cultivation of leafy vegetables in nepal

1. Prepared by Bishwas kafle
kaflebishwas@gmail.com

2. Introduction
Leafy vegetables are sources of minerals and vitamins.
Dieticians recommended daily consumption of 100 – 120 gm
leafy vegetables for a balance diet. The important leafy
vegetables grown in Nepal are as follows:-
BLM
Spinch
Lettuce

3. Introduction
S.N Common name Botanical
name
Nepali name family
1 Broad leaved
mustard
Brassica juncea
var. rugosa.
Rayo sag crucifereae
2 Spinach Spinaceae
olreaceae.
Palungo Chenopodiceae
3 Fenugreek Fenugreek Methi Leguminaceae
4 Lettuce
Lactuca sativa. Jiri ko sag
Compositeae

4. Importance

5. Broad leaf mustard
Climate:It is a winter crop from terai to the mid hills where
as it is a summer crop for the high hills. It can tolerated frost
and snow. The opt. temperature for its proper growth and
development is 15 – 20o
C. Under cooler conditions the
quality of the leaf becomes better. Under warmer conditions
it bolts and the leaf quality is also poor.
Soil: It can be grown almost all types of soils but loam soil is
preferred. can be grown successfully within pH range 7 –
10.5.

6. Cont……..
Cultivar:
Khumal broad leaf
Marpha broad leaf
Khumal red leaf
Seed rate:600 gm/hac
Spacing: 30 X 10-15 cm.

7. Nursery bed preparation
The soil is ploughed 3 – 4 times and the land is made leveled
While preparing the soil, the OM and fertilizers should be
applied as a basal dose and seeds are sown.
 For raising seedlings, raised beds should be prepared in
such a way that each bed carries single or double rows of
plant.
 Row to row spacing of 5 – 10 cm should be maintained.
After the seed germinates and becomes 2 – 3 leaf stage they
are transplanted to the prepared main field.

8. Field preparation
2 – 3 times ploughing and leveling of land is needed. For the
winter crop, a flat bed is prepared where as for a rainy crop
seedlings are transplanted on ridges
Sowing and harvesting:
region Sowing time Harvesting time
High hill Falgun-baisakh Jestha-bhadra
Mid hill Bhadra-mansir Kartik-falgun
terai Asoj-poush Kartik-falgun

9. Cont…………
Manuring: FYM or compost: 20 Mt/hac.
100: 40: 40 Kg NPK/hac.
nitrogen should be side dressed in three splits: 1st
25 – 30
days, 2nd
45 – 20 days and the last doses 70 – 80 days after
seedling transplanting
Irrigation:Light irrigation should be continued until the
seedlings are well established. Irrigation should be given as
and when needed.
Weeding:Weeds are a problem in mustard crops. Weeding
and hoeing should be practiced regularly.

10. Harvesting and yield
Leaves become ready to harvest at about 25 – 30 days after
transplanting. Leaves should be harvested without
damaging the plant and should be cut with the help of a
knife at the base of the sheath. Tender leaves should be
harvested regularly to get a higher yield. Delayed harvesting
of over matured leaves causes lower yield. Depending upon
the variety, the yield varies from 30 – 40 ton/hac.

11. species varieties Seed
rate(kg/
ha)
spacin
g
fertilizer Harvesting
spianch Verginia
savory,
Early
smooth leaf
Patane local
1.5-2 30*10 FYM: 20 tons/hac.
and 60: 40: 40
Kg/hac. NPK
Leaves become
ready for harvest in
40 – 50 days after
transplanting.
Leaves are
harvested as in
broad leaf mustard
without damaging
the plant
letttuce Great lakes,
Impariol
859. White
Boston, Big
Boston,
May king ,
Chinese
Yellow,
Slow Bolt
500
gm/hac.
30 – 45
X 20 –
25 cm
FYM or compost:-
20 tonn/hac.
NPK in the ratio of
80: 40: 40 Kg/hac.
Leaf lettuce should
be harvested when
the leaves are fully
developed and
before head is
formed.

12. Nursery bed for leafy
vegetables

13. THANK YOU
FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION