Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport on May 30, 2024, inaugurated a centralized nursery with a polyhouse and shade house respectively. Polyhouse plays a significant role in protecting plants from continuously changing weather and climatic conditions like heat, sunlight, and wind. These structures allow horticulturists to create controlled environment and micro-climate for plant growth, which is especially beneficial for landscape plants.

Shade house provides ideal growth conditions for indoor and outdoor tropical plants. A large patch of undulating land abutting the exit toll booth, behind the sub-station was cleared and levelled to facilitate construction of these facilities. Hitherto, planting material for both indoor and outdoor use was being stored in the airport campus at different storage areas. Now the new centralized nursery will provide the right set up and appropriate conditions for the plants to thrive well.

The Polyhouse, which is 384 sq.m area, equipped with climate control systems like foggers, fan and pad system provides required temperature and humidity to ornamental indoor plants such as calathea, Philodendron, orchid, anthurium, dracaena, bromeliads, ferns etc. The shade house, spread across 264 sqm area., allows 50% of natural light to seep through. It is ideal for sustenance of outdoor and indoor tropical plants such as ornamental palms, flowering & foliage shrubs, groundcovers etc.

The plants grown in Shadehouse are used in the landside area of the airport which enhances the aesthetic appearance of the airport premises with their vibrant colors and shapes. The outdoor plants give a distinct look to the landscape and indoor plants present a soothing and refreshing experience to the passengers, the airport spokesperson said.

“Having a centralized nursery on the airport premises ensures that the plants are monitored and tended to on a regular basis. This also helps quick replacement of plants that have outlived their natural span or those that must be replaced for operational and safety purposes,” the spokesperson added. The central nursery is also a reiteration of the commitment of the airport to add to the green quotient of the area and promote environmental protection, also a group mandate.