Production technology of Okra

1. CULTIVATION OF OKRA
SRI KARAN NARENDRA AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY
SKN College of Agriculture
Jobner, Jaipur 303329 (Rajasthan)
Submitted to:
Dr. Pushpa Ujjainiya, (Asst. Professor)
Department of Horticulture
Submitted by:
Naresh Patidar
M.Sc. (Hort.),Vegetable Science
Production of Warm Season Vegetable Crops (VSC
521)

2. OKRA
Common name - Bhindi, Lady Fingure
Botanical name - Abelmoschus esculentus
Chromosome no. - 2n= 130
Family - Malvaceae
Origin - Africa

3. • It is rich in vitamins, calcium, potassium and other minerals.
• Root and stems are used for clarification of sugarcane juice before it is
converted into jaggery and brown sugar.
• The medicinal properties of okra are associated with genitro-urinary disorders,
spermatorrhoea and chronic dysentry.
• Okra is grown for its green, tender and nutritive fruits which are used for
canning and frozen despite the use as vegetable.
COMPOSITION AND USES

4. • Nutritive Value (Per 100 g of edible portion)
Carbohydrate 89.6 g Protein 1.9 g
Potassium 103 mg Calcium 66 mg
Phosphorus 56 mg Magnesium 43 mg
Iron 1.5 mg Vitamin A 88 IU
Vitamin C 13mg Oxalic acid 8 mg

5. VARIETIES
Pusa Sawani
 IARI, New Delhi
 Developed by Dr. Harbhajan Singh through
selection from a cross between Pusa Makhmali x IC
1542.
 The fruits are dark green, smooth.
 Resistance to YVMV.
 IARI, New Delhi
 Susceptible to YVMV. An early variety,
developed through selection from local
material of West Bengal.
Pusa Makhmali

6. Parbhani Kranti
• Resistant to YVMV.
• Fruits are green, smooth with 5 ridges and about 8-10
cm long at the marketable stage.
• It takes 50 days from sowing to marketable maturity
• Developed from an interspecific cross between A
esculentus (Pusa Sawani) and A. manihot.
Harbhajan
• High yielding, fruits having 5 ridges, 15-29 cm
long and resistant to YVMV.

7. Punjab Padmani
• PAU, Ludiana
• Fruits remain tender for a long period.
• Tolerant to YVMV.
• Developed by crossing Pusa Sawani with EC
31830
Arka Anamika
• IIHR, Bengaluru
• Selection from interspecific cross between A.
esculentus x A. tetraphyllus.
Arka Abhay
• Sister line of Arka Anamika. Suitable for
ratoon crop

8. • Plants are tall, height 110-140 cm, flowers at 4-5 node during
summer and 5-7 nodes during rainy season after 39-41 days of
sowing, fruits five ridges, 11.3-12.6 cm long at marketable stage.
• Suitable for summer and rainy season cultivation; gives yield of
130 -150 q/ha.
• It tolerate high temperature during summer season
• Resistant to YVMV under field conditions.
Kashi Mohini
• Plants of this hybrid are medium tall with 2-3 branches
• fruits are dark green with 10-12 cm length at marketable
stage; yield 200-220 q/ha.
• This is resistant to YVMV and OLCV under field
conditions.
Kashi Bhairav

9. • Plants are medium tall, height 110-130 cm, flowering starts at
38-40 days after sowing at 4-5 nodes.
• Fruits are green, 11-13 cm long at marketable stage and yield
150-170 q/ha.
• This is resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus and OLCV.
Shitla Uphar
Varsha uphar
• HAU, Hisar
• Developed by inter-varietal hybridization
between Lam Selection-1 and Parbhani
Kranti.

10. Climate requirements
 Okra being a warm season crop, is highly susceptible to frost.
 Seed germination is best at temperature between 25°C and 30°C and
fails below 17°C.
 The crop thrives best during warm and moist climate, although it
grows fairly well in the hot summer too.
 When the day temperature exceeds 42°C, there is flower-drop.

11. SOIL AND FIELD PREPRATION
Okra can be grown in sandy to clay soils which are well managed in
terms of fertility and drainage.
Neutral to slightly alkaline soils are ideally suited.
Ideal pH for growth of plant 6-8.
One deep ploughing during summer followed by 2-3 light ploughings
are sufficient to obtain the tilth. Level the soil at the time of last
ploughing.

12.  Apply 20-30 tonnes well decomposed farm yard manure/ha
 Apply the fertilizer mixture (100 kg N, 60 kg P2O5, 50 kg K2O/ha)
 The complete dose of phosphatic and potassic fertilizers and one- third dose of
nitrogenous fertilizers should be applied at last ploughing.
 The remaining dose of nitrogenous fertilizers should be applied in two split
doses; the first to be top dressed one month after sowing and the second two
months after sowing.
MANURE AND FERTILIZER

13. • In Central and Northern plains usually two crops: spring-summer and
rainy season are raised.
• The farmer is sown in February-March and the later in June-July.
• Only the crop, sown in May-June, can succeed in the hills.
Sowing time, seed rate and spacing
Sowing time
Seed rate
• Spring-summer crop about 20 kg seed/ha is required whereas, 8-10 kg seed/ha
is sufficient for the rainy season crop.
• Soaking of seed in water for 24 hours before sowing is recommended to
enhance germination percentage
Spacing
• The main or the rainy-season crop can be sown in flat beds at a distance of
45-60 × 25-30.

14. SOWING METHOD
 Since spring-summer crop needs more care, the seed should preferably be
dibbled 15 cm apart, on ridges made at 45 cm apart.
 The ridges should run South to North and the seed should be sown on the side
of the ridge facing East.
 The main or the rainy-season crop can be sown in flat beds
Irrigation
 The spring-summer crop needs irrigation after every 4-5 days but
frequency of irrigation in the rainy-season crop depends upon the rains
and field moisture.

15. HARVESTING AND YIELD
 Fruits attain marketable maturity in about 45-60 days after sowing.
 It takes 7-8 days from flowering to picking of fruits.
 It is advisable to harvest in morning hours since fruit hairs will be soft fruits.
 Consumer prefers small tender fruits 5 to 7.5 cm long in every alternate day.
 Frequent pickings in okra promote fruit development, hence enhances yield.
 Fruits should be harvested by trained persons tender stage without the pedicel.
Yield: 60-65q/ha for spring-summer crop
90-120q/ha for rainy season crop

16. INSECT AND PEST
Spotted bollworm (Earias vittela)
• The larvae bore into the growing shoot initially and
fruits at later stage.
• The affected fruits spoil and become unfit for human
consumption.
Control
i. Follow crop rotation excluding cotton and hollyhock.
ii. Eradicate the host plants like cotton and hollyhock.
iii. Regularly remove the attacked fruits and bury them
deep into the soil.
iv. Spray Spinosad 45 SC @ 0.5-0.7 ml/litre water at
fortnightly interval.

17. Jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula)
• The nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from the lower
surface of leaves.
• The affected leaves become pale and curl upward.
Control
Spray the crop Imidacloprid 17.8 SL or Thiomethoxum 70 WS
@ 0.5-0.6 ml/ litre water starting from the attack of insect.
Spider mite (Tetranychus cinnabarinus)
• The insect suck the sap from tender parts of the plant.
• The affected leaves turn pale and finally defoliation occurs.
Control
Spray the crop with Proporgite @ 2-3 ml/litre water.

18. White fly (Bemisia tabaci)
The insects do not cause considerable damage to the crop but act as
vector to transmit the yellow vein mosaic virus disease.
Control
 Treat seed with Imidacloprid or Thiomethoxam @3 g/kg seed.
 Spray the crop with Imidacloprid 17.8 SL.
Root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita)
The knots can be seen on the roots of the infected plants. The
leaves turn to pale and growth of the plant restricted. The
symptoms appear in patches. Fruiting is reduced.
Contorl
 Deep ploughing of the field during summer to expose the soil to
sun.
 Apply neem cake @ 20-25 g/ha in soil.

19. Fungal diseases
Damping off (Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Fusarium sp.
• Both pre- and post-emergence of seedlings occur.
• Affected seedlings rot at collar region and topple down on the
ground and finally die.
Control
• Provide proper drainage.
• Treat the seeds with Captan or Thiram @3 g/kg seed before
sowing.
Diseases

20. Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum)
White floury growth of fungus appears on both the
surfaces of leaves.
Control
• Dust sulphur @ 25 kg/ha.
• Spray Karathane (0.2%) at 15 days interval.

21. Fusarium wilt (F. oxysporum, F. vasinfectum)
• The disease is characterized by the yellowing of
leaves followed by wilting and rolling.
• The affected plants remain stunded.
• Dark streaks can be seen in the vascular bundles of
stem and roots
Contorl
• Adopt crop rotation.
• Give deep summer ploughing during summer to
expose the soil to sun.

22. Leaf blight (Cercospora abelmoschi)
• Small brown to sooty black, angular spots appear
on both the surfaces of leaves.
• The older spots may coalesce.
• High atmosphere humidity is favourable.
Control
• spray the crop with Bordeaux mixture (0.1%) or
Bavistin (0.2%)

23. Viral Diseases
Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV)
• It is caused by Begomovirus.
• The disease is characterized by yellowing of veins.
• The virus is transmitted by white fly (Bemisia tabaci).
Control
• Grow resistant varieties like Prabhani Kranti, Varsha
Uphar, Punjab Padmini.
• Rogue out the diseased plants from the field as earliest as
possible.

24. Enation leaf curl
• Small, pinhead out growth (enations) on the
undersurface of leaves.
• The most characteristic symptoms twisting and bending
of leaf petioles.
• The virus is also transmitted by white fly.
Control
• Rouge out the diseased plants and burn them.
• Spray the crop with Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 0.5-0.6
ml/litre water

25. THANK
YOU