Stories
Boost Vegetable Farming In Winter Using Low Tunnel Technique For Healthy Saplings
- •Farmers in western Uttar Pradesh are using the low tunnel method to protect vegetable saplings from extreme cold, frost, and fog during winter.
- •The transparent plastic sheet structure creates a favorable temperature inside, ensuring better seed germination and healthy plant growth.
- •Crops can be ready 30 to 40 days earlier with this technique, allowing farmers to bring their produce to the market ahead of time.
- •Agricultural expert Dr. I.K. Kushwaha notes that this method also reduces the risk of pests and diseases, helping save on pesticide expenses.
Key Questions Answered
The low tunnel technique is a modern farming method where a small tunnel-like structure is created over vegetable beds using flexible transparent plastic sheets or polythene. This structure protects vulnerable plants from extreme cold, frost, fog, strong winds, and heavy rain, while maintaining a favorable internal temperature for better growth.
By using the low tunnel technique, certain crops can be ready 30 to 40 days earlier than usual, enabling farmers to bring their produce to the market ahead of time. Additionally, keeping the plants covered significantly lowers the risk of pests and diseases, which helps farmers save money on pesticide expenses.
According to agricultural expert Dr. I.K. Kushwaha, farmers should prepare a bed or furrow measuring three to three-and-a-half feet in width, place a wire frame of one-and-a-half to two feet in height over it, and then cover it with a transparent polythene sheet to form the tunnel. Before sowing seeds in rows, decomposed cow dung manure and vermicompost can be added to enrich the soil.
