From seed to harvest: Unveiling the secrets of protected cultivation

Bengaluru: Protected cultivation, an innovative farming practice where crops are cultivated in a controlled environment, has become a prevailing trend in contemporary agricultural entrepreneurship.

This method of farming entails regulating essential factors such as temperature, humidity, light, and others according to the specific growth requirements of the crops.

Dr Vishwanath K, a seed research officer and scholar at the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, believes that protected cultivation yields healthier produce and substantial harvests regardless of diverse conditions. Protected cultivation involves fully, partially, or modified control measures to shield crops from adverse weather conditions.

Addressing a technical session organised for women entrepreneurs by the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE), along with members from the Karnataka Department of Industries and Commerce and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Dr Vishwanath elaborated on various types of greenhouses tailored to regulate the environment for different seed varieties.

"While low tunnel greenhouses are effective for winter cultivation, particularly for crops like cucurbits, walk-in tunnels enable higher returns from off-season cultivation of vegetables and flower seedlings," he explained.

He also discussed hydroponics, an innovative method of plant cultivation in nutrient solutions, with or without the use of inert mediums such as gravel, vermiculite, rockwool, peat moss, sawdust, coir dust, or coconut fibre for mechanical support.

AWAKE entered into a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management to furnish technical support and training for women entrepreneurs.