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Okra / Bhendi
Botanical Name – Abelmoschus esculentus  
Family – Malvaceae

Importance

• Okra is low in calories but packed full of nutrients. 
• The vitamin C in okra helps support healthy immune function.
• Okra is also rich in vitamin K, which helps your body clot blood.
• Antioxidants are natural compounds that help your body fight off molecules called free radicals that can damage cells.

Varieties

1.Punjab no.13: 

• Developed by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
• It is suitable for cultivation in spring as well as in summer.
• Fruits are of light green color and of medium size.
• It is susceptible to yellow vein mosaic virus.

2.Punjab Padmini:

• Developed by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
• Fruits are quick growing, hairy and of dark green color.
• Ready to harvest within 55-60days after sowing.
• It is tolerant to yellow vein mosaic virus.
• Gives average yield of 40-48qtl/acre.
• 3.Punjab 7: 
• It is resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus, jassid and boll worm.
• Fruits are dark green, medium in size.
• Gives average yield of 40qtl/acre.

4.Punjab 8: 

• Developed from Pusa Sawani.
• Fruits are of dark green color and 15-16 cm long at time of harvesting.
• It is tolerant to yellow vein mosaic virus and resistant to fruit borer.

5.Punjab Suhavani:

• It gives an average yield of 49qtl/acre.
• It has dark green color fruits and is tolerant to yellow mosaic virus. 

Other States Varieties:

Pusa Mahakali: Developed by IARI, New Delhi. Its fruits are of light green color.

6.Parbhani Kranti: 

• Fruits are medium long with good keeping quality.
• It is tolerant to yellow vein mosaic virus.
• Ready to harvest in 120 days.
• Gives average yield of 40 to 48qtl/acre.

7.Pusa Sawani: 

• It is developed by IARI, New Delhi.
• Suitable for cultivation in summer and rainy season.
• Ready to harvest within 50 days.
• Fruits are dark, green and 10-12cm long at time of harvesting.
• It is susceptible to yellow vein mosaic virus.
• Gives average yield of 48-60qtl/acre.
  
  8.Arka Anamika: 
• Developed by IIHR, Banglore.
• It is resistant to yellow mosaic virus.
• It give average yield of 80qtl/acre

Hybrid
COBhH 1, COBhH 3 and Bhendi Hybrid CO 4
Soil and Climate

Soil –

• Okra can be cultivated in wide range of soil.
• The ideal soil for okra cultivation is sandy loam to clay loam with rich organic matter and better drainage facility.
• If proper drainage is available it can grow well in heavy soils.
• The pH of soil should be 6.0 to 6.5.
• Do not cultivate crop in alkaline, saline soils also in poor drainage capacity soils.

Climate – 

• It is a crop of tropical and sub tropical climates requiring a long warm and humid growing season.
• It is susceptible to frost and cannot thrive well in cold.
• Seeds fail to germinate below 20°C.
• Optimum temperature for seed germination is 29° C.

Season of Sowing

Time of sowing

• In north it is cultivated in rainy and spring season.
• In rainy season, it is sown during June-July and for spring season it is cultivated in February – March.

Seed Rate

Seed Rate

• For rainy season crop (June – July) used seed rate of 4-6kg / acre with spacing of 60×30 cm for branching varieties and 45×30 cm for non-branching varieties.
• Upto mid-February used seed rate 15-18 kg /acre and for sowing in march used seed rate 4-6 kg /acre.  

Seed Treatment

Seed Treatment

• Seed germination can be enhanced by soaking the seeds in water for 24hours.
• Seed treatment with Carbendazim will protect seeds from attack of soil born fungus.
• For that soak seeds in Carbendazim solution@2gm/Ltr of water for 6 hours and dry them in shades.
• Then immediately complete sowing. 
• For better germination and also to protect crop from soil born disease, treat seed with Imidacloprid@5ml per 1Kg seed followed by treatment with Trichoderma viride@ 4gm /kg seeds.

Spacing

Spacing
Row to row spacing should be 45 cm is recommended and plant to plant distance is 15-20 cm..
 
Sowing Depth
Plant seed at depth of 1-2 cm.

Method of sowing
For sowing dibbling method is used.  

Irrigation

• Pre sowing irrigation should be given in summer season crop to ensure good germination if sufficient moisture is not present in soil.
• The next irrigation is given after seed germination.
• Then the field is irrigated after 4 to 5 days in summer and 10 to 12 days in rainy season.

Application of Fertilizers

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

• Apply well decomposed cow dung@120-150qtl as basal dose.
• Overall okra crop required Nitrogen@36kg per acre in form of Urea@80kg/acre. Apply half dose Nitrogen at time of sowing and remaining after first picking of fruits.  
• To obtain good yield, 10-15days after sowing take spray of 19:19:19 along with [email protected] to 3gm/Ltr of water.
• Repeat the spray of 19:19:19@4-5gm/Ltr of water 10-15days after first spray.
• To obtain good flowering and fruiting, take spray of 00:52:34@50gm/10Ltr water at before onset of flowering followed by another during fruit formation stage.
• To increase yield and to obtained good quality, at fruit development stage spray with 13:00:45 (Potassium Nitrate)@100gm/10Ltr of water.

Hybrids
Basal dose FYM @ 40 t / ha, N @ 100 kg, P @ 100 kg and K @ 100 kg/ha as basal
and 100 kg N / ha 30 at days after sowing.
Foliar Nutrition

• 1 % urea (10 g/l) + muriate of potash (10 g/l) on 30 and 45 days after planting.
• For hybrids, foliar application of water soluble fertilizer 19-19-19 three times @ 0.5% (5 g/l) at 10 days interval from 30 days after planting.

Weed Control

• Weeding is done to control the growth of weeds in okra.
• Earthing up in the rows should be done in rainy season crop.
• First weeding is done after 20-25 days of sowing and second weeding is done after 40-45 days of sowing.
• Application of Fluchoralin 48%@1 liter per acre or Pendimethalin@1ltr/acre or [email protected]/acre is used as pre-emergence herbicide for controlling weeds in Bhindi is found an effective method.

Plant Protection

1)Shoot and Fruit borer : Earias vitella, E. insulana

Symptoms-

• The insect larvae bore into the shoots during vegetative growth resulting in drooping of affected shoots.
• In later stages bored fruits have larvae inside and filled with excreta.

Management-

• Destroy infested parts.
• If pest population is high, spray Spinosad@1ml/Ltr water or Chlorantraniliprole 18.5%SC (Coragen) @7ml/15Ltr of water or Flubendiamide@50ml/acre added in 200Ltr water.

2) Blister beetle : 

Symptoms-

The beetle feed on pollen, petals and flower buds.
Management-

• If infestation is observed, collect and destroy adults and take spray of Carbaryl@ 800 gm /150Ltr of water 
• Malathion@ 400 ml /150 Ltr of water or
• Cypermethrin@ 80 ml per 150 Ltr of water is effective.

3) Aphid : Aphis gossypii

Symptoms-

• Colony of aphids on young leaves and fruits can be seen.
• Adult and nymphs, both suck the sap thus weaken the plant.
• In severe infestation, they cause curling and deformation of young leaves..

Management:

• Spray any one of the following insecticides (500 l spray fluid/ha)
  • Malathion 50 EC 1.25 ml /l.
  • Imidacloprid 200 SL at 100 ml/ha
  • Dimethoate 30 EC 2.0 ml/l.
  • NSKE 5%
• Monitoring the activities of the alate adult by setting up yellow sticky traps

4 .Shoot weevil: Alcidodes affaber

Symptoms of damage:

• Grub feed on stem and galls are formed in the stem and petiole
• Adults feed on leaf buds and terminal shoots

Management:

• Soil application of Carbofuran 3 G at 30 kg/ ha on 20 DAS and earthed up.
• Basal application of FYM 25 t/ha or 250 kg/ha of neem cake.

5.Stem weevil: Pempherulus affinis

Symptoms of damage:

• Grub feed on stem and galls are formed in the stem and petiole
• Adults feed on leaf buds and terminal shoots

Management:

• Soil application of Carbofuran 3 G at 30 kg/ha on 20 DAS and earthed up.
• Basal application of FYM 25 t/ha or 250 kg/ha of neem cake.

7.Semilooper: Anomis flava

Symptoms of damage:

• Caterpillar fed on the leaves
• Defoliation

Management:

• Spray phosalone 35 EC @ 2ml/lit.

8.Whitefly: Bemisia tabaci

Symptoms of damage:

• Chlorotic spots on the leaves which latter coalesce forming irregular yellowing of leaf tissue
• Development of sooty mold
• Vector of yellow vein mosaic virus

Management:

• Spray any of the following insecticide
  • Phosalone 35 EC @ 2.5 l/ha
  • Quinalphos 25 EC @ 2.0 l/ha
  • Triazophos 40 EC @ 2.0 l/ha

9 Jassids: Amrasca devastans

Symptoms of damage:

• Tender leaves become yellow
• The margin of the leaves start curling downwards and reddening sets in
• In the case of severe infestation leaves get a bronze which is typical “hopper burn” symptom

Management:

Spray any one of the following insecticides (spray fluid 500 l/ha)

• Imidacloprid 200 SL at 100 ml/ha
• Methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml/ha
• Dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml/ha
• NSKE 5%

10.Red cotton bug: Dysdercus cingulatus

Symptoms of damage:

• Infested seeds become discoloured and shrivelled

Management:

• Conserve the biocontrol agent Harpactor costalis predaceous on nymph and adult
• Spray phosphamidon 40 SL @ 600 ml/ha

Nutritional Deficiency

Diseases

1) Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus:

Symptoms-

• The characteristic symptom of this disease is homogenous interwoven network of yellow veins.
• Growth of the plant gets affected and they remain stunted.
• Fruits also give yellow appearance with small size and tough texture.
• It causes yield losses up to 80-90%.
• This disease is spread due to white fly and leaf hopper.

Management-

• Use resistant varieties for cultivation.
• Remove and destroyed diseased plants away from field.
• To control white fly take spray of Dimethoate@300ml/200Ltr of water.

2) Powdery mildew: 

Symptoms-

• White powdery growth is observed on young leaves and also on fruits.
• In severe condition premature defoliation and fruit drop is observed.
• Fruit quality get deteriorated and they remain small in size.

Management-

• If infestation is observed in field, take spray of Wet table Sulphur 25 gm /10 Ltr of water or
• Dinocap@ 5 ml /10 Ltr of water, 4 times at 10 days interval or
• Tridemorph@5 ml or Penconazol@10 ml /10 Ltr of water for 4 times with 10 days interval.

3) Cercospora leaf spot: 

Symptoms-

• Spots of grayish centre and red borders appears on the leaves.
• In case of severe infestation, defoliation occurs.

Management-

• To avoid future infection do seed treatment with Thiram.
• If infestation of disease is observed in field, take spray of Mancozeb@4gm/Ltr or Captan@2gm/Ltr or Carbendazime@2gm per Ltr of water. Or
• Give two – three foliar spray of Difenoconazole/[email protected]/Ltr of water.

4) Root rot :

Symptoms-

Infested roots become dark brown in color and plant die in case of severe infestation.

Management-

• Avoid monocropping and follow crop rotation.
• Before sowing do seed treatment with [email protected] per kg of seed.
• Drench the soil with Carbendazim solution@1gm/Ltr of water.

5) Wilt: 

Symptoms-

• In wilt disease, initially older leaves turn yellow followed by complete wilting of crop.
• It can attack crop at any stage.

Management-

If infestation is observed, Drench with Carbendazim@10gm/10Ltr water around root zone.

 
Nematode Management
Application of carbofuran 3G 1 kg a.i /ha or neem cake @400 kg/ha at sowing in
furrows along with fertilizers
Harvesting

• The fruits are ready to harvest after 60 to 70 days of sowing.
• Small and tender fruit should be harvested.
• The fruits should be harvested in the morning and evenings.
• Delay in harvesting may make the fruits fibrous and they lose their tenderness and taste. 

Post Harvesting

• Okra has short shelf life and cannot be stored for longer time.
• The okra fruit should be stored at 7-10°C and 90% relative humidity to increase the shelf life.
• For local markets the fruits are filled in jute bags, whereas for distant markets the fruits are packed in perforated paper cartons.

Yield

• Rainy season crop gives 120 -150 quintal/ha.
• Summer crop gives 80 -100 quintal/ha. Duration is 100 & 90 days respectively.

Market Information

Crop Growing districts:             Vellore, Salem, Coimbatore, Dindigul
Major markets in Tamil Nadu: Periyar Vegetable Market Koyambedu, Chennai Gandhi Market, Oddanchathiram Natchipalayam vegetable                                                               market, Coimbatore
Grade Specification:                    Light green or dark green, hairy or tender smooth surface, 5-ridged and remain tender for a longer period,                                                                 medium length.