Economic and environmental comparison of open field and screenhouse vegetable farming in Nigeria

Abstract

This study compares screenhouse, rainfed, and irrigated vegetable farming systems in Northwest Nigeria, focusing on their economic and environmental performance. Screenhouse farming demonstrates superior yield, cost-efficiency, and sustainability, producing up to 90% more saleable output than rainfed systems and using over 95% less water per kilogram of produce. Although initial investment is higher over 600% more than rainfed farming screenhouse systems emit less than 5% of the greenhouse gases associated with conventional open-field production. Rainfed farming, while low-cost, suffers from poor resource efficiency and low productivity. Irrigated systems offer moisture stability but require substantial water and energy inputs. These findings highlight the potential of screenhouse farming and the importance of adopting sustainable irrigation strategies such as drip systems, fertigation, and rainwater harvesting to enhance long-term resilience and efficiency in vegetable production.

Publication information

Originally published in PLOS Climate on 2025-11-19. Original DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000745.

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