Tunnel Farming

Sharply increasing population,expanding residential colonies and minimizing agriculture land has forced every person to think about, how the demand of food can be satisfied? Tunnel farmingis the part of this thinking. Due to low temperature and frost from December toFebruary, it is not possible to cultivate crops in the open fields. Tunnel farming is introduced to get early and high production of summer crop of vegetables. As tunnel is covered with plastic sheet, the temperature inside the tunnel remains normal in severe cold. For this reason of severe cold and frost the growth of the plants continues. Modern farmers are adopting this advance way / mode of farming. Hence summer vegetables like tomato, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, bell pepper are produced successfully in huge quantity.

TYPES OF TUNNEL (With Respect to Height)

High Tunnel (9 to 12 ft)

Walk in Tunnel(6ft)

Low Tunnel(3ft) AdvancedStucture.

Types of TUNNEL (With Respect to Stucture)

Angle iron, pipe, iron rod Tunnel

Mulberry Sticks tunnel

Bamboo tunnel

MAINTAINING TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE TUNNEL:

recommended temperature for vegetables cultivation in tunnel. Doors are opened for the maintenance of the temperature inside the tunnel and to prevent the plants from diseases attack.

ADVANTAGES OF TUNNEL FARMING:

Tunnel farming not only helps toget early crop,it also helps in getting more production per acre as compared to traditional farming. For this reason the duration of availability of the vegetables increased and the prices become stable. On the other hand the employment opportunities generate and income of the farmer increases.

COMPARISON OF TRADITIONAL FARMING AND TUNNEL FARMING

More plantation per Kanal.

Maximum profit on early crop.

Use of hybrid seeds that give maximum production.

Best use of urea and irrigation.