Year: 2026 | Month: June | Volume 19 | Issue 2
Estimation of Broccoli Crop Water Requirement under Variable Microclimatic Conditions of Different Protected Structures and Open Field
M.A. Sojitra1*
P.M. Kyada2 and R.M. Satasiya3
DOI:10.30954/0974-1712.02.2026.3
Abstract:
Protected cultivation structures create favorable microenvironments for crop growth, enabling higher yields and improved produce quality. This study evaluated microclimatic parameters viz. temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and light intensity under a Naturally Ventilated Net-cum-Poly House (NVNPH), a shade-net house, and open-field conditions. Two years of daily meteorological data (2020–21 and 2021–22) were used to characterise the microclimate of each structure, and the FAO-56 Penman–Monteith method was applied to estimate reference crop evapotranspiration under each condition. The shade-net house and NVNPH reduced incident solar energy and moderated internal temperature relative to the open field. Total water requirement for drip-irrigated, soilless broccoli cultivation was reduced by 58.69% under the shade-net house and 51.49% under the NVNPH relative to open-field cultivation.
© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Highlights
- FAO-56 Penman–Monteith method used to estimate broccoli water requirement under protected structures and open field.
- Local grow-bag conditions required substantial correction of standard FAO-56 crop coefficients.
- Shade-net house and NVNPH saved 58.69% and 51.49% irrigation water over open field, respectively.
Print This Article Email This Article to Your Friend
