Cultivation - Life Cycle of Okra
Description:
Hi, welcome to Tutorialspoint. In this tutorial, we will learn about the cultivation process of Okra crop. Okra has different names in different languages. In Hindi, it is called Bhindi. It is commonly knows as Ladies Finger. The botanical name of Okra is Abelmoschus Esculentus and it belongs to the family Malvaceae.
Okra Plant is a perennial, semiwoody, fibrous, and herbaceous plant with an indeterminate growth habit. The plant grows 3-6 feet in height. The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad, alternate, and palmate with small stipules.
Okra grows annually in temperate climatic conditions. It is widely cultivated in the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. It reaches maturity in 50 to 65 days. Okra crop is highly susceptible to frost. The ideal temperature for the cultivation of okra crop is 25oC to 33oC. The seeds fail to germinate below 20oC.
The different stages involved in the cultivation process of Okra crop are −
- Land preparation
- Drip irrigation arrangement
- Seed sowing
- Weeding and intercultural operations
- Pest and disease management
- Flowering and fruit formation stages
- Harvesting
- To control fruit borers, spray pesticide Azadirachtin.
- To control white fly and Aphids, spray Dimethoate.
- To control leafhoppers, pesticide Thiamethoxam can be sprayed. Ash weevil can be controlled with the application of Carbofuran 3G @ 12 kgs/ha.
- Application of Carbofuran 3G @ 1 kgs/ha or Phorate 10G @ 1 kg/ha and Neem cake @ 400 kg/ha while sowing in furrows along with fertilizers will control the nematode attacks.
- To control Powdery mildew, fungicide Bavistin can be used and Damping off can be controlled by drenching the soil with Dithane M 45.
- To control Fusarium, fungicide Karathane can be sprayed.
- To control Cercospora leaf spot, spray fungicide Zineb.
Let us now see how the land is prepared for the cultivation of Okra crop.
Land Preparation
Okra crop can be grown on a wide range of soil types, although rich, sandy loam soils are best suitable. The soil where the crop is to be cultivated should be well-drained and not clogged with water. The crop is slightly sensitive to excess soil acidity and the optimum soil pH range for okra is 6.0 to 7.0. The optimum soil temperature for germination is 24 to 32oC.
Plough the land 4 - 5 times to attain 10 to 20 cms depth into the soil. Chisel plough can be used to attain this depth. Apply FYM, neem cake, super phosphate and Furadon during the last ploughing.
Level the soil with clod crusher. Levelling is followed by arranging drip irrigation system for the field.
Let us now see how to arrange drip irrigation for the field.
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly into the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. Overhead irrigation wets the plants but produces runoff. In contrast, drip irrigation is a controlled irrigation method. It works by exposing the roots to a direct supply of water. Drip irrigation system releases water in a slow and steady fashion and a controlled amount of water is supplied to the plants at regular intervals.
We will now see how the seeds are sown in the drip irrigated field.
Seed Sowing
Seed treatment with fungicide Bavistin powder reduces the possibility of soil borne fungal infections. Seeds are sown with a spacing of 25 x 60 cms. 3.5 to 5.5 kgs of seeds are required per 1 hectare. The seed rate varies with the percentage of germination, spacing and season.
January to March and June to August are considered best for the sowing of seeds. The seeds are dibbled into the soil up to a depth of 5cms. Immediate irrigation after seed sowing allows the seeds to germinate in 4 to 5 days.
Along with okra crop, weeds also grow. Removal of weeds is an important practice in the cultivation process of Okra crop.
Weeding
The harvesting of Okra consumes time; hence, weed control is a critical cultural operation in the cultivation of Okra. Weeding, thinning and earthing up are a few important cultural operations in the cultivation process of okra crop. Earthing up in the rows should be done for the rainy season crop. Application of herbicides for controlling weeds in okra has been found effective. Herbicide application should be integrated with one hand weeding on the 30th day after sowing. Spraying of weedicide Fluchoralin 1-2 liters per hectare effectively controls the weeds. Shallow rooted inter row cultivation and hand weeding minimizes the weeds in inter row zone.
Pest and disease management
The major pest that attack the Okra crop are Fruit borers, White fly, Aphids, Leafhopper, Ash weevil, and Nematode.
The major diseases that can attack okra crop are Powdery mildew, Damping off, Fusarium Wilt, Cercospora Leaf Spot, Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus.
Removal and destruction of virus affected plants and planting of disease resistance varieties reduces the Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus disease incidence. Spray systemic insecticides like Methyl Demeton or Dimethoate @ 2 ml / l to kill the insect vector, whitefly.
Flowering and fruit formation stage
The flowers are 4–8 cm in diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The flowers have pale yellow to thick yellow color, and are funnel shaped and resemble hibiscus flowers with the throat of the flower in heavy maroon. The stalk which supports the flower is called a peduncle. The stalk, which carries a cluster of flowers, is a pedicel.
The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cms long with pentagonal cross-section, containing numerous seeds. Mature pods burst open, releasing round, very hard, dark-green or brown seed. When one pod is harvested, another one grows in its place.
Harvesting and Yield
The okra plant reaches maturity in 50 to 65 days where the first harvest will be ready about 2 months after planting. The plants can produce for 20 to 22 weeks.
Pods first appear at the base of the plant and grow upwards.
Pods are ideal for harvesting when 10 to 12cm long; they get very tough and stringy if allowed to stay on the plant. Large okra pods will tend to be tough and fibrous; the crop should be harvested every two days. Handling of okra should be done carefully because the pods get bruised easily.
The average yield varies from 5 to 7 tones/ha in summer and 8-10 tones/ha in the rainy season.