Off season vegetable Production

Tunnel Farming Or

Tunnel Technology

Presented By Allah Dad Khan PPD Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Agriculture Staff and Farming Communities of CMPII Districts

Types of Tunnels

Three types;

1. High Tunnels - 10 to 12 feet or above high

2. Walk-In Tunnels - 6 feet high

3. Low tunnels - 3 feet high

High Tunnels

Kinds of structure

1. T.R / Angle Iron structure

− 11 to 14 feet height from center

− 7 to 8 feet height from sides

− 30 feet width & 100 – 200 feet length.

− Made by T. Iron & Angle Iron

− Average life 20-25 years.

− Safe for heavy productive

− Most expensive structure

− Not good for heavy wind area.

− Unpopular due to high cost.

High Tunnels

Kinds of structure

2. Pipe Structure− Made by iron pipe of 1.5” dia & 14 -16 gauge.

– 11 to 14 feet height from center

– 7 feet height from sides

– 30 feet width & 100 – 200 feet length.

– Average life 15-20 years.

– Safe for heavy productive vegetables.

– Relatively less expensive than T. R structure (Rs. 9-10 Lac/acre)

– Good for heavy wind area.

– Relatively more popular than T.R tunnels.

– Good for all vine type vegetables

High Tunnels Kinds of structure

3. Bamboo or Mix Structure− Made by bamboo or bamboo + iron pipe 1.5” dia. – 10-11’ height from center – 7’ height from sides – 30’ width & 100–200’ length.– Average life 1 to 2 years.– Very risky for heavy productive vegetables. – Very cheap structure (Rs. 1 to1.3 Lac/acre). – Very risky in heavy wind area.– Farmers use it to initiate the tunnel farming.– Some times structure collapsed due to heavy load.

– Not reliable.

Walk-IN Tunnels

• Merits:

– Best for bushy vegetables i.e sweet/hot peppers, squashes, Freshbean etc.– Vine vegetables i.e tomato, cucumber, bitter gourds, spong gourds etc. can

also be grown. – Relatively less expensive & high profitable.– Very popular in farmers being less expensive.– Installation is easy, quick and needs no technical expertise

• Demerits: − Production of vine vegetables remain less than high tunnels due to

restricted growth.− Income is also relatively less than high tunnels. – Management operations i.e spraying, hoeing, plants training are difficult

than high tunnel.

Walk-In Tunnels Kinds of Structure

G.I. Pipe structure

− 6-6.5’ height from center

− 2 to 2.5’ height from sides

− 10-12’ width & 100–200 feet length.

− Made by 1/2” & 3/4’’ dia & 18-20’ long G.I. pipe.

− Average life 10-12 years.

− Less expensive structure

− (Rs. 3 to 3.5 Lac/acre)

− Good for heavy wind area.

− Very popular due to low cost & high profitability.

− Very easy to construct & install.

Low Tunnels

Merits: – Used to protect vegetables from frost & chilling.

– All types of vegetables can be grown.

– Very cheap

– Very popular in farmers being less expensive.

– Installation is easy& quick.

Demerits: − Vegetables can only be early for 20-30 days. − Production of vegetables and Income is too less than walk in & high tunnels.

– Crop Management operations i.e spraying, hoeing, fertilizer application etc are difficult and are conducted by lifting plastic paper.

Low Tunnels

Kinds of structure

ii. Bamboo/Mulberry sticks Structure− 3’ height from center − 4-5’ width & 100-200’ length. − Bamboo or Mulberry of 0.5 to 0.7” dia &10’

long are bent into half moon shape & fixed in soil.

− Average life 1 season.− Very Cheap structure (Rs. 25-30

thousand/acre)− Good for heavy wind area.− Very easy to construct & install.

TUNNEL STRUCTURETUNNEL STRUCTURE

It depends upon type of tunnel. If tunnel is:It depends upon type of tunnel. If tunnel is:

- LOW- LOW then structure will be different. then structure will be different.

- WALKIN- WALKIN then it would be different. then it would be different.

- HIGH- HIGH then it would be different then it would be different..

TYPE OF TUNNELTYPE OF TUNNEL

Depends upon:-Depends upon:-1. Crop to be sown. 2. Stature of the crop.3. Investment capacity. 4. Nature of the crop.5. Variety to be sown.6. Management level.

Crop and Type of tunnelCrop and Type of tunnel

Crop Tunnel Type Tunnel Height

Cucumber TomatoBottle gourd

High tunnel 10 to 12 feet

Sweet PepperHot pepper

Walk in tunnel 5 to 6 feet

Red gourd Sponge gourd Water melonMusk melon Bitter gourd Bottle gourd

Low tunnel 2.5 to 3 feet

LOW TUNNELLOW TUNNEL((5 x 2.5 ft)5 x 2.5 ft)

Best MaterialSteel rods of 6mm dia and 10 feet long bent in the shape of half moon.

Sticks of different plants can also be used but often create problems.

Plastic need to be removed at flowering for pollination.

Make the crop about 1.5 month early.

Problem of weeds if not controlled.

WALK IN TUNNELWALK IN TUNNEL(12 W x 6 ft H)(12 W x 6 ft H)

Best Material

Zn galvanized steel pipes of 0.75 inch dia and of medium thickness bent in the shape that it gives 12 ft wide and 6 ft high tunnel. It should be at least 2.5 ft high at the sides.

HIGH TUNNELHIGH TUNNEL(30 W x 12 ft H)(30 W x 12 ft H)

Best Material

Zn galvanized steel pipes of about 1.5 inch dia and of medium thickness bent in the shape that it gives 30 ft wide and 12 ft high tunnel. It should be at least 6 to 7 ft high at the sides.

The yield of some of the vegetables is shown in table

Vegetables Yield Tons per acre

Cabbage 12-45 tons

Carrot 19-30 tons

Lettuce 2-6 tons

Onion 2-4 tons

Chilli 1-3 ton

Tomato 12-23 tons

Name of vegetable Sowing period Cultivation period

Tomato Sept to Oct January to March

Cucumber Mid November January to February

Chilli Mid October January

Bottle Gourd January and February May to June

Bitter Gourd June July September to October

Remember!

Always purchase; Seed & Tunnels from;

Renowned Firms

Questions