Soil –
Well drained, light fertile loam soil with moisture holding capacity is ideal. pH 6-7.
Climate –
Long, warm growing season, frost free for 4-5 months is ideal. In tropical southern
India the crop is raised during winter months (August – December) with temperature of 21ºC
at night & 27 ºC in day.
Optimum temperature for seed germination is 18-24 ºC.
Prepare 10 -12 beds of 7 m long, 1.2 m wide and 15 cm height.
Apply 15 – 20 kg well decomposed compost and 500 g of 15:15:15 NPK complex
fertilizer to each bed 15 to 20 days before sowing.
Sow the seeds in rows 10 cm apart at 0.5 cm deep.
Prepare the main field to a fine tilth.
Add FYM 20 to 25 t/ha before last ploughing
35 – 40 days old seedlings are ready for transplanting
Hills: 45 x 45 cm
Plains: 60 x 45 cm
Time of application N P K
Basal dose 60 100 60
Top dress 3 weeks after
transplanting 20 0 20
Top dress 6 weeks after
transplanting 40 0 40
Total 120 100 120
Pests
1) Mites: Apply wet able sulphur 2 kg / ha
2)Nematode: Apply carbofuran 3G in soil @ 25 kg /ha
1)Damping off : Drenching the beds with metalaxyl MZ @ 0.1 %
2)Anthracnose: Seed treatment with carbendazim (2 g / kg seed) and spray with mancozeb 2 g/lit.
3)Fruit rot : Spray copper oxychloride @ 2.5 g/lit.
4)Powdery mildew : Spray wettable sulphur @ 0.3%
5)Chilli leaf curl complex : Sorghum leaf extract @ 5.0% + dicofol 2.5 ml /l