Greenhouse innovations are giving new life to farming in Ladakh

In the harsh, wind-swept expanses of Ladakh, where winter temperatures often plummet below –30 degrees Celsius, sunlight remains intense and agricultural landholdings are small. Farming in open fields is limited to the short summer window between May and September. Yet, in this high-altitude cold desert, innovation has taken root. Protected cultivation now enables vegetable production even when the ground lies beneath a blanket of snow.

Ladakh’s extreme environment, with its thin atmosphere, high ultraviolet light exposure and limited water resources, restricts traditional farming. Around half of all households own less than 0.5 hectares of land and open-field cultivation is confined to just a few months each year. To address this, several forms of protected cultivation, like passive solar greenhouses, trench greenhouses and low tunnels have been introduced and adapted to local conditions.

These structures create controlled micro-environments for crops. These designs trap solar radiation and conserve heat, allowing for year-round or extended-season cultivation, improving yields and strengthening food and nutritional security in the region.

Genesis of protected cultivation in Ladakh

The Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR), formerly the Field Research Laboratory (FRL), pioneered greenhouse agriculture in Ladakh. Experiments began in 1964, with successful cultivation of vegetables such as kale, parsley, celery, spinach, lettuce and Swiss chard in controlled environments.

Early greenhouses in the region featured three thick mud-brick walls and a south-facing polythene sheet, which required replacement every 1–2 years. DIHAR modernised the design by replacing the sheet with triple-layered polycarbonate and substituting mud bricks with heat-absorbing stone walls. Recessing the structure 3 feet below ground further enhanced heat retention. These changes raised internal temperatures by 7-8°C compared to the outside.

Today’s Ladakhi greenhouses support the winter cultivation of spinach, Swiss chard, cabbage, lettuce, Siberian kale, coriander and fenugreek. In summer, tomatoes, brinjals and cucurbits are grown. These greenhouses also serve as off-season nurseries for apple, apricot, pear and vegetable crops, enabling seedlings to be raised 1-1.5 months earlier than in open fields.

Research confirms that greenhouse size significantly influences crop productivity. In 2024, Tsering Dolma and colleagues reported that cucumbers grown in large greenhouses (60×24×9.6 feet) yielded 2.1 kilogrammes per plant — almost 20 times more than those in open fields (0.11 kg). Capsicum and brinjal yields were more than four times higher under protected cultivation. Compared with smaller greenhouses (32×18×9.6 ft), the larger structures produced 112 per cent more cucumber, 55 per cent more capsicum and 71 per cent more brinjal.

This evidence challenges the widespread assumption that greenhouse size has little effect on productivity. Larger structures offer better thermal buffering, more stable humidity and increased vertical space, all of which contribute to improved plant performance.

Advantages of trench, low tunnel systems

Trench greenhouses offer a cost-effective solution to the limitations of conventional greenhouses. Built underground along a north-south orientation with stone walls and covered in polythene sheets, these structures conserve heat more effectively. During winter, a Rigidex polythene sheet (150 micrometre thick) is used, sometimes with an additional night-time blanket to retain warmth.

Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Leh and Ladakh’s Department of Agriculture have promoted smaller trench greenhouses (6×4×2 ft), while DIHAR developed a larger version (30×10×3 ft). According to a 2017 study by Stanzin Angmo and colleagues, the larger trench greenhouse stayed about 20.7°C warmer (with a margin of ± 2.8°C) during the day and 7°C (with a margin of ± 1.2°C) warmer at night compared to the open fields.

These greenhouses can support three crop cycles per year. From mid-October to early March, they yield 64-70 kg of spinach per unit. Between late March and early May, they produce 13,000-39,000 vegetable seedlings. In summer, they yield 6-210 kg of warm-season vegetables — a much greater yield compared to open-field farming.

Low tunnels present an ultra-affordable option for Ladakhi farmers. Typically around 1 metre in height and width, these are covered with polythene sheets secured with wires and soil. Once transplanted and irrigated, the tunnels are sealed, providing thermal insulation and wind protection.

A study by SKUAST-Kashmir in the Changthang region showed striking yield improvements: cabbage yields of 780 quintals per hectare and cauliflower yields of 720 quintals per hectare under low tunnels, compared to 266.6 and 500 quintals per hectare, respectively, in open fields. 

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kargil also observed enhanced seed germination (from 75.3 per cent to 91 per cent), improved seedling survival (from 76.3 per cent to 96.6 per cent), accelerated growth (by two months) and higher overall yields.

Managing pests, diversifying crops and going organic

While greenhouses enhance yield and sustainability, they also create favourable conditions for pests and diseases. Aphids have emerged as a serious pest, reducing yields of cauliflower by 41 per cent and of knol-khol and radish by 35 per cent, according to a 2025 study in the Defence Life Science Journal by Sonam Yangdol.

High humidity and inadequate ventilation increase the risk of fungal and bacterial infections. A study in the journal Indian Phytopathology emphasises the need for continuous monitoring, improved airflow, timely removal of infected plants and the use of disease-resistant varieties. Future greenhouse designs must prioritise ventilation, hygiene and localised pest management.

Protected cultivation in Ladakh is now expanding beyond food crops. The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) is developing multipurpose solar houses for both cultivation and drying of produce such as vegetables, apricots and apples. This diversification supports value addition and income generation for farming households.

Ladakh is embracing organic farming as a sustainable pathway in its fragile ecosystem as well. Due to traditional practices and limited accessibility, the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides remains minimal, rendering much of Ladakh’s agriculture nearly organic by default. Recognising this potential, the UT administration and research institutions are promoting certified organic farming alongside protected cultivation.

Integrating organic methods into greenhouse systems using composted farmyard manure, biofertilisers and botanical pest control improves soil health, reduces environmental impact and boosts the region’s appeal to health-conscious markets. Together, organic and protected cultivation offer a robust, climate-resilient strategy for Ladakh’s agricultural future.

Cultivating a resilient future

Protected cultivation in Ladakh has enabled the growth of over 30 vegetable varieties, extended the growing season and improved food security and livelihoods in one of the world’s most challenging agricultural regions.

These innovations exemplify climate-smart agriculture and are vital in combating malnutrition, poverty and the impacts of climate change.
As more institutions and farmers adopt these systems, Ladakh is emerging as a model for sustainable cold-climate agriculture.

Once a barren, frozen landscape for much of the year, it is now a terrain of green innovation.

MS Kanwar is Head and Principal Scientist (Vegetable Science) at ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Leh, Ladakh, India; AR Chichaghare is Scientist (Agroforestry) at ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Leh, Ladakh, India; Vishal B Mhetre is Scientist at the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh, Ladakh, India and Mahesh M Jadhav is Scientist at the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh, Ladakh, India

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth