CONTENTS

Improved Greenhouse design.......................................................................... 2

Main design concepts ............................................................................................... 3
The plants nutrient requirements ............................................................... 4
Ventilation.............................................................................................................................. 5
Plot preparation ............................................................................................................... 6
Sowing and thinning .................................................................................................. 7
Weeding ................................................................................................................................... 8
Mongol transplantation ......................................................................................... 9
Quantum and frequency of irrigation ...................................................... 11
Harvesting technique ................................................................................................ 12
Mongol seeds production .................................................................................... 13
Soil fertility ............................................................................................................................ 14
Pest control ........................................................................................................................... 16
Compost ................................................................................................................................. 18
Due to the harsh winter conditions of Ladakh, fresh vegetables are quite
seasonal and can be grown only in open feld from May to October. The
region remains cut from the rest of the world for almost six months dur-
ing the winter. Thus, the only means of supply for vegetables is being
done via plane at astronomical prices. Hence, to meet the demand for
green vegetables during winter at reasonable prices LEHO introduced an
innovative construction design to build the Improved Greenhouse (IGH)
that serves as a source of vegetables during the lean season. The innova-
tive IGH design has been found to further enhance the vegetable produc-
tion as well as the income generation potential of the people.
To be efcient and successful an Improved Greenhouse should:
Gain solar energy
Store the solar energy
IMPROVED GREENHOUSE (IGH)
2
Gain and Store the solar energy for longer time.
To gain solar energy
An IGH should be projected at 35 degree angle facing in the south direc-
tion with a slope roof to gain more solar radiation.
MAIN DESIGN CONCEPTS
To conserve solar energy
Double wall with insulation doesnt
allow heat to escape and the inner
wall stores the heat for the night.
Night cover
Night cover (double / black poly-
sheet or cloth) helps in minimizing
heat loss during the night. It will
protect plants from freezing.
3
Double wall detail
A plant needs air, water and sunlight to make its food from the soil.
Macro-nutrients eg; N, P, K and micro-
nutrients like Mn, Zn, B, Fe etc. and water
THE PLANTS NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
AIR
WATER
SUN
4
Compost,
Crop rotation,
Manure
Roots
Water +
Nutrients
Leaves
Sunlight + Carbon dioxide
Oxygen for respiration
and carbon dioxide for
photosynthesis
Energy
Warm air being lighter rises and goes out by roof ventilator/s. Cold air
enters through the door and side ventilation
Ventilation is very important for vegetable growth because:
VENTILATION
5
It controls and maintains the
temperature.
Too high temperature (over 30C) is
not suitable for the proper growth
of vegetables.
It controls humidity.
High humidity level gives higher
risk of diseases, disturb the soil
fertility and reduce plant growth
1) Remove stones & weeds

2) Add Manure / compost

3) Mix manure with soil

4) Sowing
The soil should be fnely ploughed,
well leveled and humid before
sowing.
6
PLOT PREPARATION
Trace the sowing lines, respecting depth
and distances adapted to each crop.
Cover seeds with fne soil and press gently.
Irrigate.
Plant
Distance
Sowing depth
Plant to plant Row to row
Mongol 1-2 or line sowing 6-8 1/2
Carrot 2-4 18-24 1/2 to 1/4
I Sowing Depth- 1/2
II -Thinning: plant 3 apart
III Transplanting
Plant to plant: 6-8
Row to row: 10-12
7
SOWING AND THINNING MONGOL SEEDS
3 weeks
1 month
Ideally one should visit each bed in the IGH at least once to check each
plant for signs of sickness/infestation, weeds (make sure to remove the
roots too), dead/dying leaves or fowers (remove with clippers).
Pruning
If a leaf is just browning at the edges or at the tip, cut or prune of the
browning or dead areas, leaving the rest of the leaf alone.
Seedlings production
Good and healthy seedlings are obtained by:
Respecting distance between the plants and rows
Providing good irrigation, light, mature compost and green manure
Opening the greenhouse progressively one week before the transplant-
ing in order to acclimatize the seedling to the outer environment
By keeping ventilators open to avoid over heating and high temperature
8
WEEDING
Roots that are one to two months
old are the best to transplant, where-
as old roots are less productive.
Two main points should be re-
spected while transplanting Mon-
gol roots:
Keep only 1 or 2 small leaves and
remove the bigger one.
Keep soil well settled around the
roots to avoid being getting dis-
turbed.
9
MONGOL TRANSPLANTATION
Recommended spacing for commonly cultivated plants while transplanting:
Plant Plant to plant distance Row to row distance
Mongol 4-6 10-12
Spinach 6 12-18
Tomato 16 30-36
Cabbage 20 24-36
Caulifower 15 24-36
Onion 3 12-18
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Note: The most important point for good production in winter is to sow
Mongol in August and to transplant it in September
Timely transplanting will make the roots strong and hardy thereby mak-
ing the plant resistant to cold.
When transplanting, always keep in mind to respect distances between
plants and rows.
The main principle of irrigation is:
To apply it at the best time, at the right place (where active roots are) and
with minimal water loss.
Soil type Quantum and frequency
Clay Low
Loam Moderate
Sandy High
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QUANTUM AND FREQUENCY OF IRRIGATION
The quantum and frequency of
irrigation depends on physical fac-
tors such as:
Temperature inside the IGH
Soil moisture content
Humidity inside the IGH
Type of crop
2 12
To get the best out of your veg-
etable harvest, you must pick them
at the right time and in the right
way for a favorsome and bounti-
ful. Harvest big leaves at the base
by leaving the new leaves at the
centre in order to:
Minimize the loss of the energy by
feeding the remaining part.
To protect the plant from any
disease.
Always keep smalls leaves in order
to fasten the regeneration rate.
HARVESTING TECHNIQUE
Step 1:
Harvest spring Mongol by cutting
the bigger leaves before it bolts
Step 2:
Pick Mongol in the morning for
best favor and texture.
Step 3:
Avoid washing Mongol that will be
stored for more than a day or two
since it will begin to wilt.
Before Harvesting
After Harvesting
To improve and enhance the production in future it is very important:
To select the best and healthy roots
To keep those selected roots
To wait for seeds maturation
To store seeds in a cool and dry place
2 13
MONGOL SEEDS PRODUCTION
14
Crop production under an IGH is an intensive process, thus the soil losses
its fertility gradually. Monocropping or growing the same crop season
after season in the same location will deplete the soil of nutrients needed
by that crop. For example, Mongol depletes Nitrogen
To maintain soil fertility two things are important:
Practice crop rotation
Make compost and mixing it well with the soil.
Crop rotation:

Crop rotation is of two types:
Nutritional crop rotation
It is practiced in order to balance the nutrient demand each crop makes
on the soil.
Preventive crop rotation
Crop rotation is also used to control pests and diseases that can become
established in the soil over time. Plants within the same family tend to
have similar pests and pathogens. By regularly changing the planting
location, the pest cycles can be broken or limited.
70/100
N
50/100
N
30/100
N
Season I- Mongol Season II- Mongol Season III- Mongol
SOIL FERTILITY
Crops Type Nutrient uptake
Mongol, Spinach, Salad, cabbage,
caulifower, coriander, mint Leafy Nitrogen
Cucumber, tomato, squash Fruit Phosphate
Onion, garlic, carrot, turnip, beet Root Potash
Peas + beans (soil builder) Legume Phosphate
Mongol,
cabbage,
palak,
caulifower,
coriander,
mint
Onion,
garlic,
carrot,
turnip,
radish,
beet
Peas + beans
(soil builder)
Cucumber,
tomato,
squash
Crop Rotation
1
2
3
4
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How to detect Aphids infestation:
Honeydew and white skins left on plants by aphids are signs that can be
used to detect aphid infestation
Curled new leaves, distorted growth.
Ants are often attracted to the honeydew, so if you see ants on your
plants, inspect them carefully for aphids.
High temperature
High humidity
Poor sanitation
Low irrigation
PEST CONTROL
High plant density
Growing the same susceptible
plant in the same location year
after year
Aphids are more prevalent under the following conditions:
Control measure
Concentration
Protocol Interval
LOW HIGH
Pepper solution 100 gm
+ 1.5 liter
water
200 gm
+ 1.5 liter
water
100 gm or 200 gm+
1.5 liter water for
24 hours + diluted
with 6.5 liters water
before spraying
At 3 days interval
successively for three
times and give one
week rest
Chilly 50 gm +
1.5 liters
water
100 gm +
1.5 liters
water
50 gm or 100 gm+
1.5 liters water for
24 hr + diluted
with 6.5 liters water
before spraying
At 3 days interval
successively for three
times and give one
week rest
Garlic + Chilly
powder
200 gm
Garlic +
50 gm
chilly
500 gm
garlic +
50 gm
chilly
200 gm or 500 gm
Garlic + 50 gm chilly
+ soak in1.5 liter
water for 24 hr +
dilute the solution
with 6.5Lt.of water
At 3 days interval
successively for three
times and give one
week rest
Soap + mustard
oil
50 gm
soap +
650 ml
water
50 gm
soap +
350 ml oil
+ 650 ml
water
50 gm soap + 650
ml water) boil until
soap dissolved +
350 ml mustard oil +
6.5 liter of water for
dilution.
At 3 days interval
successively for three
times and give one
week rest
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Take good care of sanitation
inside and around an IGH.
Apply control measures before
sowing and if needed after or
during transplanting.
Make smart use of the ventilators.
Apply adequate irrigation, proper
weeding and thinning.
Maintain recommended plant to
plant and line to line distances
while sowing and transplanting.
Timely prune the infested part.
Avoid moving infested plants
to new areas where susceptible
plants are growing.
Preventive steps:
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Compost making
Main technical points to make compost:
Make a 4x6 feet area, 2 feet deep pit at a location getting good sun pe-
riod of minimum 8 hours.
Prepare your mix with organic materials that you have:
Straw, saw dust or
Dried grass or
Dried leaves or
Green grass
Torn newspaper, unbleached paper and card board.
Farm yard manure (FYM) or
Dung (cow, goat, compost toilet) or
Poultry or pigeon manure or
Agricultural or kitchen waste or
Wood ash or charcoal (Sola)
Butter milk or
Waste of chang preparation
Soil or compost from a previous heap
1/2 of total quantity
1/2 of total quantity
Activators
COMPOST
The compost is a fantastic soil improver, and it usually comes with a
healthy population of micro-organisms which will contribute to soils
health once incorporated into it.
Compost returns nutrients to the soil and improves plant
growth by acting as:
A stimulant plant growth
Condition the soil
Reduce soil borne diseases
Increase water holding capacity
Increase soil aeration
Maintain the soil texture and check erosion
Benefts of Compost over un-composted organic matter or
synthetic fertilizers:
Composting makes plant nutrients available over a longer period of time.
Compost can activate minerals that are ordinarily unavailablesuch
as rock phosphatecan be activated by composting.
Compost also conditions the soil and builds soil structure.
Organic matter in compost lightens and aerates heavy clay soils,
while it improves soil moisture holding capacity in sandy soils.
In irrigated systems, compost serves to improve water penetration,
stores and releases water.
The heat of the composting process kills most plant and human
pathogens because plant pathogens seldom survive temperatures
above 50 C (122 F).
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News paper
Add a small amount of Urea or animal urine or poultry waste in the com-
post mixture to increase the Nitrogen content of the soil.
Add water and then cover the heap with polysheet.
Compost should never be dry, and its good to turn regularly (aeration).
To be ready compost need microorganisms and microorganisms need air
and water to be alive.
Wait for at least 1 year for maturation.
Mix materials
1
Put into the pit
2
Take out and add water
3
Put back into the pit
4
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