OKRA MONA (ADVANTA)

Cultural Practices Okra
Season	Wet Season : May-July Spring / Winter : Oct-Dec Summer Season : Feb-March
Temperature	i) Okra is susceptible for Frost.  ii) Day Temperature above 42 C may lead to flower & bud dropping. iii) Optimum temperature for seed germination 25 -30 C & do not germinate or 0 Prolong germination below 17 C.
Nursery	Direct Sowing
Soil & Land Preparation	i) Well drained manured sandy loam soils are ideal for the best cultivation.  ii) Ideal pH : 6.5-7.5  iii) Deep Ploughing & Harrowing (expose the soil to hot sun for 10-15 days in summer season) & keep the soil weed free to reduce soil pathogen as well as to reduce secondary host for sucking pest. iv) Apply 25 tonnes of well decomposed FYM/ha fallowed by harrowing to mix in the soil.  v) Prepare ridges & furrows.  vi) Apply the fertilizer as per the recommendations. vii) Irrigate the field a day prior of sowing. viii) Dibble one seeds / hill & irrigate the field immediately for quick & better establishment. ix) Spray the pre-emergent weedicide of pendimethalin @ 30% EC for controlling the primary weeds immediate after the sowing (best results before 36 hours).
Seed Rate	i) 3.75-5.0 kg / ha (one seed/hill) - 60X30 cm spacing ii) 10-12 kg/ha - For high density spacing (30X5 cm)
Irrigation	Irrigate as & when required based on the soil type & the local practices.
Spacing	i) Row to Row : 60 cm & Plant to Plant : 30 cm ii) High Density (North India) - Row to Row : 30 cm & Plant to Plant : 5 cm
Fertilizer Kg/Acre	i) Fertilizer application varies with soil fertility.  ii) NPK: 150:100:100 kg/ha  iii) Basal dose:38:100:33 NPK kg/ha th  iv) First top dressing: 38:0:33 NPK kg/ha at 30 day th v) Second top dressing: 38:0:33 NPK kg/ha at 60 day th vi) Third top dressing: 38 N kg/ha at 90 day vii) Use Zinc & Mg as micro nutrients at basal application viii) Earthing up is suggested after applying of fertilizer at all the stages & followed irrigation.
Note	i) Apply Magnesium Sulphate 5 kg up to from 30 to 60 days after planting once in a week.  ii) Adjust qty of N as per the crop growth iii) Use only white colour MOP iv) Total requirement of nutrients is inclusive of basal dose uptake  v) Prescribed schedule recommendations are guidelines only; response of these recommendations depends on several factors which may be beyond our control, subject to change depending on situations.
Flower Initiation	35 DAS
1st Picking	42 - 45 DAS
Growth Regulator	i) Cycocel @ 100 ppm / Lehosin @ 500 ppm at 5-6 leaf stage - to check excess growth during rainy season apply the same before flowering for seed production / size; ii) To enhance growth during winter & germination- GA3 @100 ppm
Yield T/ha	25-30 MT
Avg. per Fruit Weight (g)	8-12 g (depending upon the market & consumer requirement)
No. of Fruits Per Plant	Average 40 – 60
Major Impediment	YVMV (Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus) & ELCV (Enation Leaf Curl Virus) - Vector: White fly, other issues in Okra Pod Borer, Powdery mildew & May in future wilt will be an emerging issues in okra
Remedies / Control Mmeasures	i) Set up yellow sticky trap to monitor whitefly population (Yellow polythene sheet painted with sticky gum or grease (3 feet x 2 feet size & 1.5 feet above the ground)  ii) Drenching of Saaf @ 1% to avoid the soil borne diseases iii) At 10 DAS (Days After Sowing) spray Lancer gold @ 500 g/acre is recommended & should start when true leaves emerge out on the plant this is mainly to control miners & cutworms (this will help us to save the young seedlings)  iv) At 20 DAS spray Saaf @ 300g/acre  v) At 25 DAS Balraj (Lamda cyhalothrin) @ 200 ml/acre or Lancergold @ 500 g / acre or Viraat (Quinalphos 20 + Cyper3) @ 350 ml/ acre, vi) At 40 DAS spray Lancergold @ 500g/acre or thiamethoxam @ 40 g / acre or Acetamiprid @ 30 g / acre to control sucking pest, vii) At 45 DAS spray Saaf @ 400 g/acre to restrict the foliar diseases viz., leaf spots & blight, viii) At 55 DAS spray Lancergold @ 500 g/acre or Balraj (Lamda Cyhalothrin) @ 200 ml/acre for controlling sucking pest & fruit borer as well  ix) At 70 DAS spray Lancergold @ 500 g/acre or Acetamiprid @ 30 g/acre. Continue the sprays mainly to control sucking pest based on the pest infestation & crop duration.
Harvesting	i) Tender fruits of 8-12 cm length to be harvested for the best market acceptability ii) Delayed harvesting leads to poor quality due to drudge fibre & may the fruit become unmarketable
No. of Pickings	Average 40-60 (alternate days)
Key Points	YVMV & ELCV can be controlled by controlling whiteflies & advisable to use highly tolerant F1 Hybrids to the YVMV & ELCV Viz, F1 Hybrids are: 1 Venus Plus 2 Prince 3 Lavanya 4 Raadhika 5 Navya 6 Jaani 7 ADV 216
Care	i) To avoid YVMV infestation please Sowing 3 lines of Maize/Jowar around okra field which may prove beneficial for controlling YVMV ii) Use imidacloprid treated seeds iii) Don’t use systemic pyrethroid th th iii) Avoid excess use of N, Fibre formation in the fruit starts from the 5 - 6 day of th fruit formation and a sudden increase in fibre content from 9 day is observed
Export Standards	Dark green, tender, 6-8 cm in L, uniform shape & size
# of Seeds /g	13-15