Agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy and our experience during the last 50 years has demonstrated the strong correlation between agricultural growth and economic prosperity.
The present agricultural scenario is a mix of outstanding achievements and missed opportunities. We need a new and effective technology which can improve continuously the productivity, profitability, sustainability of our major farming systems. One such technology is the green house technology. Although it is centuries old, it is new to Kenya.
Greenhouse Farming Technology
Growing plants is both an art and a science. About 95% of plants, either food crops or cash crops are grown in open field. Since time immemorial, man has learnt how to grow plants under natural
environmental conditions.
Growing plants is both an art and a science. About 95% of plants, either food crops or cash crops are grown in open field. Since time immemorial, man has learnt how to grow plants under natural
environmental conditions.
In some of the temperate regions where the climatic conditions are extremely adverse and no crops can be grown, man has developed methods of growing some high value crop continuously by providing protection from the excessive cold, which is called as Greenhouse Technology.
So, Greenhouse Technology is the technique of providing favorable environment condition to the plants. It is rather used to protect the plants from the adverse climatic conditions such as wind, cold, precipitation, excessive radiation, extreme temperature, insects and diseases.
It is also of vital importance to create an ideal micro climate around the plants. This is possible by erecting a greenhouse / glass house, where the environmental conditions are so modified that one can grow any plant in any place at any time by providing suitable environmental conditions with minimum labour.
Greenhouses are framed or inflated structures covered with transparent or translucent material large enough to grow crops under partial or fully controlled environmental conditions to get optimum growth and productivity.
Advantages of Greenhouses
-The yield may be 10-12 times higher than that of out door cultivation depending upon the type of greenhouse, type of crop, environmental control facilities.
-The yield may be 10-12 times higher than that of out door cultivation depending upon the type of greenhouse, type of crop, environmental control facilities.
-Reliability of crop increases under greenhouse cultivation.
-Ideally suited for vegetables and flower crops.
-Year round production of floricultural crops.
-Off-season production of vegetable and fruit crops.
-Disease-free and genetically superior transplants can be produced continuously.
-Efficient utilization of chemicals, pesticides to
control pest and diseases.
control pest and diseases.
-Water requirement of crops very limited and easy to control.
-Maintenance of stock plants, cultivating
grafted plant-lets.
grafted plant-lets.
Income and Capital return under Greenhouse Cultivation
-The yield under poly house cultivation can be achieved to the level of 5-8 times as compared to the open crop cultivation.
-The yield under poly house cultivation can be achieved to the level of 5-8 times as compared to the open crop cultivation.
-Various trials conducted at agro research centers in Kenya indicates that capsicum ( planted in mid September), cucumber (planting –mid October) and tomato (November planting) under poly house produced 1060kg, 1460 kg and 1530 kg per 100 square meter.
-The duration of these crops were 4- 9 months and more than 90% of total yield were obtained during off-season (during winter before the start of summer) which fetches significantly higher market price (2-4 times than normal season).
-Further, the crop duration can be extended up to the July –August with the application of micro irrigation and fertilization and yield can be achieved to the level of 20-25 kg/m2.
-Therefore, it is possible to harvest a single crop round year with minimum additional inputs and higher income can be generated.
-Further Cut Flowers like Carnations, Gerbera, Lilly, Rose, orchids, antherium etc.can be grown under poly houses/ net houses giving high returns and top quality produce. The
potential of flouriculture under protected cultivation is huge for Kenyan and global markets.
potential of flouriculture under protected cultivation is huge for Kenyan and global markets.
-The cost of construction of poly house depends on location of site, size and shape of poly house, poly house structure (wooden or GCI/ Steel) and types of poly house (naturally ventilated or environmental controlled).
-The cost of bigger naturally ventilated poly house (1000 m2) ranges from Ksh.5000-10000 per square meter whereas the environmental controlled poly houses require 2 to 3 times investments over previous one depending on the automation gadgets installed.
-The per unit area construction cost of
smaller size poly houses are more as compared to larger poly house. Similarly the cost of cultivation in larger poly house is significantly lower than smaller poly house.
smaller size poly houses are more as compared to larger poly house. Similarly the cost of cultivation in larger poly house is significantly lower than smaller poly house.
-It is possible to get back the investment on poly house within a period of 3 to 5 years period. If entrepreneur /cultivator go for poly house for nursery production of high yielding vegetable plants in an area where large scale vegetable cultivation is done, in such condition he can get back his investment within 2-3 years by providing quality planting materials to vegetable or flower growers.
-The success of the Poly house / net house Project depends upon the scale of project.
Minimum recommended project with right economic viability and long term sustainability is around 1 -2 acres.
Minimum recommended project with right economic viability and long term sustainability is around 1 -2 acres.
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greenhouse makes it possible to grow certain types of crops year round, and fruits, tobacco plants, vegetables, and flowers are what a greenhouse most commonly grows.
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