Protected Cultivation: Structural Design, Crop Management Modeling, and Automation

Protected cultivation - the safeguarding of crops from the harmful effects of climate change, environmentally toxic agricultural chemicals, and crop pests and diseases - is necessary for improving crop growth conditions. This new volume addresses this need by presenting valuable research on the components of protected cultivation, including climate control, modeling, automation, and economics.

The volume offers comprehensive coverage of the many aspects of protected crop cultivation, including:

• selecting site-specific appropriate protected structures
• design, construction, and suitability of structures
• improved crop cultivation techniques (shifting from conventional to modern soil-less cultivation approaches)
• cropping sequence of vegetable crops
• irrigation and fertigation automation
• climate monitoring and management
• insect pests and diseases and their management
• greenhouse micro-climate/environments
• economic analysis of protected cultivation
• and more.

The important information presented in this volume will be valuable for farming professionals, faculty and students in agricultural science, agricultural researchers and engineers, as well as for those involved in horticulture and floriculture.

Mahesh Chand Singh, PhD, is a Scientist in the Department of Soil and Water Engineering at the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Punjab Agricultural University, India, where he is actively engaged in teaching. He has made significant contributions to the fields of irrigation and drainage systems, remote sensing and GIS applications and protected cultivation. He has over 70 research papers published in international journals along with book chapters, popular articles, and one practical manual. He has held positions at various institutions, including Mata Gujri College, India; Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, India; ICAR-National Agricultural Science Fund (NASF); the Agricultural Science Recruitment Board (ASRB), India; and the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. Dr Singh has developed several mathematical models for predicting greenhouse microclimate under soilless cropped conditions.

K. K. Sharma, PhD, is a Plant Pathologist at the Dr. D.R. Bhumbla Regional Research Station of Punjab Agricultural University, India. Previously, he was an assistant professor at the Doon P.G. College of Agricultural Science and Technology, India. He has published research papers in national and international journals, practical e-manuals, book chapters, and popular articles. In addition to teaching and research, he is also engaged in various agriculture extension activities, such as agro-advisory services and transfer of technology through farmers’ training programs, and field days. He is a reviewer and editorial board member for several journals in his field.