Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse - Solapur, Maharashtra

Located in Solapur, Maharashtra, this 1,008 sqm Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse is a soilless capsicum growing facility, built to protect a heat- and water-sensitive crop in one of Maharashtra's hottest, driest districts.

Solapur sits on the Deccan plateau in south-eastern Maharashtra at around 460 metres above sea level, in the rain shadow east of the Sahyadris — a semi-arid, drought-prone belt with a dry steppe climate. Two things define it. First, heat: summers run long and severe, with March-to-May temperatures climbing through the high 30s and peaking around 44–45°C in the worst spells. Second, scarcity: annual rainfall is only about 550 mm, among the lowest in the state, and the district is officially drought-prone, with water availability a persistent constraint on agriculture. Winters are dry with cool nights. For capsicum, that combination is punishing — extreme heat drives flower and bud drop and wrecks fruit set, while every litre of water carries a premium that open-field cultivation spends carelessly.

The Structure

A 1,008 sqm Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse was installed to work with, rather than against, that climate. For capsicum in Solapur, the structure's job is to buffer the extreme summer heat through passive cooling and shade, wind-buffer the crop, and hold a more stable growing environment than the harsh open air allows. An NVPH does this at low operating cost, with ventilation aligned to the prevailing wind so heat is shed continuously through the hottest months.

The crop is grown on a soilless system rather than in ground soil and in a water-scarce district, that choice does double duty. A controlled root zone delivers water and nutrients directly to the plant with far less waste than open-field irrigation, stretching a limited water supply much further, while also giving precise command over feeding, sidestepping soil-borne disease, and driving the uniform fruit size and sustained yield the market rewards. In a drought-prone belt, that water efficiency is as valuable as the yield.

Agriplast Protected Cultivation Pvt. Ltd. (APPC) is the largest manufacturer and supplier of polyhouses, net houses, and other greenhouse structures. Agriplast designed, supplied, and installed this Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse in Solapur, Maharashtra. Beyond the structure itself, the company provides end-to-end turnkey delivery alongside agronomy support, crop advisory, and government-subsidy guidance, helping growers move to protected cultivation and grow higher-value crops with more efficient use of land, water, and inputs.