GFT-Hort1

Gender Friendly Technologies => Crop Production & Horticulture

Low cost protected vegetables cultivation

Back ground

Vegetables play a major role in Indian agriculture by providing food, nutritional and economic security and more importantly, producing higher returns per unit area. India is the largest producer of vegetable crops next to China. Despite its vegetable production in the country is much less than the requirement if balanced diet is provided to every individual. The present production of 162 million tons is to be raised to 196.5 million tons by 2020. There are different ways and means to achieve this target. e.g. bringing additional area under vegetable crops, using hybrid seeds, use of improved agro- techniques. Another potential approach is promotion of protected high value vegetable cultivation. Moreover, under the hot- and – humid tropical conditions of Odisha, vegetable cultivation is affected in summers and in monsoon. Considering the potential of vegetables in the country, protected cultivation of high- value vegetables has been promoted among the farmwomen to add their source of income. Horticulture can be economical viable for the poor farmers also if protected cultivation is made an integral part of their farming system.

Technology description

Technology description: Considering potential of vegetables, technologies have been standardized for protected cultivation of off- season tomato and cucumber at DRWA Bhubaneswar . 25 days old seedlings of tomato var. Avinash and cucumber var. Kian were planted at the space of 50x 50 cm. After 45 days of planting the crops were started flowering. Average yield of 24 kg and 12 kg per sq mt were recorded in tomato and cucumber, respectively. Protected cultivation of off- season tomato and cucumber, gave Rs. 250- 300 /m² annually. The farmwomen are being trained to upgrade their skills so that they can earn more returns from the unit area of polyhouse/ net- house. Furthermore, low cost polyhouses give an option to rural women to enhance their entrepreneurial ability.

Dissemination/ Application

The small and marginal farmers including farmwomen who have with limited capital/ resources can take up this technology for enhancing their income.

How it is women friendly

Protected cultivation is known as drudgery- less technology in which land and other resources are used more efficiently in the context of increasing demand of vegetables and shrinking land holding.

Limitations if any

:NIL