Off Season Vegetable production

PAKISTAN: BASIC FACTS

•          Geographical area:                          79.61 m ha

•          Cropped area:                                   22.05 m ha

•          Irrigated area:                                   19 m ha

•          Cropped area/capita:             0.14 ha

•          Population growth:                         1.49 %

•          Population (2014):                           192 million

•          Population (2050):                           309 million

      Land and water are the two essential factors required for agricultural development and economic advancement of a country

      There is a need to maximize per unit production by better &  efficient use of these two natural resources

      Efficient nutrient and water management practices  improve   nutrient and water use efficiency, crop yield and reduce environment pollution

      Adoption of integrated nutrient management practices and advanced irrigation water saving methods

Tunnel farming structure for high value /off season vegetables

The Agriculture sector  of Pakistan directly adds 2104% to its GD, Provide40% employment and 60% experts.

The Production of Horticultural Crops including Fruit and vegetables have been estimated at 15.12 Million tones

The vegetable contribute 50% Share in the national Horticulture production of Pakistan from more than 600,000 hectares

The rank of vegetable in term of area and production include Potato, Onion, Tomato, Turnip, Carrot, Cauliflower,  Chilies, Radish, Lady finger and Squash.

The Production of high value crops including sweet pepper, hot peppers, tomato, cucumber, gourds, zucchini, eggplant are way below the top ten vegetable products of Pakistan.

This allows the growers a greater demand and market price for  these products. With a total production of 8.1 Million tones, the high value/off season vegetables  are produced to the tune of 350,000 tons only or 4.5%.

This presents a great deal of demand from the market side and the consumers who are ready to purchase these high value crops mostly used as salads and vegetable curries in everyday life.

The production of these high value off-season vegetables in Pakistan is a new technology. Way back in 2003, it was initiated in Pakistan through a private sector venture in Mamon Kanjan, Faisalabad.

The concept was well developed and got popularity all over the country. The same model has become key interest for growers of KPK, Gilgit and other regions, who want to improve their farm productivity and income as well.

The farmers who had switched from traditional crops like wheat, sugar cane and cotton, to these new high value vegetables through forced cultivation (tunnel technology) have obtained much higher profits.

Through this technology the interior temperature is raised inside the covered structure to grow different vegetables. In this way, off-season vegetables are made available in the market 30-45 days earlier of their real season.

There is a huge demand for fresh vegetables in the local as well as international markets, which includes Europe, Middle East, and Far Eastern market

IMPORTANCE OF VEGETABLES

•          Extremely important component of human foodstuff.

•          Contain essential human food nutrients, which are absent in other consumables.

•          Rich and economical source of vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals and other salts necessary for human life.

•          Act as defensive shields against numerous harmful diseases.

IMPORTANCE OF Tomatoes

Tomatoes, aside from being tasty, are very healthy as they are a good source of vitamins A and C.

Vitamin A is important for bone growth, cell division and differentiation, for helping in the regulation of immune system and maintaining surface linings of eyes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts.

Vitamin C is important in forming collagen, a protein that gives structures to bones, cartilage, muscle and blood vessels. It also helps maintain capillaries, bones and teeth and aids in the absorption of iron.

Lycopene is a very powerful antioxidant which can help prevent the development of many forms of cancer.

A raw tomato has about 20% of the lycopene content. However, raw or cooked tomatoes are considered the best source for this antioxidant.

MAJOR ISSUES IN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

•          Low yield

•          Unregistered varieties

•          Poor quality seed

•          Defective pest management practices

•          Pesticide residue problems

•          Defective harvesting, packing and  grading

•          Irregular supply in market

•          Sharp fluctuation in market prices

•          Lack of expertise for growing off season vegetables

Factors Affecting Fertilizer Efficiency

•          Poor Seedbed Preparation:                        10-25%

•          Delay in Sowing:                                              20-40%

•          Inappropriate Crop Variety:                        20-40%

•          Inadequate Plant Population:                    10-25%

•          Inadequate Irrigation:                                   10-20%

•          Weed Infestation:                                          15-50%

•          Insect Attack:                                                    5-50%

•          Imbalanced/Improper Fertilizer

   Application:                                                    20-50%

Nutrient deficiencies in Pakistan soils

–        Nitrogen                              100% (very low organic matter)

–        Phosphorus        80-90%

–        Potassium                           40%

–        Zinc                                        60-70%

–        Boron                    30-40%

–        Iron                                        20-30%

Objective

To reduce the impact of high and low temperature fluctuations and hail storms that often affect crop yields, as well as to grow crops off season to guarantee food supply at the household level to local farmers

Improving Farming System

Growing of off-season vegetable (tunnel farming), fruit plant nursery raising, train farmers in new technologies can help to improve  the socio- economic condition  of the farming communities

Types of protected structures

Ø  Green houses

Ø  Plastic houses

Ø  Screen house

Ø  Tunnels

BASIC FACTS

Vegetables are a required source of vitamins, proteins, essential nutrients and carbohydrates for a balanced diet.

In Pakistan, farmers are limited to grow seasonal vegetables and are dependent on marketing mechanism of demand and supply.

Growing off-season vegetables and fruits means improving the diet and increasing the household income.

In the absence of storage infrastructure and vegetable processing industries, off-season vegetable farming is the only viable option that can add value to the farmers’ produce.

Temperature fluctuations during summer make the vegetable crop susceptible to insects, pests and diseases and similarly, cold temperature during winter create favorable conditions for diseases.

The tunnels offer protection to vegetables crops both in summer and in winter. The tunnel farming offers maximum crop yields, better maintenance of the fertility of land, controlled temperature and humidity, protection from wild animals and insects and better water conservation.

In order to produce vegetables under protection, it is necessary to consider a wind-free area, but if this is not possible, windbreaks should be erected or planted.

Water must not be very saline, as it is further enriched by the addition of fertilizers. Finally, the tunnel must preferably be situated close to a market, in order to facilitate that products reach the market place as soon as possible.

Crops such as cucumber, tomato, pepper, bitter gourds, melons, brinjal and water melon are highly valued vegetables that show significant increase in yield when grown in tunnel farming