Crops · Vegetables · Protected cultivation
Chilli cultivation in polyhouse and hydroponics
Grow green and red chilli in a polyhouse, in cocopeat grow bags fed by drip. Less leaf curl from thrips and mites, longer harvests and even, clean fruit, with a farm designed, built and supported by Kryzen.
Harvest for 5–6 months
Insect net keeps thrips out
Exact drip feeding
Why protected cultivation
Can chilli be grown in a polyhouse?
Quick answer
Yes. Chilli grows well in a polyhouse or nethouse. Seedlings are planted in cocopeat grow bags, supported on strings and fed by drip. Green chilli can be picked from about 60–75 days after planting, and harvest goes on for 5–6 months.
Insect net keeps out the thrips, mites and whitefly that cause leaf curl and spread viruses, so you spray far less. Soil-free cocopeat and drip feeding stop root rot and wilt and give every plant the same water and food.
| Point |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | One or two seasons a year | Planting timed for better prices | Planting timed for better prices |
| Harvest period | 3–4 months | Longer; plants staked and supported | Longest; strong, healthy roots keep plants fruiting |
| Fruit quality | Leaf curl, uneven and spotted fruit | Cleaner, more even fruit | Clean, even, glossy fruit |
| Pests | Thrips and mites cause leaf curl freely | Insect net and traps keep pressure low | Insect net and traps keep pressure low |
| Soil diseases | Root rot and wilt build up in soil | Still a risk; soil disease builds up over cycles | None; clean cocopeat |
| Water and fertiliser | Flood irrigation; much is lost | Drip into soil; some is lost | Exact drip doses to every plant |
| Revenue per acre per cycle | ₹2–5 lakh | ₹4–8 lakh | ₹2–4 lakh a month |
| Setup cost | Low | Medium | Highest; see your quotation and subsidy |
Expected revenue
How much revenue to expect per acre, per cycle
Expected sales from one acre of chilli for one crop cycle, and the risks you have to fight with each way of growing.
Open field
₹2–5 lakh
per acre, per crop cycle
Seasonal crop in soil, exposed to rain, heat and pests.
Risks11 risks to fight
- Insect attack
- Climate attack
- High cost of fertiliser
- High cost of water
- High cost of labour
- Cost of pesticides
- Cost of growth boosters
- Cost of land preparation
- Mulching paper
- Uneven quality
- Unpredictable quantity
Polyhouse + soil-based growing
₹4–8 lakh
per acre, per crop cycle
Protected crop planted in soil beds with drip irrigation.
Risks5 risks to fight
- Insect attack (avoided)
- Climate attack (avoided)
- High cost of fertiliser (avoided)
- High cost of water (avoided)
- High cost of labour
- Cost of pesticides
- Cost of growth boosters
- Cost of land preparation
- Mulching paper
- Uneven quality (avoided)
- Unpredictable quantity (avoided)
Polyhouse + hydroponics
₹2–4 lakh
per acre, per month
Protected crop in cocopeat with drip fertigation.
RisksNone of these risks
- Insect attack (avoided)
- Climate attack (avoided)
- High cost of fertiliser (avoided)
- High cost of water (avoided)
- High cost of labour (avoided)
- Cost of pesticides (avoided)
- Cost of growth boosters (avoided)
- Cost of land preparation (avoided)
- Mulching paper (avoided)
- Uneven quality (avoided)
- Unpredictable quantity (avoided)
Struck-through risks are ones that protected cultivation takes away. Revenue depends on variety, season, market price and how well the crop is managed. Our team prepares a crop projection for your farm before you build.
Where it grows
Best growing systems for chilli
Chilli is a bushy, staked crop. It grows in media-filled bags, troughs or buckets with drip, not in NFT channels.
Most usedCocopeat grow bags
The most common way to grow chilli under cover: washed cocopeat bags fed by drip.
Trough
Long cocopeat troughs on the ground for row crops.
Dutch bucket
Clay-ball buckets that reuse the run-off. Good where water is short.
Inside the right polyhouse
What to plant
Types of chilli grown in polyhouses
Choose the type by your market: long green, short hot, light green (bhavnagari) or red chilli. Our agronomy team suggests hybrids for your region.
Long green chilli
The everyday green chilli for wholesale and retail markets.
Short hot chilli
Small, very hot green chilli for regional markets.
Light green (bhavnagari)
Thick, mild chilli for frying and stuffing; sells to hotels.
Jalapeño type
Thick-walled chilli for restaurants, pickling and food processing.
Red chilli
Fruit left on the plant to turn red for fresh red chilli markets.
Climate and feeding
Ideal growing conditions for chilli
A polyhouse lets you hold these ranges for most of the year. Vents, shade nets, foggers or fan and pad cooling keep heat in check, and drip fertigation sets the feed. Values are from the Kryzen Plant Wiki.
Chilli Picador in the Kryzen Plant Wiki on alpha.kryzen.com, prepared by an experienced agronomist with more than 35 years of work and hands-on experience across 100+ crop cycles. See the Agronomy Wiki.
| Factor | Ideal range for chilli |
|---|---|
| Season | All season in a polyhouse |
| Growing temperature | 18–30 °C |
| Relative humidity | 60–70% |
| Feed TDS | About 1,500 ppm |
| Feed pH | 5.5–7 |
| Plant density | 2.5–3 plants per m², by variety |
| Support | Strings or stakes to hold the plant upright |
| Growing media | Low-EC washed cocopeat |
Crop cycle
From seedling to last harvest
One chilli crop in a polyhouse takes about 7–8 months from nursery to the end of harvest.
- 01
30–35 days
Nursery
Seedlings are raised in protrays of cocopeat, often on ebb and flow benches, until they have 4–6 true leaves.
- 02
Day 0
Transplanting
Healthy seedlings are planted into pre-soaked grow bags and the drip is set for young plants.
- 03
Every 2 weeks
Support and pruning
Plants are held up with strings or stakes, and lower side shoots are removed for airflow.
- 04
From week 4–5
Flowering and fruit set
Flowers open at every branch. Steady feeding and humidity reduce flower drop.
- 05
60–75 days
First harvest
Green chilli is ready from about 60–75 days after transplanting; red chilli takes longer.
- 06
5–6 months
Harvest period
Picking goes on every 5–7 days until the crop is ended and the polyhouse is cleaned for the next cycle.
Plant protection
Common chilli pests and diseases
A polyhouse with insect net, double doors and sticky traps keeps most problems out. Catch the rest early. See the Agronomy Wiki for full guides.
| Pest or disease | What you see | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Thrips | Upward leaf curl and scarred fruit; spread viruses | Blue sticky traps, insect net, double-door entry |
| Mites | Downward leaf curl and bronzed young leaves | Check new leaves weekly, keep humidity up in hot spells |
| Whitefly and aphids | Sticky leaves; spread leaf curl and mosaic viruses | Insect net, yellow sticky traps, remove weeds |
| Fruit borer | Holes in fruit | Insect net, pheromone traps, remove damaged fruit |
| Powdery and downy mildew | White powder under leaves or yellow patches on top | Avoid humidity swings, open vents in the morning |
| Fusarium wilt and root rot | Plants wilt and roots turn brown and rot | Soil-free cocopeat, do not over-water, good drainage |
| Anthracnose (die-back) | Dark sunken spots on fruit and dying shoot tips | Remove infected fruit and shoots, good airflow |
Harvest and selling
Pick, grade and sell
Careful picking and grading decide the price you get.
- Pick at the right stagePick green chilli when it is full size and firm; leave red chilli on the plant until fully coloured.
- Pick oftenPicking every 5–7 days keeps the plant setting new fruit.
- Grade and packSort by colour and length and pack in clean, ventilated crates.
- Sell with live pricesTrack rates on Price Watcher and reach buyers through Buyers Connect.
Cost and running
What a chilli farm needs
Your quotation lists every item, and our team prepares a chilli crop projection for your farm before you build.
Steady power
Drip runs on a timer. We connect your generator or solar backup for long power cuts.
Good water
A water test before you start tells us how to plan the nutrient solution.
Daily EC and pH checks
Check the feed and the run-off every day and adjust the dose for the crop stage.
Trained workers
Supporting, pruning and picking every week. We train your team for 4 days at the start.
Plan your doses and your sales
Use the nutrient calculator to plan feeds for each stage. Current prices from Price Watcher go into your project report, and Buyers Connect helps you sell after harvest.
Included free
- 6 months of virtual agronomy
- 4-day training for your farm team
- Hydroponic Masterclass logins
- Farm management software
- Buyers Connect
Worth ₹1.08 lakh
Kryzen fully managed farm
Plan a managed mega farm with Kryzen
Starting at 10 acres+
Ready to invest in 10 acres or more of protected cultivation? We help you set up the farm, run it and find a market for the produce.
- We set it upSite survey, design, construction and all farm buildings.
- We run itOur agronomists and trained team manage every crop cycle.
- We find the marketBuyers for your produce through Buyers Connect.
Why you should plan it
- Up to ₹2–2.5 crore a yearIncome potential from a 10-acre managed protected cultivation farm.
- Tax-free agricultural incomeAgricultural income is exempt from income tax under Section 10(1).
- 35% project subsidySupport on the project cost under eligible government schemes.
- AIF: 3% loan interest subsidyInterest subvention on your project loan under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
- 10-year concession periodA long-term agreement for running and managing the farm.
- Build-Operate-TransferWe build the farm, operate it and transfer it to you.
Subsidy and finance
Subsidy for your chilli polyhouse
Polyhouse projects built to National Horticulture Board (NHB) and National Horticulture Mission (NHM) norms can apply for government subsidy. A bank loan is usually part of the project, and the subsidy is paid after the project is checked.
NHB subsidy provider
Kryzen is a registered National Horticulture Board subsidy provider for all states.
NHM state subsidy provider
Enrolled with the National Horticulture Mission in Maharashtra and Karnataka for state horticulture schemes.
Project report for your bank
We prepare the detailed project report (DPR) your bank and subsidy file need, with cost, finance and profit projections.
Subsidy amounts depend on the scheme, your state and current government guidelines. The final decision is made by the government department.
How we build
From first call to first harvest
Ten steps, one team. Most projects are built in 45 to 90 days after material reaches the site.
1Free online consultation
We discuss your land, water, budget and goals on a video or phone call.
2Site inspection
Our team checks level, slope, sunlight, soil, water, power and road access.
3Design and quotation
We design for your climate and crops, and share a detailed quotation.
4Project report and finance
We prepare the DPR for your bank loan and subsidy file.
5Subsidy and loan
We help you apply for NHB or NHM subsidy and your bank loan, with the documents each office needs.
6Manufacturing
We cut, shape and quality-test the material at our factory in Satara.
7Construction
Our team builds the foundations, structure and growing systems on your land.
8Testing and handover
We test every system and hand over a working farm.
9Training and agronomy
Hands-on training for your team and 6 months of virtual agronomy support.
10Harvest management
We help you plan harvests, grading and sales, with market prices from Price Watcher and buyers through Buyers Connect.
Can chilli be grown in a polyhouse?
Yes. Chilli grows well in a polyhouse or nethouse. Plants grow in cocopeat grow bags, are supported on strings and fed by drip, and fruit for 5–6 months.
Which growing system is best for chilli?
Cocopeat grow bags are the most common. Troughs suit long rows and Dutch buckets suit sites where water is short. NFT is for leafy greens, not chilli.
How long does chilli take to harvest?
Green chilli is ready about 60–75 days after transplanting. Harvest then continues every 5–7 days for 5–6 months.
How does a polyhouse reduce chilli leaf curl?
Leaf curl comes from thrips, mites and the viruses whitefly spreads. Insect net, double doors and sticky traps keep most of them out.
How many chilli plants fit in a polyhouse?
Usually 2.5–3 plants per m², depending on variety and row layout. Your layout is planned after a site inspection.
How much revenue can chilli make per acre?
Expected revenue per acre for one crop cycle is about ₹2–5 lakh in open field, ₹4–8 lakh in a polyhouse with soil-based growing; in a polyhouse with hydroponics it is about ₹2–4 lakh a month. It depends on variety, season, market price and how well the crop is managed.
Where can I sell polyhouse chilli?
To local markets, hotels, retail chains, processors and exporters. Use Price Watcher to track rates and Buyers Connect to reach buyers.
Talk to our team
Plan your chilli farm with us
Tell us your land, water and market. We’ll suggest the right polyhouse and growing system for chilli and share a detailed quotation.