extent is organized along the regional lines. Asia-Pacific

countries are the main suppliers to Japan and Hong Kong. African and other European

countries are the principal suppliers to Europe's main markets, and the supplies to the

USA are mainly catered by Colombia and Ecuador. Further, traditionally, international

trade in flowers has been considerably governed by bilateral/multilateral agreements

and tariffs and quotas such as Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), MostFavored Nation (MFN) tariff rates, NAFTA etc.

Estimates of the annual consumption of commercially grown flowers worldwide vary by

source and range from US$ 40 - 60 billion. On the demand side, around 80 percent of


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global demand of flowers with improvements in quality of planting material,

infrastructure, training programmes in production, harvesting and post-harvest

management techniques, product diversification, improving product availability and

quality, and backed by adequate marketing support. (Ladha, 2012)

Types of Greenhouses:-

Various types of greenhouse are designed to meet specific needs, cost and application.

(S.prasad, 2007)

Greenhouses based on shape:-

Lean to type greenhouse

Even span type greenhouse

Uneven span type greenhouse Ridge and Furrow type greenhouse

Saw tooth type greenhouse

Quonset Greenhouse

Greenhouse types based on utility:-

Greenhouse for active cooling

Greenhouse for active heating

Greenhouse based on Construction:-

Wooden Framed structures

Pipe Framed structure

Truss Framed Structure

Greenhouse based on Covering material:-

Glass Greenhouse

Plastic Film Greenhouse

Rigid Panel Greenhouse

Thing to be taken care of for implementing a Greenhouse:-

Location

Topography of land


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Climate

Labour Supply

Accessibility of site

Availability of water

Utilities

Types Shade/Net-house: Cost Effective Solutions in Protected Agriculture

Shade Net-house (Flat Roof)

Low cost solution in protected cultivation. Variety of covering material options as per

need. Suitable for wide varieties of cultivation, nursery, research applications

Shade Net-house (Gothic Arch)

Low cost solution in protected cultivation. Variety of covering material options as per

need. Suitable for wide varieties of cultivation, nursery and research applications.


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Temperature controlling systems:-

Accurate temperature control in greenhouse is required because desired productivity

and best growth of plants occurs within limit of particular temperature range.

Thermometers must be located in the greenhouse at plant level and in sufficient number

so that accurate data can be fetched. For young plants, thermometer should be placed

near ground level.

1. Manual controlling:-

A person checks the temperature and remove side curtains accordingly for air

circulation. By this temperature is manually controlled.

2. Fan Pad evaporative cooling system:-This system is very effective in controlling temperature. Water is passed through

a pad that is placed vertically in the wall. Traditionally the pad was composed of

excelsior(wood shreds), but today it is commonly made of a cross-fluted cellulose

material somewhat similar in appearance to cardboard. Exhaust fans are placed

on opposite wall. Warm air outside is drawn in through the pad. Water in the pad,


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through the process of evaporation, absorbs heat from surrounding pad and

frame as well as from the air passing through the pad.

Forced Ventilation Greenhouse with Fans & Cooling Pads. Best suited for High

Value commercial cultivation, Tissue Culture, Research and Experiments.

Provides Complete climate control.

3. Fog evaporative cooling system:-

It is operated on the same cooling principle as fan pad system. A high pressure

pumping apparatus generates fog containing water droplets with mean size of

less than 10 microns. These droplets are sufficiently small to stay in the air while

they are evaporating. Fog is dispersed throughout the greenhouse , cooling the

air everywhere. Generally, this systems are used in are of Gujarat.

Fertigation System:-

Fertigation Control system is a highly advanced technique of water and fertilizer

management in Agriculture. It ensures about the right water quantity with right fertilizer

proportion at right time, without manual efforts and labour, with an automated


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mechanism. The computer operates your irrigation and Fertigation schedule through

your existing drip or sprinkler irrigation system.

Most important Part of Automated Fertigation system are Control Valves

Solenoid control valves for automatic irrigation operations, AC & DC Models, with flexibility of fitting, size, assembly

and application

Greenhouse Climate Control

To provide required climate to the crop, greenhouse comprises climate control. Parameters under control will be

Temperature, Humidity, Light Intensity, Photo Active Radiance (PAR), CO2, and other irrigation parameters. For the

same Fan & Pad system, Fogging, Shade net, are controlled with sensor feedback

Greenhouse Curtain Automation

In Naturally Ventilated greenhouses Installation of Side Rolling Curtains and Automation

for the same facilitates the climate control.

Shade-net Automation


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Light Intensity inside the greenhouses can be controlled with Automatic Internal

Shadenet movement. A sensor based mechanism is installed to regulate the operations

for shade net to control light. (Neel Agrotech Pvt. Ltd., 2010)

Overview on Diesease Nematode:-

Nematodes are known as thread worms. The varied effects of nematodes on plants are

physiological, cellular and molecular levels have not been precisely defined, though

severe epidemics caused by plant parasitic nematodes have shattered the world

economy in past.

Generally in vegetable (especially cucumbers) root-knot disease is found in India.


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Symptoms: Specific symptoms include knots on roots which look like beaded roots. By

observing the root one cannot see adult female since it is found completely inside the

roots. The egg mass can be seen within knots which contain 200-500 eggs. The above

ground symptoms comprise chlorosis, wilting, stunning and smalling of leaf and fruit.

Causal organism: Root-knot Nematode.

Host Range:It is polyphagous. It can infect more than 3,000 host plants belonging to all

plats families.

Control:

1. Deep summer ploughing: Two to three deep summer ploughing in May and Juneat the interval of 15 days have been found effective in minimizing the nematode

populations. Polythene mulching is effective.

2. Use of carbofuran 3G@1-2 kg a.i./ha is effective.

3. Hot water treatment for infested plant material at 50 c for 10 min is effective.

4. Susceptible varieties should be replaces with genetically resistant ones.

(S.prasad, 2007)

Wholesale or Retail?

Opportunities exist in both retail and wholesale growing. Generally, retail growing works

best if you enjoy working with people and helping them satisfy their needs and wants.

Wholesale growing is more feasible if a suitable retail location is unavailable or if you

have figured out some way of providing a needed wholesale product and delivering it to

your customers.

Retail growing and selling directly to the customer is the easiest area to break into at

present because growers can obtain higher prices for their products at the retail level.

Retail growing requires an area on a paved road which is easy to find and within a

reasonably large population center.


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Wholesale production can take several forms. Wholesale growers almost always

deliver their product to their retail customers, so transportation logistics becomes an

important part of the challenge required to succeed as a wholesale grower.The

customers may be retail greenhouses or florists, grocery stores, chain stores, Many

wholesale growers set up truck routes and stop by their customers businesses weekly

during the busy spring season.

Presently this wholesale market area appears to be overproducing, and product prices

have been falling during recent years. Very large regional growers are emerging with 10

to 20 acres of production. There may be opportunity to play in this market by becoming

a wholesale contract grower. You might contract your production to one of the larger

firms in the area and produce one or more specific product types at a predeterminedprice.

The wholesale florist grower is the traditional wholesale grower in the industry, Florist

growers usually produce a very high quality product and a wide assortment of flowers.

They have scheduled production with items ready for market every week during the

year. (University of Arkansas, 2011)

A look to the future

The inability of people to predict the weather and control the climate persists. This

is accompanied by a rising population with increasing numbers of affluent and

demanding people who insist on improved diets. Coupled with the above are limitations

of land, water, energy, mineral nutrients, and the need for improved management of all

resources. Thus, we will likely see a continuing increase in the extent and dispersion of

protected cultivation throughout the world. Only within the past 2 decades have

greenhouses, rowcovers, and plastic soil mulches attracted the attention of

agriculturally developing countries in Asia, South America, and Africa. In the United

States and Europe, protected cultivation commands the attention and interest of the


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professional and amateur gardener. For horticulturists, foresters, crop, and other

scientists, it provides a site for testing and verification of new technologies for open field

culture. There will be new developments in the use of plastic and glass as covers for

greenhouses. The Dutch are successfully developing new glass structures for

improved transmission of sunlight. Innovations in the use of plastic for non-heated

structures in the tropics and semi-tropics will appear. Biodegradable and light-

degradable plastics will make their use more environmentally compatible.

The development of intelligent films will open new perspectives to protected

cultivation .There will be films that limit the transmission of infrared solar radiation (700-

900 mm), thereby reducing the greenhouse effect in tropical areas, where limiting the air

temperature may be desirable, or films that reconvert the radiation from the

photosynthetically inactive wave lengths of the solar energy spectrum into improved

crop productivity. (Wittwer, 1995)


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7. What kind of services do you expect for company to provide you?

Initial capital cost: Subsidy from Govt.:

Loan amount _______________from which bank and branch____________________

Repayment is done or not? What is repayment schedule?

Did you hired any consultant for subsidy procedures? (If yes provide details)

Were you forced to fulfill any type of monetary demands from Govt. officers? How much?

Do you have any insurance cover for your Greenhouse?

If yes then you bought it through installation company or directly?

If government is not going to give any subsidy, would you adopt this technology?

Are you associated with any agricultural associations?

Greenhouse Details(Technical):-

Greenhouse

Particulars

First Second Third Fourth

Implementation year

Size

(length*width*height)

in meter OR

Total Area in sqaure

meter

Gutter height (m)

Operating cost


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House Type:

Which of the following attributes does your greenhouse has?

Self -Ventilated Design Drip Irrigation

EC-pH controller(fertigation) Sprinklers

Temperature controlled

Do you:

a) Test your irrigation water for alkalinity and mineral content on an annual basis?

b) Adjust fertilizer or irrigation practices based on the results of growing media tests?

EC-pH of soil & water:

Type of soil: _______________________

Local Soil (yes or no) If no then from where and why? _____________________

Raised bed? : Know Hydroponics?:

Crop Details:-

Type of water source:

Canal Lake Borewell Other__________

Availability of 24hr Electricity Y / N

Do you have a 24-hr power under Govt. GH scheme? Tariff per unit: _____________

Crop1 Crop2 Crop3 Crop4 Crop5

Crop Name

(variety)

Period

(plantation to

harvesting)

Seed for GH or

local (From

where)


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Agronomical

Support or

not(contact

details)

No. of

labourers(rate)

Labour rate

Yield (per unit

area)

Standard

yields

Reasons for

this much yield

Price earned in

the market

Do you know importance of EC-pH for this field?

Any plan to change crop pattern in near future?

Which are the crops you know that can be grown in greenhouse?

Vegetables:

1. Capsicums

2. Tomatoes

3. Cucumber

4. Karela

5. Parval

6. Coriander

7. Mint

Fruits :

1. Musk Melons

2. Strawberries

3. Water Melons

Flowers:

1. Gerbera

2. Roses

Any other_____________


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If you know about these crops then why didnt you implement them?

What is the depth of the highest anticipated groundwater?

Provide a complete listing of chemicals that are used in your greenhouse operations. This list

should include the quantities and name of manufacturer.

Use a 1 to 5 scale where 1=not important, 2=less important, 3=neutral, 4=important, 5=very

important.

Please indicate your level of interest in learning more about the following plant production.

Climate Control 1 2 3 4 5 Fertigation and EC-pH control 1 2 3 4 5

Disease management 1 2 3 4 5 Insect management 1 2 3 4 5

Water quality 1 2 3 4 5 Managing wastewater 1 2 3 4 5

Nutritional management 1 2 3 4 5 Plant growth regulators 1 2 3 4 5

Reducing pesticide use 1 2 3 4 5 Other _______________

What parameters will help you to expand?

Money Marketing Yields Transportation Labour Agro-help

MARKET:-

Export or Local Market?

Where do you sell greenhouse produce? ____________________________

If you Dont Export then what are the reasons that restrict you from Exporting produce?

Mode of transport to the market:

Cost of transport to the market:

Do you avail any help from Govt. agency for crop development?


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We have surveyed and interviewed almost 27 greenhouse/net-house owners in different

regions of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Kheda districts. We will conduct

more interviews in this week for Sabarkantha district.We will be also doing telephonic

interview in this week.

From our survey done till now, we have some findings with greenhouse industry, which

are listed below.

Poor after sales service of greenhouse structure and drip companies

Farmers who applied for subsidy in 2012-2013 years have not got their

subsidy till now. So some of them have built structure but could not start

farming due to lack of working capital.

Produce market issue- Farmers generally sell their produce to Jamalpur,

Ahmedabad where they are not getting proper price. Price fluctuation in

high and due to brokerage, farmers are not benefited.

Cost of fertilizer and pesticides is too high.

Once diseases are there in a single plant, it spreads quickly in other

plants.

Failure of crop due to diseases like nematodes, mites and thrips.

Generally in almost all greenhouses, rust in nut-bolt is found. At Some

places angles were also corroded.

A major challenge greenhouse production faces is competition with field

grown due to price and consumer comfort

Economics of Gerbera in 4000 sq. m Polyhouse (1 acre)

I. Capital Investment:

1. Poly House Construction @Rs.800/sq mt Rs.32,00,000/

2. Irrigation expenses Rs.8,00,000/-

3. other equipments Rs.2,00,000/-

Total one time investment Rs.42,00,000/- (A)


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II. Cultivation Expenses:

1. Planting materials 28000 plants @Rs. 30/plant Rs.8,40,000/-

2. Bed Preparation Rs.1,50,500/-

3. Fertilizers and pesticides Rs.3,00,000/-

4. Labour Rs..3,75,000/-

5. Packing & forwarding @ 10 paise per flower Rs.84,000/-

Total no of flowers per year Rs. 8,40,000

Total expenses first year Rs.17,49,000.00(B)

III. Second year to fourth Expenses

Rs. 9,09,000 x 3 Rs.27,27,000(C)

IV. Average Yield 30 flowers/plant /year Rs. 8,40,000

V. Average rate per flower @ Rs. 3 per year Rs. 25,20,000

VI. Total income for 4 years Rs.1,00,80,000(D)

VII. Total Expenses A+B+C Rs. 86,76,000(E)

VIII. Gross profit at the end of 4th year Rs. 14,04,000


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BibliographyDrBharatShah. (n.d.). Director of Agriculture, Gujarat State. (P. Shah, Interviewer)

Govt of Gujarat. (n.d.).Agriculture and Co-opeeration Department. Retrieved May 2013

Govt. of Gujarat. (2012). Horticulture Dept. Subsidy Schemes.

Ladha, D. S. (2012). FLORICULTURE : INTERNATIONAL MARKETS. Retrieved June 2013,

from http://floriculturetoday.in/floriculture-international-markets.html

Loraine Blaxter, C. H. (2010). How to Research. England: McGraw-Hill.

Neel Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. (2010). Retrieved 2013, from Neel Agrotech Pvt. Ltd.: www.neel.co.in

NIC. (n.d.). Hortnet. Retrieved May 2013, from www.hortnet.gov.in

Panj, M. F. (2013, May). Assistant Director of Horticulture.

S.prasad, U. k. (2007). Greenghouse Management For Horticulture Crops.

Sarkar, S. (2011). GLOBAL FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY TRENDS AND PROSPECTS.

Retrieved June 2013, from http://www.floriculturetoday.in/Global-Floriculture-Industry-

Trends-and-Prospects.html

University of Arkansas. (2011). Starting a Greenhouse Business.Agriculture and Natural

Resources, p. 4.

Wittwer, C. (1995). Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops Worldwide. 17.

Greenhouse Project Interim Report

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