Protected Cropping

Protected cropping (PC) is the use of structures, together with key technologies (and appropriate practices) to address numerous environmental constraints of crop production.

It comprises the use of artificial structures such as greenhouses (polyhouses and glasshouses), shade houses, screen houses, net houses, crop canopy (crop-top) structures, crop covers, various technologies to influence temperature, humidity and light as well as soilless (hydroponic) growing systems.

Protected cropping addresses a continuum of challenges in the growing environment and represents the corresponding technological responses - structures, technologies and practices used in different combinations and different situations - to modify or otherwise manage the growing environment to hopefully achieve an improved, if not optimal growing environment for the particular crop.

Protected cropping extends from Low Cost protected cropping (LCPC) right through to Controlled environment horticulture (CEH).