A smart farmer only sows high yielding varieties with disease resistance to minimize spraying and with tolerance to abiotic stress such as drought

Transcription

1 High yielding vegetable varieties A smart farmer only sows high yielding varieties with disease resistance to minimize spraying and with tolerance to abiotic stress such as drought Vegetable remains an important source of income generation and constitutes a key source of micronutrients. The Victoria vegetable hybrids assure farmers of improved nutrition, food and income security because of their high yields and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Amaranthus Variety White Elma An indigenous vegetable with fast vegetative growth, ovate leaves maturing in 2-3 weeks. Seed rate of 2kgs per hectare is recommended. Planting can be done by broadcasting or drilling between rows with spacing at 20 cm 30 cm apart. CABBAGE Hybrids: Ramgo F1, New star cross F1, King of York Cross F1, Indica F1 OPV: Copenhagen market, Drumhead Copenhagen market is a widely adapted hardy variety producing flattish solid heads with a mean mass of 1.5 1kgs. Days of maturity days after transplant. Drumhead is popular under cool growing conditions producing flattish head with a mean mass of 1.5-2kgs. Days to maturity after transplant days King of York is resistant to heat and shows vigorous growing in hotter areas. Very early maturing and can be harvested days after transplant. Weighs 2-2.5kgs New star cross is suitable for growing all seasons Large flat round head tightly compressed and ready for market in 80 days after transplant. It weighs 1.5-2kgs Indica Ball type cabbage, medium maturity days, weighs kgs Planting Spacing 35cmx60cm (between rows) and plant depth of 20cm Management Soil preparation includes deep digging, mixing with composite or stable manure followed by fine tillage. Use NPK fertilizer for good vegetable growth. The crop should be kept free of weeds especially in the first two months. Mulching with straw is beneficial to growth. A regular supply of water is also required.

2 CARROT Chike variety has an excellent deep orange and small core in combination with hgh yield. It produces roots with smooth exteriors and it performs very well in wet condition. Seed rate: grammes per hectare direct sowing Planting: spacing 8cmx10cm (between rows) and plant depth 20mm. Seeds are sown often mixed with sand. Planting on raised beds i.e. ridges is very important. Seedlings should be earthed up when roots start swelling to keep them cool and prevent tip greening. In hot weather, light overhead shade is beneficial. Irrigation during dry spells is very important Fertilizer Requirement: Carrot requires high doses of potassium. Application of N: kg/ha, P: kg/ha, K: kg/ha is adequate i.e. 250 NPK per ha (20:10:10). NB. Fresh organic matter can be detrimental to a carrot crop Days to maturity: days Management: Carrots should be grown in tropical regions at altitudes above 1200mm. Soils should be well drained, fertile and of a sandy texture. Heavy clays may induce malformed to twisted roots and harvesting will be difficult. Crop rotation is essential to reduce soil borne diseases and pests. Mulching after sowing is recommended. Diseases and pests control: Leaf blights in carrots are controlled by spraying with fungicides. Root knot nematode control is by crop rotation and seedbed sterilization (Solarization, hot water application and use of Dusban) CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI Cauliflower Snowball Broccoli Sakura F1 Days to maturity from transplant: days Seed rate: gr per hectare for transplant and gr/ha direct sowing Planting: Spacing 45cm x 70cm (between rows) Management: Transplanting to the field should be done days after sowing in the nursery bed. Two to three of the outer leaves should be broken over the top of the head to shade it from the sun. Use NPK fertilizer before planting, another 2 or 3 N fertilizer dressing are applied later to stimulate good head formation. Use NPK: N:220kg/ha, P: 25 40kh/ha, K: kg/ha. Apply dolomite limestone, borax and ammonium molybdate to prevent physiological disorders like browning of heads. A regular water supply is required throughout the growing season but the mature plant stage and harvesting

3 should be planned as much as possible outside the rainy season. Young crop be kept free of weeds, Mulching is beneficial to growth. Disease control: Diseases are similar to those of cabbages in the tropics and controlled in the same way. CUCUMBER Hybrid: Kanene OPV: Ashley Kanene F1 is a very early maturing fresh market hybrid predominantly female flowering and produces medium long fruits cm long and 4 5 cm in diameter. Ashley is a fresh market variety wodely adapted with good resistance to Downy mildew. Fruit size of 19 cm x 6 cm. Days to maturity: Ashley, Kanene Seed rate: 1000gr of seed/ha for transplant and 2000gr for direct sowing Plant spacing: 40cm x 130cm (between rows) Management: Cucumber requires a warm climate with optimum temperature of 30 o C. Cucumber needs fair amount of water but it can t stand water logging. Soil should be fertile, well drained. Prepare a fine bed and raise the bed on which to plant to improve drainage. During soil preparation, incorporation of organic manure is required. Fertilizer requirement: 700kg/ha of NPK mixture, followed by N fertilizer in form of Urea, every 2-3 weeks Resistance: Kanene is resistant to downy mildew Diseases and Pests control: Use of disease resistant seed can prevent early disease infection. EGGPLANT AFRICAN EGGPLANT: Tessa Oval Egg, Cleo Tessa Oval bears big cream fruits and yields about 66 tonnes per hectare Cleo bears small fruits suitable for export market. It yields up to 42 tonnes per hectare. All varieities are tolerant to leaf curl and blight. Days to maturity from transplanting: 80 days

4 Seed rate: 300g/ha Spacing: 75cm x 50cm European Eggplant Hybrids: Janak, Runako, African Splendor OPVs: Black beauty, Early Long purple Janak F1 is a home garden fresh market hybrid with dark purple fruit. An early maturing prolific variety producing fruits weighing up to 500gms and plant is tolerant to bacterial wilt. Days to maturity is 70 days after transplant Runako F1 is a hybrid with wide adaptability. It has an erect plant habit with strong tolerance to bacterial wilt and long harvest period. Fruits are purple cylindrical long weighing gr. Days to maturity is days after transplant Black beauty is a fresh market variety. Tall bush plants produce oval deep globe fruit with a rich dark purple color and weighing g. Days to maturity is days after transplant Seed rate: 280g 300gr/ha for transplanting and g direct sowing Planting: Spacing 50cm x 75 (between rows) Management: Soils should be well prepared. A first watering at the base of each plant is necessary and afterwards the frequency of irrigation depends on the soil type and season. Weeding is necessary, particularly in a young crop. Soil which is too wet increase disease incidence. For phytosanitary reasons, planting eggplant after other solanaceous plants e.g. tomatoes and pepper should be avoided. Eggplant is a heavy feeder and for higher yields, fertilizers and manure requirements are large. Fertilizer recommendations for intensive production may include; 40tonnes of farmyard manure per hectare, which should be applied before transplanting. N.P.K; N kg/ha, P kg/ha, K kg/ha. Nitrogen content of oil should not be excessive to avoid the young plants developing excessive foliage to the detriment fruit production. KALE OPVs: Dara, Thousand headed Dara is a popular kale variety with vigorous growth prodcuging long large stems and pointed leaves. Due to its bolting tolerance, high yields of good quality can be obtained. It has very little breakage of leaves during transport. Days to maturity:40 days from transplant.

5 Thousand headed: A very strong upright plant with round blue-grey leaves. When lower, leaves harvested regularly can continue producing as stem elongates. Days to maturity: 60 days from transplant. Seed rate: 300g/ha for planting and g direct sowing Planting: 45cm x 65 cm (between rows) Management: Soil preparation includes deep ploughing with incorporation of 40 tons of organic matter. Before planting, apply fertilizer NPK, (15:15:15) at a rate of 500kg/ha, followed by top dressing with 150kg/ha of urea for good vegetable growth at four weeks. Planting on ridges during the wet season to improve drainage is recommended. The crop should be kept weed free especially in the first month. LEEK Italian Giant is a vigorous growing plant with thick white stem reaching a height of cm. Days to maturity: 150 days Seed rate: 2kg/ha on seed bed and 4kg/ha direct sowing Planting: spacing 10cm x 30cm (between rows) LETTUCE Great lakes: This produces bright glossy green heads Seed rate: 500g/ha and gr direct sowing Planting: Spacing 25cm x 40cm (between rows) Management: Seeds are sown in a shaded seedbed; the seedlings pricked out 2-3 weeks after emergence OKRA OPVs: Clemson spineless, Pusa Sawani, Anamika, Spear Clemson Spear Clemson is a remarkable variety totally resistant to the yellow Veinal Mosaic virus. A prolific yielder producing an average of 18.6 pods per plant. Fruit length of 11.4cm and fruit width of 1.9cm Clemson Spineless: This variety has open foliage. A leading variety for the fresh market with an average pod yield of 10 pods per plant and fruit length of 10cm Days to maturity: 55 days Seed rate: 5kg/ha

6 Plant spacing: 45-60cm x 60-90cm (Between rows) Management: Okra is very susceptible to damage by nematodes and Okra farmers should follow a rotation using crops such as grasses and small grains which prevent a buildup of nematode populations. Okra should not follow vine crops such as sweet potatoes. A well drained fertile soil is best for Okra production. Select soil with good water holding capacity. Diseases: Nematodes can cause serious losses in Okra. Root-Knot nematodes can be controlled by the use of approved nematicides. Okra requires a lot of nutrients to perform well. Use NPK 15:15:25 prior tp sowing. Top dress with urea during the vegetable phase at a rate of 100kg/ha one month after planting. Okra is sown directly. A good seed soil contact is essential for an even crop establishment. Mulching with dry grass induces the cool microclimate that is required during the early stages. Fertilizer recommendation: NPK N 50-60kg/ha, P 10-15kg/ha, K-20-30kg/ha. ONION OPVs: Yali, Red creole, Bombay Red Yali produces bulbs of medium size with a good red purple colour. Its main asset is its excellent storage ability of up to 4 months. Maturity in case of direct sowing is 100 days and transplanting 130 days. Yali doesn t bolt and is resistant to botrytis and pink root (a soil borne disease) Red Creole: It is a bright red high yielding variety with hard pungent flesh. Disease control: Pink root can be controlled by a 5 year rotation without Alliums species. Plant spacing: 5-8cm x 10cm between rows Seed rate: 4kg/ha and for direct sowing 7kgs. Management: Onions can grow on any well drained fertile soil. Adequate calcium nutrition is essential for good vegetative development and disease tolerance. Propagation and planting: Onions can be directly sown or sown in nurseries. About days after sowing, the young plants as thick as a pencil are transplanted at densities of plants/m 2. Fertilization should also contain enough sulphates. All the required P and K and half of N should be planted at planting time. Side dressing of the remaining half of N in form of Urea should be done as bulbing begins i.e. 150kg per ha. SWEET PAPER Hybrid Ganga, OPV California wonder A widely adapted variety for fresh market with continuous fruit se, vigorous plants 70-75cm high, fruit mass 110gr. It is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and stip.

7 Seed rate: 250g of seed/ha and 350gr direct sowing Planting: spacing 50cm x 80 cm between rows Days to maturity: after transplanting Management: Seed is sown in nursery beds first. Seedbeds should be protected against rain and direct sun. Transplants are planted days after sowing. Apply tons/ha of organic fertilizer e.g. manure. Use NPK at rates of N: 130kg/ha, P: 80kgs/ha, K: 110kg/ha. Split into a basal dressing plus some side dressing at intervals of 3-4 weeks. PUMPKINS Arjuna F1 is a hybrid. Fruit weighs about 3.5 kg and has a shelf life of 4-6 weeks. Its flesh is firm, yellow in colour and tastes excellent. Plants are very vigorous and the variety has an intermediate resistance to downy and powdery mildew. Days to maturity: Seed rate: 3-4 kg/ha Plant spacing: 2m x 2m Management: Pumpkins are not very demanding with respect to soil. They can be cultivated on almost any well drained soil. Seeds should be sown on raised beds. The crop responds well to farm manure. Fertilizer application: Use NPK; N: kg/ha, P: 20-40kg/ha, K: 40-80kg/ha. Some of the minerals can be applied. Disease control: Control alternaria leaf spot, gummy stem blight by use of healthy seed, removing debris, crop rotation and use of protective fungicides. SWISS CHARD Fordhook Giant Large, dark green crinkled leaves with broad glossy white ribs. Excellent flavor. Days to maturity: 55 days Seed rate: 10kg/ha direct sowing Plant spacing: 20 x 60 cm between rows Swiss chard is susceptible to nematodes, which can be controlled by crop rotation.

8 TOMATO OPVs: Heinz 1370, Moneymaker, Roma, Tnaya, Tengeru 97, Red Wonder, Red Desire. Red wonder, Red desire are indeterminate varieties suitable for industrial use. These varieties are resistant to early and late blight, with a long shelf life of 2-3 weeks at room temperature. Days to maturity from transplant: 90 days Spacing: 40 cm x 80 cm Hybrids: Makis, Tejas, Opal, Victoria F1, Josefina Makis F1 is a determinate variety ideal for areas where bacterial wilt pressure is high. It has an excellent fruit set in warm and humid conditions. Opal F1 is moderately vigorous indeterminate tomato variety suitable for areas with bacterial wilt and performs very well in both rainy and dry areas. Tejas F1 a determine hybrid with a vigorous and large plant type adapting well to a wide range of growing conditions. Fruit has good colour and can be used for both fresh market processing. Days to maturity: 90 cm x 45 cm Josefina F1 is an indeterminate cherry tomato variety suitable for fresh market. It performs well both in the dry and wet season and is tolerant to bacterial wilt. Days to maturity from transplant: 90 days Spacing: 40 x 80 cm Management: Tomatoes can be directly sown or transplanted in the field. Raising young transplants in the nursery enables growers to obtain uniform seedlings and to check ealr diseases and pests. Young seedlings require ample water to sustain good healthy growth. Seedlings are ready for transplanting when 3-4 weeks old. They should be thoroughly watered hours before they are lifted out of the seed bed to avoid excessive damage to roots. Transplanting should be done in the afternoon. Fertilizer for tomato should be fairly rich in phosphorous. Excess nitrogen is associated with excessive vegetative growth, fruit puffines and blossom end rot disease. Use NPK, N: kg/ha, P: kg/ha, K: kg/ha or 40 tons of farm yard manure per ha. All the required P, half N and half K should be applied at planting time. The remaining half of the required N and K should be side-dressed a month after transplanting. Control weeds by applying a pre-emergence herbicide i.e. Napropamide and Butralin before transplanting supplemented by manual weeding and mulching the beds with straw.

9 Crop rotation with non-solanaceous crops is recommended to reduce soil borne diseases and pests. Constancy of water supply plays a major role in attaining uniform maturity and reducing the incidence of blossom-end rot, a physiological disorder resulting from irregular water supply and the resulting calcium deficiency in the fruit during its enlargement. Note that for all indeterminate varieties, stakes of about 2m length should be used to prevent logging of plants and minimize occurrences of soil borne diseases. The plant should be staked when it is fully established after transplanting. Disease and Pest control: Use tolerant cultivars to reduce bacterial wilt, e.g. Makis and Tejas, from Victoria seeds Limited. Long term crop rotation e.g. with cereals. Control bacterial spot disease by using copper fungicides. Fungicides like Diathane M45, Milraz remain the only means to control early blight and late blight. Opal F1 cultivar is resistant to bacterial wilt and late blight. Root Knot nematodes invade tomato roots and cause galling. A rotation with non-hosts like amaranths, grasses and increasing the organic matter content of the soil will control the nematodes. WATERMELON Crimson sweet, Sugar baby Days to maturity: Seed rate: 2kg/ha for direct sowing only Plant spacing: 50 x 175cm between rows. Watermelon is directly seeded. A wide crop rotation of up to 4 years is essential to avoid damage by soil borne diseases and pests. The movement of the crop should be reduced to prevent plant damage. Apply manure at a rate of 40 tons per acre. Stems are trimmed to prevent excessively dense vegetative growth. Pests and disease control: Prevent Fusarium wilt by wide crop rotation of up to 6 years, ensuring good drainage and using tolerant varieities. Dithiocarbamates and organic fungicides can control anthracnose. Gummy stem blight can be controlled with fungicides. Insects/pests like thrips, aphids, fruit fly, cucumber beetle, red pumpkin beetle can be controlled by spraying with insecticides e.g. Ambush and Thionex.