Soil –
Red soil with good drainage facility and pH range of 6.5 ā 7.5. Clayey soils are not suitable for cultivation.
Climate-
Dry climate, with an annual rainfall of 70 cm is suitable.
2,000 kg tubers / ha. Tubers have to be treated with 0.1% carbendazim solution by soaking for half an hour to avoid tuber rot.
July-August
After ploughing the land, apply FYM @10t /ha
Pests
Lily caterpillar, Polytela gloriosae, Semilooper, Plusia signata, Tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura.
ļ· Spray neem seed kernel extract 5% or neem oil 3%
Leaf blight disease
The crop duration is 180 days and pods can be harvested when the colour starts
turning light yellow and when skin of the pods shrinks. After harvest, pods should be dried
for 2-3 days to facilitate separation of seeds from locule. The seeds are dried again under
open sun for 3-5 more days until the seed moisture maintains to 6-8 per cent. After drying,
sand, stone and other unwanted particles have to be removed and the healthy seeds should
be packed in bags.
400-500 kg dry seeds/ha and 1000 kg tubers/ ha/ year
1. Remove the infected plant debris from the field
2. Spray mancozeb @ 0.2% concentration or propiconazole (0.1% ) or hexaconazole (0.1% ) at the time of infection.
3. Four to five sprays may be given at 15 days interval for check the leaf blight severity in this crop
4. Spray 0.5 per cent ZnSO4 two times at fortnightly interval staring from 45th day after planting