Vegetable Okro Production In Agriculture

VEGETABLE

OKRA

Botanical name:  Abelmoscus esculentus

Cultivated varieties include

1.   Ladies finger

2.   Perkin’s long pod

3.   Local cultivars

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT

Temperature: 18⁰c - 30⁰c

Rainfall: Okra requires 100cm – 150cnm per annum

Soil requirements:

Okra requires well drained loamy soil

Land preparation

Clear, plough, harrow, ridge

Method of propagation – seed

Spacing: 60cm by 60cm

Planting Date:  Early April to May

Seed Rate: 2-3 seeds per hole which will later be thinned to one seedling per stand

Cultural practices:

Thinning and supplying can be done when necessary.

1.   Fertilizer Application: Apply single super phosphate fertilizer at 100kg per hectare using ring method

2.   Weeding: It should be done regularly

3.   Maturity Period:  Okra mature between 3-7 months after germination (3-5 day after planting) depending on varieties

Harvesting:  Young and succulent green fruits are plucked, harvested by knife. Harvesting is done over a long period of time.

USES OF OKRA

1.   The fruits are used as food

STORAGE

Fresh fruits are stored in cool place e.g. refrigerator. Dried ones are stored in sacks

PESTS OF OKRA

1.   Flea beetle         

2.   Cricket

3.   Grasshopper

CONTROL

Spray with insecticides

DISEASES OF OKRA

1.   Root knot

2.   Mosaic diseases

3.   Damping off

CONTROL

1.   Use resistant varieties

2.   Practice crop rotation

3.   Spray with insecticides to kill the vector

4.   Remove and burn infected plant