Natural regeneration status of Terminalia chebula Retz. in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh

The protected cultivation technology has given growers a powerful management tool for production of crops. The objective of growing crops under protected conditions is to extend the cropping seasons and to protect crops against adverse environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures and rainfall and also from diseases and pests. Poly house schemes / projects gave new options to farmers. The project components include construction of location-specific poly houses of different models with irrigation facility through micro irrigation system, creation of water sources individually and collectively by the group of farmers. This paper reviews the assessment of project viability on protected cultivation and the policy suggestions. The viability of the protected cultivation projects were analyzed using different subsidy rates (Table.3). The net present value is highest in 80% subsidy rate whereas 50% and 25% subsidy rates are not feasible. The benefit cost ratio also higher in 80% subsidy rate. Hence, provision of 80% subsidy to the farmers in protected cultivation schemes is feasible. The farmers need to be educated and trained before starting poly house on their farms. The training should include important aspects of design and layout, selection of site, proper installation of irrigation/fertigation units, selection of crop/variety and good crop management practices. The farmers should select the crops with due consideration of the trends in the market prices.