Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi Ladies Finger

Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi Ladies Finger by Pritham D'Souza 'Metal Farmer'

From Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi

Yellow mosaic disease in Okra is one of the most devastating diseases, resulting in 80 percent of crop loss.
and the sad part is , since its a virus, there is no cure. Prevention is the only cure.

Growing Okra Bhendi without soil using Simplified Hydroponics

Growing Okra Bhendi without soil using Simplified Hydroponics by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

From Growing Okra Bhendi without soil using Simplified Hydroponics

Okra seeds germination seen on dec 17, 2009

Growing Ladies Finger Bhindi in pit system summer cultivation technique

Growing Ladies Finger Bhindi in pit system summer cultivation technique by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

Bhindi or bende kai or okra Ladies finger(Abelmoschus esculentus) is a popular summer vegetable grown extensively along the coast of Mangalore.
The tender fruits have rich iodine content which is used in the treatment of goitre , while the leaves are used for treatment of dysentery and inflammation.
The dry seeds have rich edible oil content of up to 20 % and protein up to 25%

From Growing Ladies Finger Bhindi in pit system summer cultivation technique

Ladies Finger Okra Grown in Pits

Ladies Finger Okra Grown in Pits

the video shows flowering and fruiting stage of Ladies Finger (Okra, Bhindi) grown in pits and not in rows which is the traditional method followed.

Some salient features in this method

• size of pit is fixed and uniformity is maintained, pit size followed here is 2 feet X 1 feet
• only 2 plants are allowed per pit, the rest are removed by thinning out, hence plant density is also maintained
• each pit requires the same amount of water, hence flooding and over watering is not required, saving precious water
• The plant gets more than sufficient space, with plenty of room between pits and hence no plant suffers from want of light and nutrients
  

Video and Data by Pritham D'Souza

grow orka ladies finger in flower pots without soil using simplified hydroponics

grow orka ladies finger in flower pots without soil using simplified hydroponics by Pritham 'metal farmer' D'Souza


the above photo shows okra plants and cowpea plants grown together in the same grow tub. i have exceeded the normal time for usual transplanting in case of okra. in the field, okra plants are transplanted when 3 leaf stage is seen, wneh the plant attains a min height of about 6 inches.
here i have gone against the norm & transplanted when the plants are over 10 inches long.

an individual plant gently scooped up after light watering of the tub to loosen the substrate.



the above 3 pics shows the thick root network of the plant.

i also transplanted the plants in the afternoon when the intensity of sunlight is maximum. the substrate was well drenched with nutrient water till it reaches saturation point.

the drooping leaves was because of the intense heat. it did not kill the plants, but i had to not provide partial shade if i wanted the plants to improve which i did in the photo below. the plants were transplanted on march 4, 2009


the above photo shows how the plants have started to grow and look a lot more healthier after providing shade net. the above photo was taken on march 13 2009.


okra has grown successfully in flower pots without soil.

all photos and data by pritham dsouza. to view photo in original size, click on photo to enlarge

Grow Ladies Finger Okra without soil using simplified hydroponics

Grow Ladies Finger Okra without soil using simplified hydroponics by Pritham 'metal farmer' D'Souza

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) popularly known as bhendi kai in kannada or bhendi in hindi is an annual vegetable crop. one of the most nutrient rich vegetables, the high iodine content in the fruit is used to control goitre, while leaves are used as anti inflamatory & dysentery. the dry seed contains excellent amount of edible oils & proteins, and it is extensively used in cosmetic industries & soap industries. the crushed seed is given to cattle to increase milk production


the above photo taken on feb 25, 2009 shows okra plants grown together with cowpea. germination was observed in 4 days time. in the field, the seed takes a lot of time to germinate as seeds show high degree of dormancy and generally takes up to 7 days to germinate.


a clear photo of okra seedling


the above 2 pics show me slowly lifting the plant ready to transplant in tomato boxes i converted as grow beds. one has to be careful not to damage the roots as they can snap easily. light watering must be done first, and the substrate loosened. then the plant has to be scooped up with the substrate around it intact.

a close up of the roots, well defined & good network

immediately after transplanting, nutrient water must be added till it starts to drain out
the transplanting pics were taken on march 1, 2009

the above photo shows great shoot and leaf development. notice at the growing inter nodes of the plants, flower buds have started to develop
photo was taken on march 13, 2009 just 12 days after transplanting.

the above photo was clicked at night, hence the slight drooping of leaves in the absence of light.

here bhendi is successfully grown without soil.

all photos and data by pritham dsouza. to view photos in original size, click on photo to enlarge

Okra cultivation in monsoon season ( slope terracing)

Cultivation of orka is also carried out in the monsoons, but in places where excess rainfall is seen, certain techniques and methods must be adopted to cultivate it on a profit basis. The following slope terrace method is adopted at padval agriculture and farm enterprises & the results can be seen

LAND SELECTION AND PREPARATION

The most important criteria here is selection of the land. As we are going to adopt slope terrace method, the selected land must be a hillock.

selection of land & making rows

After the first monsoon showers, land becomes ready to cultivate. Wide rows are made, measuring a width of 60 to 75 cm. the distance between the rows have to be maintained at a much higher level. Up to 80 cm distance between rows are seen.

photo shows the width of each row

3 to 5 loads of farm yard manure or fresh compost is added to the soil & mixed properly. Weeds, big stones etc must be removed completely. Raised beds or ridges are made where the seeds have to be sown.

The seeds are dibbled by hand over the raised beds made in each row. Due to the monsoon, the soil will become sticky & care should be taken to see that the seed is properly dibbled in the soil. Seeds should be sown at a depth of min 2 inches.

GERMINATION AND RE SEEDING

The seeds will germinate late, sometimes after 7 to 10 days after sowing. Climate and temperature play an important factor in germination. When the soil temperature is low, germination will not take place. Also other factors like ants, nematodes attack the seeds in the soil

sowing the seeds when field conditions have received first rains

For ants, it is advised to mix 2 spoons of turmeric powder with the seeds before sowing.

For nematodes & soil pathogens, carbofuran granules are added in the ridges where the seeds are to be sowed.

germination seen on 10th day after sowing

In most cases, due to excess rainfall, the seeds will not germinate properly. In many cases only 50 percent of the seeds will germinate. Germination percentage of less than 40 percent is also reported. Without wasting much time, re sowing must be done in the gaps where the seeds have not germinated. if this process is delayed, then inter culture operations become difficult as the plants will not have uniform age.

THINNING OUT & FERTILIZER REQUIREMENT

More seeds must be sowed as the percentage of germination during rains in greatly affected. If the germination is much above normal, thinning out of the seedlings must be done. Here, diseased, infected or weak seedlings must be removed. Spacing between the plants must be maintained at 45 cm .

plant growth after first inter culture operation & fertilizer application

Addition of complex fertilizers is not required during sowing, but 15 days after germination, NPK can be applied.

When the plant attains 3 leaf stage, foliar sprays of organic manures is highly recommended. Leaf weevils are major pest when the plant is young. Insect repellants like neem oil & other solutions which are available in the market must be used.

crop seen after 30 days from first day of sowing

Organic sprays such as biovita and others must be sprayed at an interval of 15 days. This will help the plant get the much needed micro nutrients & trace minerals which are lacking in complex NPK.

Fungal infestation is the highest during the rains. When the intensity of rain increases, the young leaves get damaged & get infected by various types of fungus causing loss in yield. To check this it is recommended to spray the crop with systemic fungicides at an interval of 15 days and contact fungicides at an interval of 7 days. 2 to 3 gram per litre water is recommended

crop after 45 days after sowing. flowering is seen

It is highly advised to spray insecticides or fungicides with a suitable wetting agent. This will make the spray concentrate more wet and sticky to the leaf surface, ensuring good absorption by the plants.

HARVESTING

Unlike in summer crops, here monsoon okra will show delayed flowering & fruit setting. Sunlight which is a necessary factor for plants to synthesize their own food is a limiting factor here. However when conditions remain favorable flowering is seen at around 60 days after first day of sowing & will continue for a period of 45 days.

fruit setting seen & workers harvesting fruits

Harvesting the fruits is generally done every alternate days, but uniform length of the fruits can be seen during harvesting especially in the rains.

Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza

okra ladies finger vegetable farming

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) or ladies finger Is a popular annual vegetable grown in tropic & subtropics. Tender green fruits are cooked in curry & soup. The seeds are also rich in edible oils & protein. The oils extracted from the seeds are used in making soap, various cosmetics. The proteins in the seeds are used as supplements in feed fortification.

LAND PREPARATION & SOIL

The roots have a well developed tap root system & so it is recommended to grow okra in well drained , humid, rich soils containing good amounts of organic content. Loose , friable soils are best suited.

The land selected should be free from weeds & clods & other formations should be pulverized. Sowing is done either by seed drill or hand dibbling.

above photo shows okra seedlings after 7 days from date of sowing

The seeds are sowed on ridges & spacing between the plants on each ridge should be around 45 cm. the distance between each row of ridges should be at least 75 cm. the land has to be thoroughly plowed as tiny stones & clods have a detrimental effect on germination.

Organic manure should be mixed well in the soils and carbofuran granules must be added to prevent soil nematodes from eating the seeds. This will help the germinating seeds for a period of 3 weeks.

above photo shows the okra plot 15 days after first day of sowing

The seeds have a strong seed coat & this can be broken by soaking the seeds in water/curds overnight.

MANURING

Organic manure during sowing the seeds is a must. Application of fresh compost manure, which is not decayed properly will cause more harm than good as the ammonia released in the fresh manure will destroy the young emerging seedlings. Application of complex fertilizers like NPK is done in split doses. When the seedling reaches 4 to 6 leaf stage , earthing up & other interculture operations are done. Here adding organic manures along with NPK can be done.

organic manure being added

manure added to either side of the rows



decayed organic manure is safer to use as it will not have toxic gases


after application, top dressing is done, soil is again heaped near the base of the plant

Manuring during the most crucial flowering stage has to be monitored properly. The final dose of complex NPK and organic manure can be given at this time. Foliar sprays can be given at all stages of crop development .

WATERING

Watering has to be done immediately after seeds are sowed. Maintaining the soil moisture is very important at every stage. Generally watering is done every 3 days, when field conditions are normal. Under high temperature conditions, watering every alternate days in done. Ridge system of irrigation is better than flooding.

During monsoon watering is not required as the soil will have adequate mositure. Even though it can tolerate moderate to heavy rainfall, excess rainfall will damage the crops.

Moisture stress during flowering will have a great impact on the development and quality of the fruits.

INTERCULTURE OPERATIONS

After germination of the seeds, thinning out is done. Plant population & plant density can be maintained here with thinning out. In places where seeds have not germinated, it is recommended to immediately sow seed rather than transplant from another area. Even though transplanting has worked in many cases, it is not followed as it is time consuming & laborous & the percentage of success is also very low.

top dressing , earthing up of soil, application of manure.

the above photo shows crop development after 2 weeks of adding manure

Weeding is the most laborous of inter culture operations in orka. But it has to be done repeatedly . weeds directly compete with the growing crop for nutrients, space & water. The time of sowing, weeds must be removed , and when application of manures during the later stages of crop develpoment, weeds have to be removed.

Some okra varieties show lateral branching. However pruning is not done.

The main crop loss is due to MOSAIC VIRUS where the plants start to turn bright yellow and results in death of the plant. Since there is no cure for virus, only prevention can be done.

Since it is transmitted by whitefly, which act as vectors, spraying with dimethoate @ 2 ml per litre at an interval of every 10 days is followed. Strong concentrations of insect repellants like neem extracts @10-15ml per litre can also be applied as foliar spray.

Plants which already have yellow mosaic should be uprooted & burnt at some distance.

photo shows leaf damaged by hairy caterpillars

Another serious pest is the presence of hairy caterpillars. The adults leave the eggs on the under side of the leaf & the larve when they hatch feed on the leaves in a gregarious fashion. Here CHLOROPYRIPHOS@ 2 ml per litre can be sprayed at an interval of 15 days.

hairy caterpillars infested plant

HARVESTING

Different varieties have different days of fruit formation. ARKA ANAMIKA which is a very popluar variety shows flowering from the 50^th day of sowing.

Harvesting must be done using gloves or cloth as the tiny hairs on the plant & fruit can have an allergic effect to some. Harvesting should be done every alternate day to avoid smaller fruits & tender fruits from being plucked.

flowering and fruit formation seen

fruit and flower buds

hybrid variety okra

a typical okra field

The crop can be retained for over 2 months & yields of about 100 quintals per hectare have been recorded.

Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza