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OKRA
(Abelmoschus esculentus)
It
is a tropical direct sown vegetable with a duration
of 90-100 days. This crop belongs to the family Malvaceae.
A well drained deep soil is ideal for its growth . Optimum
temperature range is 25-30 0C..
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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)
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The three main planting seasons for Okra are February-March,
June-July and October-November.
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.
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Give
pre-sowing irrigation, if soil is not moist enough.
During summer, irrigate at intervals of 2 to 3 days.
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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.
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Conduct
weeding regularly and earth up rows during rainy season.
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.
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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.
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The
crop comes to harvest 45 days after sowing. Since the
pods get matured very quickly, the selection of pods
with maximum size but still tender is the point to be
considered. A total number of 15-18 harvests can be
made
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Not Available
10-15 tonnes/ha.
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