Growing capsicum in polyhouse - my experience

Farm Questions
241

Aman,
documentation is the best practise, not just for us, but for others too.

noone will trust me, if i dont have documentation or supporting data right? plus its a requirement by many buyers, certifying agencies etc.

my first boss always taught me to document things. he would say “what if you die tomorrow vivek, how the hell will i know the status of your work?!”

i love people who document and note down things. its a very good habit.

and about the format, there is no standard aman, make your own formats. you know better what you want. so design them for yourself for daily routine, payments, production, temperature, fixed costs, variable costs, status, inventory etc.

and you dont need any fancy softwares, use the power of excel, very lovely software.

if you are looking for any particular format, i can share mine with you.

Vivek

242

thanks vivek for the kind gesture.

i have been into this habit from quit a long, i use to write a page of diary everyday mentioning what all i liked about that day when i was in school/college.
so today, i do not forget to mention about my produce, fertilizer given, improvements, expenditure etc.

i just raised this question to see, what you guys think about it and how you all follow. please share your format and way of working, its always fun to watch and learn

lets share and learn.

aman

243

Aman,
price is affected by demand and supply.
common… you can relate it yourself.

its peak production, not rate. rates i cant control, but my production i can, to a bit.
so as i am expecting the rates to go high, i am planning to start the peak production. as my plants are settled and ready now.

i am starting my day… will have a detailed discussion on this again.

and do remind about what we missed out in our discussion earlier aman, and what is pending from my side.

Good day !

Vivek

244

Hi Sethu,

I am starting to experiment in my home before i plan to go poly in bigger scale.
It would be good if we could share the details of the cost of poly house /shade nets in around chennai.
we plan to do it in kanchipuram.

@Vivek,
It would be good if you could give some expert notes on the poly house setup and issues you face in the poly house.
What is your idea on bamboo poly house?.

BR,
Anand

245

HELLO EVERYONE
wish u all a very happy diwali

246

Evening Mr.Anand,

woah… no expert here… i am just sharing small observations and practises i follow. most of us have read it, seen it, but dont practise it.

setup (infrastructure) is also one of my favourite topic :slight_smile: as the polyhouse cost is the major expense in any project.
so lets go back to the basics and start.

various setup types, fanpad house, glass house, tunnel house, shade net, polyhouse etc are all different as we know. and they were invented in various countries, for artificially creating an environment favourable for the crop, so some countries had cold weather, some had high winds, some had high temperature etc.
so just because someone in africa is growing capsicum in fanpad, doesnt mean i need to have a fan pad system to grow capsicum in my location.

and no setup is standard… most of the polyhouse designs i see around my region are a totally replica of polyhouses in New Zealand. standard height of say 20 feet, arc gap of 1 meter, hockey of 1 meter, foundation matrix of 4 mtr x 8 mtr etc. this is just an hypothetical example. so there is nothing standard in this. we can make our own setup for the crops we want, and the weather conditions in the region.

everybody says capsicum is grown best in polyhouse, maybe in different climate conditions. but in india, where its hot most of the times, i would rather prefer a protected top with 100% open sides (with insect nets)

bamboo poly house are also worth. cost is very less. maybe the height and strength would be a bit less as compared to GI pipes, but are the winds really that strong in our region, and is a height of 20 feet really required?

to tell you honestly, when i started, i wanted my setup to look fancy and neat. the best of everything. but now i wonder, is all that really required?
over all this time, i have learned that i can have similar production if not better in much cheaper setups than a polyhouse.

so as an investor, and with the climate conditions in my region, i would prefer growing capsicum in shadenets, but only the rains would be an issue, so a covered top, with good elevation and vents is what i would prefer.

if you have finalized a polyhouse setup, then consider the wind movement (direction) in your region to align the arcs of the polyhouse. as my polyhouse is close to a damn, i have wind movements from that region, so my arcs are faced towards it.

some people say the bed direction should be east-west, or north - south, dont remember, for better sun light. but i never really bought the idea.

then the gutter slope, if you want to store the water, the slope needs to be in that direction.

there are many small things, but i am thinking, have you decided to go for a polyhouse? or are you in the research phase?

i am really sorry to cut it short, we can discuss more if you wish.

Vivek

247

Hey all!

Wish you all the best of health and times, both at work and home.

Happy Diwali :slight_smile:

gifts i love, but only in the form of gold bricks. so you know what to do.

ok… take care and be good till then!

Vivek

248

i am going to be away for a while…
so i am thinking to share some of my ideas that i am currently working on, for your suggestions.

  1. Treated fabrics for mulching - these fabrics are treated (anti bacterial, anti fungal, pre loaded with nutrients etc) and can be used for mulching purpose.

now the best part is that will be pre treated for soil diseases, and/or have nutrients in them. which will release slowly as well as quickly for a limited period or for whole crop life. so you just go to the farming store, tell the shopkeeper that you want to grow capsicum, and he gives you this fabric, which you use as mulching, and KWALA !

  1. use of various sound / light sources for pest elimination - all pests like certain conditions and dont like some. so i am making conditions with the use of various light and sound frequencies which are not favourable to the bad pests/germs/bacteria/microbes, without harming the plans, if this works, KWALA again!

  2. artificially produce/create healing properties in the water (like river Ganga) and use it for farming.

Your ideas, suggestions, discussions are welcome always.

Vivek

P.S. all this work is under patenting process.

249

i have had specially mentioned the patent part to highlight that all these process are experiment based, have supporting data, observations and can be proved.
this all is not something i have read or heard. this is something i am doing.

Aman, if you are reading, you shared the documentation part, so this all is very important, as the process of patenting requires huge amount of paper work.
so if i dont have anything documented, how will i ever do anything? right ?

Vivek

250

exactly.,

good luck with that, those are some beautiful ideas.

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL

aman

251

BIg thanks for posting with so much patience

252

hey again Pavan !

thanks for the support.
and time is all i have, and i love sharing :slight_smile:

plz keep the discussion alive.

Vivek

253

Hai Vivek,
So I have finally started work on my agri project. I am preparing a 3500 sft of shadenet. I have purchased Syngenta’s Indra Capsicum seeds ( @ 90 pasie per seed). 14000 of them, keeping 10% extra for discarding bad seedlings. Have procured sterilized coco pet and have to start the seed sowing in trays tomorrow. Also can you give me details of the process from seeds to seedlings - I have information from various sources, but you have a hands on experience right. Does mixing 10% of vermicompost with coco pet improve the growing medium. The trays after sowing the seeds need to be covered with transparent plastic or black ? Does it need sunlight till germination. When do I shift the trays to shadenet (just blindly after 5 days or after some observation ?) . Any nutrients or fertilizers for the seedlings before transplantation (during the 25 - 30 day period) and whats the quantity and schedules ? What other care has to be taken for the seedlings, since the best plant starts with a healthy seedling.

Sorry if I have put too many and too basic doubts.

Thanks
narasimha

254

@Vivek,
One view on your reply of having shadenet / insect sides for capsicum polyhouse.

I think the yield will be less than what you would get from growing in a house covered from all sides.
Plants produce CO2 during night and consume CO2 during day( photosynthesis). The CO2 produced during night is available to the plants if wind is not there.
I dont think shadenet / insect net can give that much protection. Precious CO2 produced during night time will be lost to atmosphere.
Of course, during hotter parts of the day, you need wind movement, hence the curtains.

That is why greenhouses produce more quality and quantity compared to any other type of cultivation.

@narsimha
I know you asked Vivek, but I will give my views also.

  1. Adding vermicompost is slightly risky, I did it and got poor germination. The cocopeat lost its ability to be porous and became compact. So think again.What you can do is for 50 kg cocopeat, add 1 kg of neem cake along with Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each @ 1 kg.
  2. Cover with dark color plastic for at least 3 days, then see if germination has happened and remove and keep in shade.
  3. Slowly after maybe 2 leaf stage, start to expose to sun. Less time and increase day by day.
  4. 19:19:19 + MN @ 0.5% (5g/l) solution drench at 18 days after sowing.
  5. Before transplanting, there is process of hardening, you reduce watering and bring the plants into sunlight.

Also plant in 2 batches so that you can replace dead seedlings with healthy ones after 1 week.

Good luck.
Nikhil

255

Greetings Mr.Narasimha,
great to know your progress. i am also trying indra, which i will plant in about 15-20 days.

honestly, i have no experience about seed germination. i get the seeds germinated from local nurseries. its a whole science and a lot of work in itself, so i prefer outsourcing it.

1 seed germination costs me 68 paisa, and i dont want to take the pain, so nurseries i prefer.

As Nikhil said, same is my experience. vermicompost is not advisable for germination. and i for the first time came to know about the covering of the trays. normally this practise is not followed, nor have i seen it anywhere in my region.

cocopeat is filled in the trays, seeds are placed to about half the depth (2-3cm), placed inside the shadenet, and then the nutrients and sprays.

i will check with the nursery person for more details.

once the plants are ready (in about 20-30 days), now again, there is no standard time. not exact 20 days or 30 days. but once u think the plants are health and ready. they have about 4 leaves, and a height of about 15 cm.

before shifting/planting the little plants, i dip them in a 100% organic certified solution. for better root development, and prevention of fungal attack and the shock to the plant.
will post picture of the product in a while.

thats about it. i m really sorry i couldnt help with the germination part. i will get all possible details and discuss with you.

have you prepared the shadenet structure? can you share some details, dimensions, systems etc?
also are the beds, basal dose all done?

i am really excited that you are going to grow Indra. plz share more details, and i will do the same.

Vivek

256

hey Nikhil,
anyone can answer questions, its not like i own the post :stuck_out_tongue:
infact i love it when others contribute. i have limited knowledge, so more the involvement from all, the better result.
talking specifically about growing capsicum, i would still prefer shadenets with covered tops and open sides (with insect nets). this is for my region.
my current polyhouse is about 80x80 meter. and i experience a lot of air movement issues. certain parts have good air-flow, some dont. this results in huge flower drop, promote various infestation etc.
my plantation is high density, and i need to have good proper air flow. so i would prefer a shadenet against a polyhouse.

about the precious CO2, having a shadenet doesnt mean i loose it all. during night, the temperature is obviously low as compared to day, so there isint much air movement generated inside the shadenet. only the side portions and a few pockets will have air movement when winds are a bit strong. as CO2 is heavy (mass wise) it will always be on a lower level when temperature is low. so till early noon, i dont have to worry about the CO2 level which is required for photosynthesis, which is almost finished till noon. its obvious the growth will be a bit slow as compared to a polyhouse, but then lets talk real.

then the expenses involved. its obvious the costs involved in both have huge difference. and the ROI is very quick in shadenet against polyhouse. so i think that the real indian farmer, will be more open to upgrade to shadenet over polyhouse from open farming, considering the expenses involved.

lastly, seed variety Indra and palladin are shadenet varieties, where as NS 280 & 281 (Brand Namdhari) , bomby and orobelle (syngenta brand) are for polyhouse. so if i grow these in polyhouse, and sell them as green, i would get higher production. (cost part not considered)

this is what i have experienced.

your views are most welcome Nikhil.

Vivek

257

Thank you Nikhil and Vivek. I will keep you updated on my experiences and learning. Its like learning to swim, no matter how much you have read, seen or observed, getting into water is a completely different experience and the actual learning starts there ! So thanks a lot for your support and I have a long, fascinating road ahead.

narasimha

258

very true Mr.Narasimha, learning is doing things for yourself.

ok… Dichlorvos is the chemical for the day

recently i have had some chewing pest problems, and i was a bit lazy plus i thought that the neem sprays i was taking would control them. so the infection was major in about 5-10 plants.

i had noticed the chomped leaves very early, but lately (about a week back), while sorting and packing the harvest, i found 5-10 fruits which were chomped by the pests and they had entered the fruit.

so what do i do in such conditions?
i have various options in terms of pesticides, contact based, systematic, spectrum based etc.

but what do i do to control and eliminate the chewing pests which are hiding inside the fruits? none of the pesticides will work efficiently. so i add chemicals (available as ready products in market) to make the pesticide into gas form. so once i spray the pesticide, it forms gas, enters the fruit, and kills the pests.

these are code red chemicals, and are the extreme measure, specially made for lazy people like me who dont take quick actions at times.

ok, and the second message is that keep involvement in sorting and packing of your produce. also check the rejection 100%. i do this as a habbit, so i know what quality and problems i am having with my produce. i do observe 100% plants, but i can miss out at times. so the second way is to check the harvest and keep involvement.
this way i can feel my fruits, i know the weight, size, color (quality) and can plan accordingly.
also keeping a watch on the rejection updates me as to what is missing, or what problem areas i have.

Vivek

259

hey Aman,
we left an important discussion in the middle, Price and the supply & demand factor related to it.

lets get back…
you are very right when you said that polyhouse setups have an upper hand during rains.

but lets see what actually drives the demand factor. the major demand in local market is when people like you, me go out and eat, spend money on food, throw parties. we do eat out occasionally, thats the day to day demand. but the main demand (high) is when all of us go out and spend,eat. when do we do all this? during festive times, holidays, marriage times. and the major demand in the market is from the hotel/service industry, not individuals or for home consumption.

then the supply factor, yesterday was a different day when there was limited road/rail (logistics) connectivity. today, there is decent infrastructure available, good connectivity, warehouses, cold storages etc so produce is going from one end of the country to the other. there are growers all over. so if capsicum production in nasik is less, traders will start sourcing the produce from south or north.
as long as we are talking about capsicum and the nasik market, lets take a live example and let me share something.
during rains, i thought i would get better rates for my capsicum and the price would go up as the supply would be less. but thats not what happened. nasik as a local market, has a limited requirement, and the major produce is shipped across india. so what happened in rains was that the all over india supply droped drastically. this was cause the produce would get wet during the transport (from farm to vegetable market, from there to the whole seller, then to retail, and finally customer) so the shelf life reduced and the produce would get spoilt.

so its all very dicey. but once you understand how it all works, you can make alternate plans in such situations.

i still want to add more, but this is all that i could think of now.

Vivek

260

QUESTION FOR THE DAY

is it advisable to mix organic extracts and chemical pesticides?

say i am wanting to spray Dichlorvos with neem oil (water soluble), or any chemical molecule with a organic extract, how do i mix them ?

do i just take the required quantity, and mix it in say 200 litre water? or do i need to take certain precautions / measures?

Vivek