Basics of Protected Cultivation: Types, Benefits & Limitations
Protected cultivation, also called Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), involves growing crops in controlled structures like greenhouses, polyhouses, or shade nets to protect them from harsh weather, pests, and diseases. It ensures better yield, improved quality, and off-season production—ideal for high-value crops such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
Popular types include greenhouses, polyhouses, low/high tunnels, shade nets, hydroponics, aeroponics, and vertical farming.
Key benefits: Water efficiency, year-round cultivation, pest and disease control, and sustainability.
Challenges: High initial investment, energy consumption, complex management, and plastic waste.
In modern Indian agriculture, combining protected cultivation techniques with Basic Rotavator equipment in India further enhances soil preparation and crop productivity, making farming more efficient and future-ready.