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Agriculture vocabulary · Greenhouse Production

Polytunnel

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

nounCommon term

In agriculture, polytunnel means: A low-cost growing structure made of curved metal hoops covered with polyethylene film, used to protect crops and extend the season.

In Turkish: plastik tünel, yüksek tünel, tünel sera

How it is used

Popular for strawberries, berries, early vegetables and seedlings. Unlike a full greenhouse, it usually has no heating or automatic climate control. Growers ventilate it by rolling up the sides.

Example sentences

  1. Strawberries in the polytunnel ripen about three weeks earlier than in the open field.

  2. Strong winds tore the cover off two polytunnels last night.

Common collocations

  • polytunnel cover
  • walk-in polytunnel
  • grow in polytunnels
  • low tunnel
  • high tunnel
  • greenhouseA building with a glass or plastic cover in which plants are grown under controlled temperature, humidity and light, often out of season.
  • seedlingA young plant grown from seed, especially one raised in a tray or nursery before being planted out in the field or greenhouse.
  • transplantTo move a young plant from the tray or nursery where it was raised and plant it in the field or greenhouse where it will grow to maturity.
  • growing mediumThe material in which plants grow instead of or in addition to soil, such as peat, perlite, coco peat or rockwool, used in pots, trays and greenhouse beds.
  • ripeFully developed and ready to be harvested or eaten, with the right color, sugar content, softness and flavor.

More terms: Greenhouse Production

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