Cultivation - Life Cycle of Coriander
Description:
Hi, welcome to Tutorialspoint. In this tutorial, we will talk about the cultivation process of coriander crop. Coriander is a leafy vegetable. It has different names in different languages. In Hindi, it is called dhaniya patta. The botanical name of coriander is Coriandrum Sativum; it belongs to the family Apiaceae.
Coriander is commonly grown in the tropical regions in India. The nativity of coriander can be traced to the Mediterranean region. Coriander is an annual herb, mainly cultivated for its fruits as well as for the tender green leaves.
It is a smooth, erect annual herb 30 to 70 cms high. The lower leaves are broad with crenate lobed margins, the upper leaves finely cut with linear lobes. The flowers of coriander are small, white or pink in compound terminal umbels. The fruits are – schizocarp, globular, yellow-brown, ribbed, 2 seeds. The ripe seeds are aromatic.
Let us now see the suitable climate requirements for the cultivation of coriander crop. Coriander can grow throughout the year under mild temperature conditions. The crop can tolerate frost and also warm weather. However, high temperature leads to premature bolting without producing economic yield. The best crop growth occurs between 15o to 20oC. Coriander can tolerate a minimum temperature of 10oC and a maximum of 32oC.
The stages involved in the cultivation process of coriander crop are −
- Land preparation
- Seed sowing
- Irrigation
- Weeding
- Pest and disease management
- Harvesting and yield
Let us now see how the land is prepared for the cultivation of coriander.
Land preparation
Coriander can grow in all types of soil. However, sandy loam soil is considered the most suitable. The crop can tolerate slightly alkaline soil; a pH of 7 neutral soils is sure to give better Yields. At the time of soil preparation, apply 25 tons of FYM, along with 50kg N/ha. Application of 25kg N/ha after each cutting followed by a light irrigation is required. The two equal doses of N/ha are given at the time of first and second harvesting. The soil is prepared by ploughing with country plough or chisel plough 4 to 6 times and then leveling by planking. The beds and irrigated channels are made before sowing seeds in the field.
Seed Sowing
To improve germination, seeds are soaked in water overnight before sowing. Sowing can be done either by broadcast method or by line sowing. Coriander grows throughout the year. The most suitable months for sowing are September and October in plains, and March to May in hilly regions. For winter crop, 10-15kg seed/ha and for summer crop 25-30kg/ha seed is required. Once seed sowing is complete, the entire field needs to be irrigated.
Let us now see the irrigation process in the coriander field.
Irrigation and weeding
At the onset, the land needs to be irrigated immediately after sowing. Seeds germinate and small coriander plants emerge out from the soil in 6 to 7 days. Coriander is a humidity loving plant. The rainy season crop does not require much irrigation. Irrigation is required at an interval of 4-6 days during summer and 10-12 days during winter. The cultivation of coriander also requires fertigation. Fertigation means allowing water-soluble fertilizers through irrigation. It helps in fulfilling the nutritional requirement of the crop thereby increasing the yield. Along with the coriander crop, weeds also grow. Generally, 2-3 hoeing cum hand weeding is required to control weeds. Weeding helps loosen soil and makes it ready for proper aeration.
Pest and disease management
The major pests that attack the coriander crop are Coriander Leaf Miner and Aphids. Diseases such as Downy Mildew, Damping off, Root Rot and Coriander Blight or Yellows also attack the coriander crop. We need to spray specific insecticides and fungicides to control the attacks by pests and diseases.
- To control coriander leaf miner, spray insecticide Azadirachtin.
- To control aphids, use sprays of insecticidal soaps.
- Spraying fungicide FOSETYL controls the downy mildew disease.
- Damping off disease can be controlled by spraying fungicide MEFENOXAM.
- Growing resistant varieties and cultivars is the only control method for Coriander Blight or Yellows disease.
Harvesting and yield
Coriander leaves can be picked when the plant is immature, i.e., only a few inches tall. Fresh tender leaves have better flavor. However, seeds ripen only after a long season say about 2 1/2 months before they are ready to be picked.
The crop will be ready for harvest in about 90 to 110 days depending upon the varieties and growing season. Harvesting has to be done when the fruits are fully ripe and start changing from green to brown color. There should not be any delay in harvesting as it might lead to shattering and splitting of the fruits. The plants are cut or pulled and poled into small stacks in the field. They are then beaten with sticks or rubbed with hands. The produce is winnowed, cleaned and dried in partial shade. After drying, the produce is stored in gunny bags lined with paper. The rain fed crop yields on an average 400 to 500 kg/ha and the irrigated crop 600 to 1200 kg/ha.