recipes

Crop Timeline

Date of sowing the nursery

2nd to 3rd week of June

Harvesting time

Between 2nd and 3rd week of October

Variety

Kissan Basmati

Kissan basmati 1509 is the first early maturing Basmati rice variety with seed-to-seed maturity of around 100 to 120 days

Land Preparation For Nursery

Land must be levelled before developing the nursery.

Method Of Sowing

Traditional method: make a small plot and spread seeds. After spreading seeds, spread FYM on seeds.

Nursery Maintenance

Irrigations should be done after a 3-day interval.

Weedicides

Vinsta

Land Preparation For Transplanting

After the possible harvest of another crop like wheat, from the field, the field is gone over twice by the cultivator. Where necessary, a rotavator might also be used. Land must be levelled by lazer technology. For transplanting of nursery, water the field to create the puddle condition before using a planker in the field drawn either by a tractor or in the case the latter isn’t available, by a bull. Shallow transplanting at 1-2 cm depth is recommended.

Transplantation

The best time of transplanting of nursery is after one month of sowing. Timely transplantation is critical and two plants per hill is recommended. For one acre of land, 80,000 hills and 160,000 plants are the recommended numbers. The recommended distance between plants is 9 inch.

Requirements

Raw material requirements

• Fertilizer
• Potash =1 bag

• MAP = 2 Bag
• Borax = 3 kg

• Urea = 2 bag
• Zink sulphate = 33% = 6 kg

For cocoly trial

• 2.5 cocoly
• 1.5 Kg Zink
• Insecticides

• 0.5 bag Potash
• Weedicides

• 0.5 MAP
• Fungicides

Seeds

• 8 kg per acre

Labour

• Permanent labour requirement: 2 persons.

Daily Labour

• Labour required for transplanting
• Labour required at harvesting time = 4 persons
• Labour required for pressing and transportation straw = 5 persons

Soil & Climate

Silt clay, silt clay loam and clay are the best soil textures for the cultivation of rice crop. The best soil for rice crop is fertile riverine alluvial soil. Addition of farm yard manure is the best way of increasing organic matter in soil. The best time of farm yard manure is 1 month before sowing of crop. After application of farm yard manure, and using plankers to spread it evenly in the field, the field is lightly irrigated to attain the proper condition whereby the ploughing becomes easier through the use of cultivator. Farmyard manure is therefore, mixed by cultivator.

Chemistry

Fertilizer

• MAP = 1 Bag = 46 kg = all DAP applied during sowing time
• Urea = 2 bag=46%=92=46 kg = 1 bag is applied after 15 to 20 days of sowing the remaining
• Urea applied after 40 to 50 days after sowings SOP =1 bag =all quantity applied during sowing time

For Trial

• SOP = 0.5 Bag = 25 kg
• P=3%
• K=5%

• Cocoly = 2.5 Bags
• N=15%

• MAP (N=12 % P=61%) = 0.5 bag
• Urea = 46 % = 0.5 bag

Fertilizer application

Application at base

• Cocoly = 1 bag = 20 kg
• MAP = 0.5 bag = 25 kg
• SOP = 0.5 Bag = 25 kg

First application

• Cocoly = 0.5 bag = 10 kg
• Urea = 12.5 kg
• Zinc 1.5 kg

Second application

• Cocoly = 0.5 bag = 10 kg
• Urea = 12.5 kg

Crop Maintenance

Number of Irrigations

Up to sixteen (16) irrigation cycles are required to grow rice. It is majorly dependent on the land water retention capacity so it varies from area to area. The thumb rule is that the soil should not crack due to the heat of the summer temperatures. There are four critical stages of Rice crop after transplantation.

• Tillering
• Panicle Initiation
• Heading
• Flowering

For Seed

(Rouging or uprooting off-type varieties)

Controlling Weeds

Weeds are a major concern for high productivity in aerobic rice crop. The pre planting herbicides like pendimethiline, stamp should be applied immediately after seeding. Then, at 30-35 days after sowing, when maximum weeds appear, post-emergence herbicides like clover can be used for effective control of grass weeds. For the control of deela etc, sunstar may also be used.

Potential Threats

Pests

• Grass hopper
• Yellow borer
• White borer
• Striped borer
• Pink borer
• Leaf folder
• Army worm
• Cut worm
• Aphid

Control

Fapronil 480 ml per acre or biphenthrine 250 ml per acres

Disease

• Bacterial blight

Causal organism Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae = X. campestris pv. Oryzae

Symptoms

It causes wilting of seedlings and yellowing and drying of leaves. The disease is most likely to develop in areas that have weeds and stubbles of infected plants. It can occur in both tropical and temperate environments, particularly in irrigated and rain-fed lowland areas. In general, the disease favors temperatures at 25−34°C, with relative humidity above 70%. Bacterial blight can be severe in susceptible rice varieties under high nitrogen fertilization. Check for wilting and yellowing of leaves, or wilting of seedlings. On seedlings, infected leaves turn grayish green and roll up. As the disease progresses, the leaves turn yellow to straw-colored and wilt, leading to whole seedlings drying up and dying. To distinguish kresek symptoms from stem borer damage squeeze the lower end of infected seedlings between the fingers. Kresek symptoms should show yellowish bacterial ooze coming out of the cut ends. Unlike plants infested with stem borer, rice plants with kresek are not easily pulled out from soil.

Control

Use of potash or sulphur 800 g per acre or copper oxychloride 500 g or 250 g copper hydrooxychloride

• Alternaria leaf spot

Above-ground plant tissues at the seedling stage or on leaves of older plants show oval to circular spots, 3-10 mm in diameter. Lesions are tan, later becoming grey to white with a narrow, dark-brown border. Sclerotia appearing as small, black dots are produced in the center of older lesions on all infected parts. Alternaria padwickii is an asexually reproducing fungus that infects seeds of rice. It is one of several fungi responsible for seed discoloration, seed rot and seedling blight, but has also been detected as a sheath-rotting pathogen.

Control

Trifloxystrobin + tubaconazole 65 g or diphenaconazole 125 g or sulphur thivate

• Rice blast

Symptoms

Elliptical, whitish to grey lesions with dark-green to reddish-brown margins, up to 2 cm long form on leaves, which can coalesce and kill the leaf. Lesions can also occur on the leaf collar, culm and panicles. Under favourable weather, the fungus produces fructifications amphigenously on the leaf lesions. This disease occurs due to shortage of water.

Control

Trifloxystrobin + tubaconazole 65 g or diphenaconazole 125 g

• Natural disaster

Rice crops are also susceptible to natural disasters which are difficult to predict or plan for.

Harvesting

Timeline

Second to third week of October. Rice should be harvested 30 days after flowering. There should be 20-25% grain moisture, 80-85% of the crop should be straw-colored and grain should be in the lower part of panicle in hard dough stage. It is harvested by sickle or more easily through advanced combine harvester.

Managing The Harvested Crop

The harvested rice should be transported in a trolley attached to a tractor. Additional labour may be required for unloading the trolley.

Land Clearing

The remains of rice will be chopped with the help of chopped

Potential By Product

Chopped for increasing organic matter or making bundles

Requirements Of Field Implements

Chopped for increasing organic matter or making bundles

• Cultivator
• Rotavator
• Lazer leveller
• Combine harvester
• Pressing machine (to make bundle of straw)
• Tractor, trali
• Weather

Soil And Climatic Conditions

The ecological conditions suitable for mango cultivation: Mangoes are grown on tropical and subtropical regions in the world and having wide range of soil types, but deep, well drained sandy loam soils give the best results. A hot and humid climate is suitable for mango. In areas with heavy rainfall, fruit may be affected. Suitable temperature range is 20-40 °C. Low temperature is extremely harmful. Frost and hot air can cause damage to the tree. Young plants need protection to the frost and hot wind.

Orchard Layout

Each grid system has its own pros and cons. It solely depends on the farmer’s choice which orchard management practices to implement. There are three grid systems discussed below which are known best grids for mango orchards in this region. Fidak Farms also provide consultancy services and management services for orchard establishment and development according to regional climatic conditions. Fidak farms charged against his services.

20×20 Grid System

Mango early varieties like Sindhri, Anwar Ratool, Dosehri, Langra, Malda Ceroli and Mosmi Chonsa are planted in the square system at 20×20ft. Planting distance depends upon soil, climate, and system of orchard management. The plant population at 20×20ft system is 108 plants per acre. Transplanting is done in well prepared soil and pre-dug pits during March and September.

Figure: square system of orchard layout

Advantages Of 20×20 Grid System

• Increased quantity of plants per acre that will increase the yield after proper canopy management.

Disadvantages

• Increased cost of canopy management.
• Short Margin for any delay in pruning.
• Greater chances of affecting extreme weather conditions.
• Short Margins for any mismanagement in tree calendar.
• No space for inter cropping.
• Opportunity cost is high.

Advantages Of 22×27 Grid System

• Plant population is 73 plants per acre
• Suitable for all early as well as varieties.
• Suitable for attaining ideal plant canopy.
• Provides a 2 ft. window for light and aeration to the plant.
• Higher area of vegetative mid-section exposed to sunlight at tree canopy that provide higher quality fruit.
• Provides space for green manuring.
• Provides space for management practices.

Disadvantages

• Less population than 20×20 grid.
• Short Margins for any mismanagement in tree calendar.
• No space for inter cropping.

Advantages Of 40×40 Grid System

• Plant population is 27 plants per acre.
• Suitable for all varieties early and late.
• Provide 4 ft. window for light and aeration to the plant.
• Higher vegetative area exposed to sunlight at tree canopy that provide higher quality fruit.
• Opportunity cost is low.
• Provides space for green manuring.
• Provides space for management practices.
• Provides space for inter cropping.

Disadvantages

• Less population than 22×27 grid.

Irrigation

Irrigation depends on the type of soil, climatic conditions, rainfall and the age of the trees. No irrigation is required during the monsoon months unless there are long spells of drought. To stop vegetative growth of fruit bearing trees, not to be irrigated in the month of October and November that boost the flowering of the plant.

Table 1: Irrigation Schedule for Mango

Fertilizer Application

Addition of correct amount of fertilizer at the right time is essential for commercial production. Apply micronutrient according to recommendation after soil testing. Soil testing should be done after fruit harvesting every year.

Table 2: Fertilizer Application for Under 10 year Age of fruiting Plants

Table 3: Fertilizer Application for above 10 years plants

Orchard Floor Management

Orchard floor should be clean and free of weeds. Dropped and rotten fruit should not be allowed to remain at the floor. After harvesting orchard floor should be rotavated with rotary slasher. Sunlight should penetrate to the orchard basin for killing of harmful insect and pests and growth of beneficial insects and pests.

Pruning

Mango usually assumes a graceful dome shape shading the main trunk. For mature trees after harvesting diseased, dried, broken branches and those branching touching to earth should be pruned off. Light should reach below the canopy at basin.

Harvesting

Picking should be done when fruit is fully developed and mature. Natural drop of the fruit is the indication that fruit is ready for picking. Different varieties ripen at different times. In Punjab ripening starts from June and continues up to the mid of August. Expected yield vary from 40 to 100kg per tree.

Plant Protection Measurements

Picking should be done when fruit is fully developed and mature. Natural drop of the fruit is the indication that fruit is ready for picking. Different varieties ripen at different times. In Punjab ripening starts from June and continues up to the mid of August. Expected yield vary from 40 to 100kg per tree.

Malformation

It is a serious threat to mango in Pakistan. It affects both vegetative part and inflorescence. Malformed branches show stunned growth on bunchy leaves that’s called bunchy top. Most of the flowers on the malformed inflorescence are male and fruit is hardy. The cause is not yet known. Good management reduces the problem to some extent.

Alternate Bearing

Most of the commercial varieties of mango tend to produce crops in an alternate or biennial pattern. The factors affecting it are environmental, physiological and genetic. Environmental factors like heavy rains, hail, disease and insect attack at blooming cause heavy damage which results in lower yield that year. There is no established control measure, but improved cultural practices including de-blossoming and control of pest and diseases.

Cultural And Management Practices

Other natural measures can also be carried out to minimize or control these pests and diseases.

• Only healthy seeds, seedlings and plants should be used for planting and budding or grafting.
• Intercropping, mix cropping, cover cropping and/or multiple cropping in or in the surrounding of mango orchards must be avoided so that similar possible pathogens of the sown crop and mango (both) may not multiply and spread in orchards.
• Irrigation must be applied as per requirement, and not subject to availability.
• Avoid high doses of nitrogen fertilizers, but apply proper and balanced fertilizers, on the basis of soil type, age and need of the tree.
• Proper sanitation of orchards and pruning of trees (eradication of disease causing organisms through removing and burning of diseased plants or plant parts) helps to reduce the infection and growth, development and further spread of the disease causing fungus or so.
• Burning of all the infected leaves.
• Use Six pheromone traps per acre to reduce the male population.
• Provides space for inter cropping.
• Recharge traps after 15 days.
• Regular picking of dropped fruit.
• Deep burying of pest infested fruits in pits.

Precautionary Measures Against Frost

Mango trees are very sensitive to frost and get damaged if not properly protected. Make your plants ready to face the frost by offering water stress a month before the winter season. The proper coverage of small plants, irrigation of orchards before the expected frost spell during critical frost expected nights are useful practices to minimize the plant damage. However, spray of lime solution on small plants is also one of the best tools in management against frost.

Soil and Climate

Citrus trees can be grown on a wide range of soils, including deep sandy loam, loam and clay loam. However, they do not grow well in very heavy, clayey, sandy, and alkaline or water logged soils. Citrus fruits trees are grown in tropical and sub-tropical climate. Temperature is the main factor affecting, time of blooming, maturity, producing and fruit quality of citrus.

Pruning

At the time of transplanting the top portion should be balanced with the roots by removing some of the leaves, if necessary. Annual pruning is done to remove dried, diseased and those branches overcrowding the top of the tree. For a young citrus tree to have good frame work, no branches should be allowed on the main stem and two to four evenly spaced main limbs should be selected to provide a balanced frame work. In Pakistan however, no systematic pruning is followed except for removal of dried, diseased and unwanted twigs.

Water Management

The preferred method of irrigation is a basin round each tree the size of. There should be channels connecting basins so that irrigation of fruits trees can be independent of the intercropped area between the tree lines which have different water requirements. Growth sensitive periods to water shortage are flowering time (Feb/Mar), fruit setting (Apr/May).

Fertilizers and Manures

• Apply FYMs at the rate of 40 to 80 kg per tree during the winter season in Dec/Jan before flowering.
• Apply 3-4 kg SSP and 1.5 to 2 kg of Urea 15-20 days (Jan/Feb) before flowering.
• Supply a further amount of Urea of 1.5 kg per tree after fruit setting (Mar/Apr).
• If necessary 1.5 kg of Potassium Sulphate may be applied at the time of applying FYM.
• Watering is essential after each application of fertilizer.

Pests and Diseases

Aphids:

These are small brown colored insects. They suck the sap from the leaves and branches and cause great damage to trees and reduction of yield. Aphid attack is severe during Feb and April. Use Dizenon 40% or Eldrine 20%, 1 kg in 450 litres of water. Insecticides should not be applied within 6 weeks of marketing the fruit.

Citrus Leaf Minor:

This attacks the leaves. The attacked leaves become curled and deformed. If causes great losses in growth and yield. Use Malathion 57 or Matasystox 50% at the rate of 500 grams in 450 litres of water per acre for its control.

Lemon Butterfly:

This also attacks fresh leaves. It can be controlled effectively by using Malathion and Metasystox.

Wither tip:

This disease is caused by nutritional deficiencies. The branches and fruits of the affected trees start drying and the tree becomes uneconomical to maintain. Apply a balanced dose of Bordeaux Mixture 450 after cutting affected branches from the trees.

Citrus Canker:

This is a bacterial disease. It attacks leaves and the fruits. It forms canker like spots on the leaves and stems of the fruit causing great reduction in yield and quality of the fruit. There is no effective treatment for this disease except to cut and remove the affected trees and spray Formaldehyde at the spots from where the diseased trees have been removed.

Harvesting

Picking of citrus fruits is done almost throughout the year. The fruit should be picked when it is fully ripe. It will not develop taste or sugar in storage after picking. The best method is to pick the individual fruit by holding it in one hand and cutting the stalk with a knife and collecting it into boxes or baskets to avoid injury to the stem. The average yield in numbers expected from different types of fruits in various species is around 500 to 1000 per tree.