0 Start Pages
Preface
The 120 stakeholders, farmers, researchers, planners, students, policy- makers and supporters of protected cultivation in India were brought on a single platform by the Indian Society for Protected Cultivation (ISPC-registered in March 2012), New Delhi on 21 March 2013 in a seminar "Advances on Protected Cultivation" at NASC, Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, to deliberate and discuss together the research and developmental activities. The response to the seminar was very encouraging having all India participation. The seminar has laid very strong foundation for the activities of the society keeping in view the emerging importance of protected cultivation, particularly in horticulture where it has already shown its potential of high and quality yield per unit investment and time. Use of reduced inputs, particularly water and land, to maximize productivity under changing and uncertain climatic conditions, has been the major strength of protected cultivation which has been amply exhibited in China, Korea, Japan , Russia, Israel, the Netherlands and other countries, covering large area under protected cultivation of vegetables, cut flowers, ornamental plants and fruits.
The horticulture sector, presently contributing around 31% of the GDP and 38% of the total exports of agricultural commodities from 14% of the area, has vast potential to contribute to the GDP and agriculture export by adopting protected cultivation in selected crops, particularly producing disease- free nursery and off- season crop production. India has its distinct potential of using protected cultivation by adopting lowcost and locally made protected cultivation structures to Hi-Tech greenhouse production in different diverse regions of the country. The unimaginable contribution of plastics to horticulture in protected cultivation, covering microirrigation, mulching, packaging, transportation and storage is worth acknowledging besides being unfriendly to environment because of non-degradable nature.
The one-day seminar having 20 invited speakers on design, construction and maintenance of protected structures and production technologies under protected cultivation went on well. There were 143 abstracts meant for poster presentation. An exhibition on the subject was put up which attracted appreciation of participants and dignitaries. The proceedings of inaugural session and recommendations emerging out the seminar are part of this publication. The recommendations highlight the need to cover one million hectare area under protected cultivation in coming ten years in India besides developing human resource on the subject on priority.
On behalf of the organizers, my colleague editors and my own behalf, I thank all the contributors, organizers and participants to the seminar and invite them to contribute regularly to the activities of this society.
I respectfully thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research , particularly its Chief Dr S. Ayyappan, Secretary, DARE, and DG, ICAR; Defence Research and Development Organization to Co-sponsor the Seminar and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, particularly Dr Anwar Alam, Vice President of ISPC and Secretary NAAS to extend much needed support to the society.
It would have not been possible for me to edit this publication without the timely help rendered by Dr Som Dutt Tyagi, Editor (Indian Horticulture), KAB-1, Pusa, New Delhi. All our Editors are grateful and thankful to him.
I would like to put on record the support extended by Defence Research and Development Organisation, New Delhi; National Horticulture Board, Gurgaon; M/S R S Products Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; M/S Harvel Agua India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; M/S Bayer Crop Science, Hyderabad; M/S Classic Agricon, Chandigarh; National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation, Nasik; Noni Biotech Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; Sri Ram Solvent Extraction Pvt Ltd, Jaspur, Uttarakhand; Rajdeep Agri Products Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; Greenways Nursery, Fatehpur Beri , New Delhi; and United Phosphorus Pvt Ltd, Santacruz, Mumbai; without which it would have not been possible to organize the seminar and bring out this publication.
I am confident that the publication would stimulate interest in protected cultivation in peri-urban and urban agriculture, and be useful to concerned scientists, students, farmers and other stakeholders.
Preface
The 120 stakeholders, farmers, researchers, planners, students, policy- makers and supporters of protected cultivation in India were brought on a single platform by the Indian Society for Protected Cultivation (ISPC-registered in March 2012), New Delhi on 21 March 2013 in a seminar "Advances on Protected Cultivation" at NASC, Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, to deliberate and discuss together the research and developmental activities. The response to the seminar was very encouraging having all India participation. The seminar has laid very strong foundation for the activities of the society keeping in view the emerging importance of protected cultivation, particularly in horticulture where it has already shown its potential of high and quality yield per unit investment and time. Use of reduced inputs, particularly water and land, to maximize productivity under changing and uncertain climatic conditions, has been the major strength of protected cultivation which has been amply exhibited in China, Korea, Japan , Russia, Israel, the Netherlands and other countries, covering large area under protected cultivation of vegetables, cut flowers, ornamental plants and fruits.
The horticulture sector, presently contributing around 31% of the GDP and 38% of the total exports of agricultural commodities from 14% of the area, has vast potential to contribute to the GDP and agriculture export by adopting protected cultivation in selected crops, particularly producing disease- free nursery and off- season crop production. India has its distinct potential of using protected cultivation by adopting lowcost and locally made protected cultivation structures to Hi-Tech greenhouse production in different diverse regions of the country. The unimaginable contribution of plastics to horticulture in protected cultivation, covering microirrigation, mulching, packaging, transportation and storage is worth acknowledging besides being unfriendly to environment because of non-degradable nature.
The one-day seminar having 20 invited speakers on design, construction and maintenance of protected structures and production technologies under protected cultivation went on well. There were 143 abstracts meant for poster presentation. An exhibition on the subject was put up which attracted appreciation of participants and dignitaries. The proceedings of inaugural session and recommendations emerging out the seminar are part of this publication. The recommendations highlight the need to cover one million hectare area under protected cultivation in coming ten years in India besides developing human resource on the subject on priority.
On behalf of the organizers, my colleague editors and my own behalf, I thank all the contributors, organizers and participants to the seminar and invite them to contribute regularly to the activities of this society.
I respectfully thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research , particularly its Chief Dr S. Ayyappan, Secretary, DARE, and DG, ICAR; Defence Research and Development Organization to Co-sponsor the Seminar and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, particularly Dr Anwar Alam, Vice President of ISPC and Secretary NAAS to extend much needed support to the society.
It would have not been possible for me to edit this publication without the timely help rendered by Dr Som Dutt Tyagi, Editor (Indian Horticulture), KAB-1, Pusa, New Delhi. All our Editors are grateful and thankful to him.
I would like to put on record the support extended by Defence Research and Development Organisation, New Delhi; National Horticulture Board, Gurgaon; M/S R S Products Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; M/S Harvel Agua India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; M/S Bayer Crop Science, Hyderabad; M/S Classic Agricon, Chandigarh; National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation, Nasik; Noni Biotech Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; Sri Ram Solvent Extraction Pvt Ltd, Jaspur, Uttarakhand; Rajdeep Agri Products Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; Greenways Nursery, Fatehpur Beri , New Delhi; and United Phosphorus Pvt Ltd, Santacruz, Mumbai; without which it would have not been possible to organize the seminar and bring out this publication.
I am confident that the publication would stimulate interest in protected cultivation in peri-urban and urban agriculture, and be useful to concerned scientists, students, farmers and other stakeholders.