Polyhouse farming · Madhya Pradesh

Polyhouse Farming in Ratlam

Monthly climate, crop windows and nearby markets for a polyhouse farm in Ratlam, with Fan & Pad cooling for dry summer heat.

Kryzen Biotech ના સ્થાપક સુધીર દેવકર

By Sudhir Devkar, Founder & CEO, Kryzen Biotech

Updated · 5 min read

Polyhouse farming in Ratlam: aerial view of a large protected cultivation farm with polyhouses

Planning polyhouse farming in Ratlam? Ratlam is a mid-sized city in Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, home to about 2.7 lakh people (GeoNames)[1][2], about 250 km from Ahmedabad. We have used the monthly climate for Ratlam to plan a structure, a growing system and a crop calendar, so you can compare them with your own plot and buyers.

Climate for polyhouse farming in Ratlam

May is the hottest month in Ratlam, with average daily highs of about 42°C. January has the coolest nights, averaging 10°C.[3] The area gets about 869 mm of rain a year, most of it in June to September, peaking in July at about 276 mm. Average humidity stays at 75% or more in July to September, which raises the risk of leaf disease and slows evaporative cooling. Ratlam sits about 487 m above sea level.[2] On the Köppen–Geiger climate map, Ratlam falls in the tropical savanna (dry winter) zone (Aw).[4]

Ratlam climate by month

MonthAvg high (°C)Avg low (°C)Humidity (%)Rain (mm)
Jan26.79.6354
Feb30.412.5294
Mar35.217.3236
Apr39.822.3215
May41.725.92910
Jun37.025.657116
Jul30.823.580276
Aug28.922.687275
Sep29.621.583141
Oct30.818.26320
Nov29.514.5519
Dec27.311.1423
Area averages (a grid cell of about 50 km) for 2001–2025, from NASA POWER, centred on Ratlam. Rainfall and night temperatures at your plot can differ, especially near hills and the coast.[3]

Advantages of protected cultivation in Ratlam

  • આખું વર્ષ પાક

    Under cover, capsicum can be grown for 10 months a year in Ratlam, so you can supply buyers every week instead of one open-field season.

  • વધુ સારું ઉત્પાદન અને ભાવ

    Plants grow without rain, hail and wind damage, so yields are higher and more even, and clean, graded produce sells at a better price, especially off-season.

  • ઓછું પાણી

    Drip irrigation under cover uses less water than flood irrigation, and the roof keeps July's 276 mm of rain off the crop and the soil.

  • Less pesticides

    Insect net on vents and doors keeps out most pests, and controlled ventilation helps with leaf disease in the humid months (July to September), so you spray less often.

  • સબસિડી પાત્ર

    Polyhouse, shade net and nethouse projects in Madhya Pradesh can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department.[5]

Which polyhouse suits Ratlam?

For polyhouse farming in Ratlam, the structure decides which months you can crop and what it costs to run. The heat in Ratlam comes with dry air. In April to May, average highs reach 42°C while average humidity is only about 25%. In that dry air, wet pads can bring a 42°C May afternoon down to roughly 30°C inside a Fan & Pad polyhouse, cool enough for lettuce and other leafy greens. For vine crops such as capsicum and cucumber, a naturally ventilated polyhouse with a shade screen works from February and July to November and costs less to run.

Protected structures to compare

Plan for heavy rain in July (about 276 mm): raise the plinth, size the gutters for that month and keep drains away from the nutrient tank. Sunlight peaks in May at about 7.3 kWh per m² a day, so add a shade screen for leafy greens in the brightest months. A nethouse, the lowest-cost option, can grow hardy crops in February and October to December, when it is mild and fairly dry.

Crops for Ratlam

Based on Ratlam's climate, the crops with the longest growing windows are capsicum (10 months), tomato (10 months) and chilli pepper (10 months). Capsicum fits February to November with Fan & Pad cooling. These are the crops we would plan first for polyhouse farming in Ratlam.

Months each crop suits in Ratlam

પાકનેચરલી વેન્ટિલેટેડ પોલીહાઉસWith Fan & Pad cooling
કેપ્સિકમFeb and Jul–NovFeb–Nov
ટામેટાંJul–FebJul–Apr
કાકડીJul–NovMar–Nov
Chilli pepperFeb and Jul–NovFeb–Nov
રીંગણJul–NovMar–Nov
લેટ્યુસDec–JanJul–Apr
બ્રોકોલીDifficultNov–Mar
સ્ટ્રોબેરીDifficultNov–Feb
ગુલાબDec–JanSep–Mar
જર્બેરાDec–JanJul–Apr
કાર્નેશનDifficultNov–Mar
સેવંતીDec–JanSep–Mar
એન્થુરિયમAug–SepMar–Oct
ઓર્કિડAug–SepMar–Oct
લિલિયમDifficultNov–Mar
Kryzen planning estimate from the monthly averages above and each crop's usual day and night temperature range. Variety, soil or substrate temperature and shading change the result, so confirm with a trial.

Suggested crops for Ratlam

Selling your harvest in and around Ratlam

2.7 lakhPeople in Ratlam (GeoNames)[1]
₹5,589Spending per person per month, urban Madhya Pradesh, 2023–24[6]
250 kmto Ahmedabad, the nearest metro (straight line)

Urban households in Madhya Pradesh spent an average of ₹5,589 per person per month in 2023–24, below the all-India urban average of ₹7,078.[6] Ratlam is large enough for steady local sales to restaurants, hotels and fruit-and-vegetable retailers. Start with a farm size that matches the orders you can confirm. For premium vegetable and flower buyers, Ahmedabad is within a day's delivery, about 250 km away.

Polyhouse farming in Ratlam with Kryzen

We have built 8 projects in Madhya Pradesh so far (see our project map (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)). Ratlam is about 390 km in a straight line from our Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar warehouse, our nearest site.

Towns near Ratlam

We also plan and build farms in these towns near Ratlam:

Map of Madhya Pradesh

Check other locations in Madhya Pradesh

We have farm planning pages for 86 towns in Madhya Pradesh, each with its own climate, crops and market notes.

All Madhya Pradesh locations

Map: LGD 2024 boundaries via bharatlas, CC BY 4.0. For illustration only.

Polyhouse farming in Ratlam: FAQs

Can a polyhouse farm run all year in Ratlam?

Yes, with the right structure. For Ratlam we would plan a Fan & Pad polyhouse for leafy greens. Even then, lettuce is hard to grow in May to June, so plan another crop for those months.

Which polyhouse is best for Ratlam?

With May highs of about 42°C and 29% average humidity in that month, we would start with a Fan & Pad polyhouse for leafy greens.

Which crops should I grow in a polyhouse in Ratlam?

Going by the monthly climate, capsicum, tomato and chilli pepper have the longest growing windows. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers before you plant.

Is polyhouse farming profitable in Ratlam?

It can be, if the crop, the structure and the buyers match. In Ratlam, capsicum and tomato have the longest seasons under cover. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers first; our Detailed Project Report works out the cost, yield and returns for your plot.

Does Kryzen build polyhouses in Ratlam?

Yes. Our nearest site is our Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar warehouse, about 390 km away, and we have built 8 projects in Madhya Pradesh.

Is there a subsidy for polyhouse or hydroponic farms in Madhya Pradesh?

Yes. Protected cultivation projects in Madhya Pradesh can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department. Check the current rate and area limit when you apply.

Discuss your Ratlam farm project

Share your plot location, water test and crop targets. We will suggest the right structure and growing system, and send an itemised quotation.

સુધીર દેવકર

સુધીર દેવકર

Founder & CEO, Kryzen Biotech

A computer engineer turned hydroponic farmer from a multigenerational farming family in Satara. Sudhir founded Kryzen in 2019, and the team has since built 350+ protected and hydroponic farms across India.

Sources

  1. GeoNames · Geographical database: populated places of India (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)
  2. Wikipedia · Ratlam (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)
  3. NASA Langley Research Center · POWER Climatology API: long-term monthly averages (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)
  4. Rubel & Kottek, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna · World map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)
  5. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare · Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)
  6. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) · Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023–24: press note (નવા ટેબમાં ખૂલે છે)