CROP HUSBANDRY-BHINDI(OKRA) CULTIVATION PRACTICES IN KERALA

OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus)

The three main planting seasons for Okra are February-March, June-July and October-November.

Varieties

Green / light green fruited: Pusa Sawani, Pusa Makhmali, IARI Selection 2, Kiran, Salkeerthi
Red fruited: Co-1, Aruna
Yellow vein mosaic resistant/tolerant: Arka Anamika, Arka Abhay, Susthira (all green fruited)

Seed rate

The seed rate is 8.5 kg/ha for the summer crop sown in February-March and 7 kg/ha for kharif crop.

Storage of seeds

Packing of okra seeds in polythene cover (700 gauge) increases the storage life up to 7 months.

Planting

For kharif crop, sow the seeds at a spacing of 60 cm between rows and 45 cm between plants. For the summer crop, soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before sowing and give a spacing of 60 x 30 cm.

Manuring

Apply FYM or compost as basal dose @ 12 t/ha. At the time of sowing, apply N, P2O5, and K2O @ 25, 8 and 25 kg/ha. Another 25 kg N per ha may be applied one month after sowing.
Note: For reclaimed soils of Kuttanad, a fertilizer dose of N:P2O5:K2O 75:5:15 kg/ha is recommended.

Aftercultivation

Give pre-sowing irrigation, if soil is not moist enough. During summer, irrigate at intervals of 2 to 3 days. Conduct weeding regularly and earth up rows during rainy season.

Plant protection

The important pests are jassids, fruit and shoot borer and root knot nematode.
Against jassids, use quinalphos, fenthion or fenitrothion as foliar sprays each at 0.05%. For controlling fruit and shoot borers, remove all drooping shoots and damaged fruits. Spray carbaryl 0.15% at intervals of 15 to 20 days. For controlling aphids, apply dimethoate 0.05%.
For the control of nematodes, apply sawdust or paddy husk at 500 g/plant or neem leaves or Eupatorium leaves at 250 g/plant in basins one week prior to planting and water daily. The effect of this treatment persists up to 75 days after sowing in summer season
Application of Bacillus macerans or B. circulans (1.2 x 106 cells per pit) before sowing is recommended for the control of root knot nematode (ad hoc recommendation).
For the control of pests, application of carbofuran granules at the rate of 0.5 kg ai / ha or phorate at the rate of 1 kg ai / ha at seeding followed by need-based application of foliar insecticides has been recommended. The application of granules is recommended only at the time of seeding.
In general, insecticides of plant origin may be used, as far as possible.

Yellow vein mosaic

This is a common disease in okra, which shows vein clearing and vein chlorosis of leaves. The yellow network of veins is very conspicuous and veins and veinlets are thickened. Fruits become small and yellowish green in colour. White fly (Bemisia tabaci) and leaf hopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula) are vectors of this virus. Hence, their control is very important. Use of resistant varieties like Arka Anamika, Arka Abhay and Susthira, and destruction of host weeds (Croton sparsiflora and Ageratum sp.) are also effective.