Studies on environmental parameters, energy requirement and techno-economics of capsicum grown under greenhouse

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during winter season in a semi-cylindrical greenhouse of size 4m x 25m for cultivation of capsicum at Bhubaneswar in coastal Odisha, India. Greenhouse was effective in raising the temperature during cold night period inside the greenhouse thereby creating a better microclimate for production of higher yield and quality fruits than open field cultivation. The growth and yield of capsicum was better under greenhouse than open field cultivation. The yield of capsicum per sq. m. inside the greenhouse was 2.17 times more over open field condition. The study indicates that the input energy per unit of capsicum produce is 3.38 MJ/kg under open field condition and 4.1 MJ/kg under greenhouse cultivation. The higher energy requirement for greenhouse cultivation is mainly due to the framed structure and the glazing materials used in the greenhouse. The assessment of input energy establishes the priorities for input energy optimization. The greenhouse was evaluated in terms of its techno-economic analysis, which was carried out by using different economic indicators such as Net Present Value, Benefit Cost Ratio, Internal Rate of Return and Pay Back Period and compared with open field cultivation. The net present value of investment made on greenhouse for cultivation of capsicum was Rs.119110 as compared to Rs.43239 when grown in the open field. The benefit cost ratio for greenhouse was 2.61 and 2.58 for open field cultivation. The internal rate of return for greenhouse was 40 and 35 per cent for open field cultivation. The pay back period for capsicum under greenhouse was 4 years. It was observed that, techno-economically; cultivation of capsicum in winter under greenhouse will be acceptable by the farmers of Odisha.