Protected Olericulture
摘要
In recent decades, the demand for food has constantly increased many folds due to the rapid increase in global population. It has necessitated the development of rigorous agricultural practices that can enhance productivity with better produce quality in achieving sustainable food security. Protected cultivation is a specialized production technology, in which natural environmental factors, i.e., light, temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration, are modified with the aim to enhance growth, increase crop yield with better produce quality, and extend the growing season. Thus, it is a comprehensive system of controlled environment in which some or all natural environmental aspects are modified for optimum crop growth and maximum economic return. This chapter describes different practices and systems of protected production of vegetables and their advantages to extend the accessibility of vegetables round the year. It also demonstrates the factors which affect the successful production of off-season vegetables to get higher productivity and return.