Berhampur (Orissa): As warming of the
climate gathers alarming pace posing a danger to agriculture,
greenhouse cultivation is the only answer to save crops of
flowers and vegetables, experts have said.
Greenhouse farming, which is cultivation of plants
inside a building with glass walls and roof under controlled
condition, has become necessary as temperature ideally
required for flower cultivation is no longer available, not
even during winter.
Floriculturists say that the ideal day and night
temperatures for flower cultivation are 28 and 18 degrees
celsius respectively.
However, they point out, the temperature in most parts
of the country remained above this level even in the peak
winter season.
Sanjay Parade, training coordinator and manager of the
Horticulture Training Center (HTC), Pune said that the gradual
warming of temperature would finally tell on flower production
in the country. India is a major exporter of flowers.
In the wake of the climate change, greenhouse farming
is the only way to protect crops and manage a better yield
than in normal condition.
Farming under controlled condition, Parade said,
protects crops from wind, rain, radiation, and precipitation.
HTC is imparting training to farmers in greenhouse technology
for higher productivity, he said.
Bureau Report
