I started vegetable production about 10years ago. I cultivated an open field. Like many other farmers, it was not easy but the other choice was more expensive. Your seeds will germinate alright but you will have to fight off pests and sometimes if you can, plant diseases. If it does not rain, disaster. After all the hard work and time wasted, your fate lies in the skies. On a good day, you shall smile but they do not happen always. For me, I had my successes and failures. I failed almost as many times as the rains failed me. It either rained too much or too little. Then I moved to greenhouse vegetable production.
As much as farmers seek to improve the productivity of their farms it is important to always look at ways to improve it. Today I shed light on the use of the traditional way of vegetable production, open-field vs greenhouse.
Open-field Cultivation
This is the commonest way of vegetable production. With this, you need; soil with good structure, rich in soil nutrients and free from diseases or disease-causing organisms. The soil also needs to have a pH balance. Vegetables, with this method, are grown directly under the sun, subject to direct incidence of the sun ad hits from raindrops. They are in the open and so insects have free access. They attack your vegetable plants and destroy them. In this case, there is the application of agrochemicals. Image the health implications if not done right. You can lose all your crops to heavy attack by pest too if you don’t apply the chemicals.
Greenhouse Cultivation
The greenhouse has a controlled environment where you can grow your vegetables. The features of a greenhouse project the plants against insect pests and birds. There will be no insect to pollinate your vegetable. You may have to do it yourself. Temperature, humidity, irrigation and light can all be controlled depending on the needs of the vegetables. Little to no chemicals are used. Fruits appear very clean without spots or bruises. It allows for production throughout the year. The time for harvesting is also prolonged.
All I am talking about can be achieved on a relatively small piece of land. A fully equipped greenhouse of size 10m x 24 could cost about GHC 40,000.00 ($6,907.88),
This initial cost can easily turn to profits if you get your production right.
Open-field Vs Greenhouse (Summary)
Let us look at all that we’ve been talking about, in this summary.
| Criteria | Open-field | Greenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Yield per area | Lower | Higher |
| Fruit quality | Low | High |
| Harvest period | One month | Over 6months |
| Weather dependence | High | Low |
| Climate control | Uncontrolled | Controlled |
| Cost of structure | No cost | High |
| Space requirement | Large | Small |
| Pollination | Insects | Self |
| Growing period | Seasonal | Year round |
| Crop seed availability | Common | Not common |
| Use of chemicals | Highly | Relatively lower |
| Disease and Pest infestation | High | Reduced |
| Water source | Rain | Irrigation |
| Weed control | Difficult | Easier |
| Theft | High | Reduced |
| Initial cost of production | Lower | High |
What next?
Your decision. Productivity is as important as your available resources. Know what you have and see how best you use it for optimum production. However, to achieve higher yields with less chemicals and efficient use of water, greenhouse stands out. You must also know there are suitable varieties of crops for either greenhouse or open field and a number of other factors to consider in the selection of either one or any other method for crop production.
