Polyhouse farming · Kerala

Polyhouse Farming in Adoor

Monthly climate, crop windows and nearby markets for a polyhouse farm in Adoor, with a well-ventilated polyhouse for humid heat.

Sudhir Devkar, founder of Kryzen Biotech

By Sudhir Devkar, Founder & CEO, Kryzen Biotech

Updated · 5 min read

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

Planning polyhouse farming in Adoor? Adoor is a small town in Kerala, home to about 30,000 people (GeoNames)[1][2], about 430 km from Bengaluru. We have used the monthly climate for Adoor 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 Adoor

March is the hottest month in Adoor, with average daily highs of about 35°C. January has the coolest nights, averaging 20°C.[3] The area gets about 2,052 mm of rain a year, most of it in April to November, peaking in October at about 327 mm. Average humidity stays at 75% or more in April to December, which raises the risk of leaf disease and slows evaporative cooling. Adoor sits about 53 m above sea level.[2] On the Köppen–Geiger climate map, Adoor falls in the tropical monsoon zone (Am).[4]

Adoor climate by month

MonthAvg high (°C)Avg low (°C)Humidity (%)Rain (mm)
Jan31.020.47315
Feb33.921.66425
Mar35.123.76560
Apr33.124.975130
May30.625.283233
Jun28.824.489302
Jul28.023.790244
Aug28.123.590210
Sep28.423.489233
Oct28.723.488327
Nov28.822.886218
Dec28.921.38355
Area averages (a grid cell of about 50 km) for 2001–2025, from NASA POWER, centred on Adoor, adjusted for the town's elevation[5]. Rainfall and night temperatures at your plot can differ, especially near hills and the coast.[3]

Advantages of protected cultivation in Adoor

  • Year-round crops

    Under cover, cucumber can be grown for 11 months a year in Adoor, so you can supply buyers every week instead of one open-field season.

  • Better yield and price

    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.

  • Less water

    Drip irrigation under cover uses less water than flood irrigation, and the roof keeps October's 327 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 (April to December), so you spray less often.

  • Subsidy eligible

    Polyhouse, shade net and nethouse projects in Kerala can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department.[6]

Which polyhouse suits Adoor?

For polyhouse farming in Adoor, the structure decides which months you can crop and what it costs to run. In Adoor the heat comes with humidity: during February to April average humidity is about 68%. Wet pads cool much less in humid air: on a typical March afternoon they would only bring 35°C down to about 31°C. So we usually start with a tall naturally ventilated polyhouse with wide roof vents, insect net and a shade screen. A Fan & Pad polyhouse still makes sense if buyers need lettuce through the hottest months, but expect a smaller temperature drop than in dry inland towns.

Protected structures to compare

Plan for heavy rain in October (about 327 mm): raise the plinth, size the gutters for that month and keep drains away from the nutrient tank. Sunlight peaks in March at about 6.4 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 December to February, when it is mild and fairly dry.

Crops for Adoor

Based on Adoor's climate, the crops with the longest growing windows are cucumber (11 months), capsicum (9 months) and tomato (9 months). Cucumber fits April to February in a naturally ventilated polyhouse. Lilium and chrysanthemum are hard to time here, so we would leave them out of the first season. These are the crops we would plan first for polyhouse farming in Adoor.

Months each crop suits in Adoor

CropNaturally ventilated polyhouseWith Fan & Pad cooling
CapsicumMay–JanAll year
TomatoMay–JanAll year
CucumberApr–FebAll year
Chilli pepperMay–JanAll year
BrinjalMay–JanAll year
LettuceJulJun–Feb
BroccoliDifficultDifficult
StrawberryDifficultDifficult
RoseDifficultDec–Jan
GerberaDifficultAug–Feb
CarnationDifficultDifficult
ChrysanthemumDifficultDec–Jan
AnthuriumJun–DecAll year
OrchidsJun–DecAll year
LiliumDifficultDifficult
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 Adoor

Selling your harvest in and around Adoor

30,000People in Adoor (GeoNames)[1]
₹7,834Spending per person per month, urban Kerala, 2023–24[7]
430 kmto Bengaluru, the nearest metro (straight line)

Urban households in Kerala spent an average of ₹7,834 per person per month in 2023–24, above the all-India urban average of ₹7,078.[7] Local demand in Adoor may be small for exotic greens, so plan where the rest of the harvest goes. Kollam, about 40 km away, is the nearest larger market on our list.

Polyhouse farming in Adoor with Kryzen

Adoor is about 1,020 km in a straight line from our factory and master warehouse at Degaon, Wai (Satara), our nearest site.

Towns near Adoor

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

Map of Kerala

Check other locations in Kerala

We have farm planning pages for 51 towns in Kerala, each with its own climate, crops and market notes.

All Kerala locations

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

Polyhouse farming in Adoor: FAQs

Can a polyhouse farm run all year in Adoor?

Yes, with the right structure. For Adoor we would plan a tall naturally ventilated polyhouse with wide vents and insect net. Even then, lettuce is hard to grow in March to May, so plan another crop for those months.

Which polyhouse is best for Adoor?

With March highs of about 35°C and 65% average humidity in that month, we would start with a tall naturally ventilated polyhouse with wide vents and insect net.

Which crops should I grow in a polyhouse in Adoor?

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

Is polyhouse farming profitable in Adoor?

It can be, if the crop, the structure and the buyers match. In Adoor, cucumber and capsicum 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 Adoor?

Yes. Our nearest site is our factory and master warehouse at Degaon, Wai (Satara), about 1,020 km away.

Is there a subsidy for polyhouse or hydroponic farms in Kerala?

Yes. Protected cultivation projects in Kerala 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 Adoor 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.

Sudhir Devkar

Sudhir Devkar

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 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Wikipedia · Adoor (opens in a new tab)
  3. NASA Langley Research Center · POWER Climatology API: long-term monthly averages (opens in a new tab)
  4. Rubel & Kottek, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna · World map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification (opens in a new tab)
  5. Registry of Open Data on AWS · Terrain Tiles: global elevation data (opens in a new tab)
  6. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare · Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) (opens in a new tab)
  7. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) · Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023–24: press note (opens in a new tab)