With the microclimatic management technologies developed by Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), now profitable and sustainable production of quality vegetables can be taken up round the year.
The Office of Comptroller General of Patents, Designs & TradeMarks of Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India has granted Trade Mark to Temporary Shade net Structure developed by BAU. Application for another Trade Mark on Detachable Roof Poly house has been accepted for processing by the Ministry. Both the technologies have been developed by Dr Pramod Rai, Principal Investigator of BAU Centre of All India Coordinated Research Project on Plastic Engineering in Agriculture Structure and Environment Management (PEASEM). He has been working on these aspects for nearly a decade.
Dr Rai said the productivity and quality of cultivated vegetables is affected by genetic material, crop management and microclimate management. The important microclimate parameters like temperature (soil & air), light (intensity & quality), relative humidity, carbon dioxide etc for cultivated crops are managed using protected cultivation technologies.
The selection of protected cultivation structure affects the profitability and sustainability, fixed cost, operation cost and carbon footprint of cultivated vegetables.
The cultivation of tomato and capsicum during summer months (March-May) is problematic due to high temperature of soil & air and light intensity. It is more than required for its successful cultivation & affects the crops productivity & quality. The major quality concern is sun burns which affect more than 50% of fruit produced. This problem can be reduced by cultivation of tomato and capsicum in permanent structure shade net (green, 35-50%) during summer months. But light intensity in the remaining months of the year (June-February) is less than the optimal level required for its cultivation. Use of temporary shade net structure only during summer months (March-May) enhances its utilization and cost economics. It increases the marketable quality by minimum 50% and productivity by 30-40% in comparison to open field cultivation under the same agronomical practices.
Due to the greenhouse effect during summer season, the temperature of soil & air is very high under natural ventilated polyhouse apart from that light intensity is also very high. The reduction in temperature (soil & air) and light intensity is very essential to make the natural ventilation suitable for round the year cultivation. Normally the natural ventilated polyhouse is utilized only 8-9 months during the year. The developed detachable roof polyhouse can be constructed using bamboo and cladding material. The whole structure (except roof) is covered with UV stabilized insect net proof material (40 mesh) but the roof is covered with UV stabilized film (200 micron) during rainy & winter season and shade net material (green, 35-50%). The developed structure acts as polyhouse (Nov-Feb), rain shelter (June-October) and shade net (March-May). It passively cools the poly house and reduces the temperature (soil & air) and light intensity which makes it suitable for round the year cultivation resulting in enhanced profitability and reduced carbon footprint for cultivated crops.
BAU Vice Chancellor Dr SC Dubey has congratulated PI, Dr Pramod Rai and DK Rusia, Associate Dean for these inventions suitable for small farmers of Jharkhand.
Details about these technologies can be seen by viewing the YouTube videos uploaded on YouTube channel of Birsa Agricultural University i.e. Temporary Shade Net Structure (https://youtu.be/PhZmEyKXEY4) and Detachable Roof Polyhouse (https://youtu.be/fy1U3Y759l8). (Dr Pramod Rai: 8986644713)
