Tip of the day – Page 96

Precautions to be taken while preparing vermicompost

30/03/2021

Before leaving earthworms in Vermi beds, partial decomposition of raw materials (cow dung and essential waste), which can take upto 15 to 20 days, is very necessary.
Maintain 30 to 40 percent moisture in composted waste beds until it is ready. Earthworms do not work properly when there is less or too much moisture in the waste.
Never use fresh cow dung in a vermicompost bed. Earthworms die due to excessive heat in fresh dung, so let fresh dung cool for 4 to 5 days before use.
Do not use any kind of pesticides while making earthworm manure.
Earthworms work faster when the pH is neutral (around 7.0), to keep the pH neutral of the waste during vermicomposting, you must add ash to it.

Cucumber is a very important summer crop.
Apart from pulses, cucumber is a very profitable crop, which farmers can plant to earn huge profits.
These are some select beneficial varieties of cucumbers: Swarna Poorna, Swarna Ageti, Kalyanpur Green, Pant Kheera-1, Fine Set, Japanese Long Green etc.
For planting of cucumber crops in summer, 300-350 grams of seeds is required per acre.
For a quality production, sow summer cucumber crops in the month of March and make sure to use necessary fertilizers from time to time to get a good yield.
The schedule of irrigation should be maintained carefully. Fields with water availability should be chosen.

In order to maintain the fertility of soil, different crops are sown on a certain area, in a certain sequence, at a given time, this cycle is known as crop rotation.
Its purpose is to make good use of available nutrients and elements and to balance the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the land.
crop rotation is a very important factor for a good quality production of any crop.
The type of crop rotation depends upon the season it is being sown. The types of crop rotation are as follows: Kharif season crop rotation, Rabi season crop rotation, Zayad season crop rotation.

Root knot nematodes are small ‘eelworms’ that live in soil
Nematodes often enter through tomato roots. as their number increases, small roots get damaged , and irregular shaped tumors are formed.
This pest attacks more in the nursery stage of tomato crops.
This causes the tomato crop to completely dry.
Use carbofuran 3% GR @ 8-10 kg / acre or cartap hydrochloride 50% SP as soil treatment
As a biological treatment, use Pacillomyces lenesius @ 1 kg/acre.

Creamy-white eggs are laid singly or in groups on the undersides of the leaves, stems flower buds, or the base of the fruit.
The young caterpillar is 15-18mm long, dull-white, and turns light pink as it matures.
The short pinkish larva of the pest initially bore into the shoots resulting in drying of the shoot.
When feeding is complete pupation occurs on stems, dried shoots, or between fallen leaves.
When the life cycle of the larval stage is complete, it forms a pupa on the stem, dry branches, or fallen leaves.
To control this, spray of Emamectin Benzoate 5% SG @ 100 gram/acre or Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @ 60 gram/acre or Spinosad 45% SC @ 60 ml/acre
As a biological control, use Beauveria Bassiana @ 250 gram/acre

Usually this disease occurs on bitter gourd leaves, which affects the leaf’s lower and upper part.
This disease can be identified by the formation of yellow to white colored powder on the upper and lower surface of bitter gourd leaves.
To managing this use, Azoxystrobin 11%+Tebuconazole 18.3% SC @ 300 ml /acre or Azoxystrobin @ 300 ml/acre
Spray Trichoderma viride @ 500 gram/acre+Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 250 gram/acre as a biological treatment

Alternaria leaf spot disease appears in any crop only after sowing.
Due to this disease, brown colored round spots appear on the leaves. These spots grow slowly and finally the affected leaves dry up and fall.
For prevention of this disease, spray Carbdenzium 12% + Mancozeb 63% WP @ 300 g / acre or Ketazine @ 300 g / acre.
Spraying of Trichoderma viridi @ 500 g / acre as a biological treatment.

Ashwagandha is a miraculous medicinal herb. Apart from protecting the body from diseases, it also keeps the mind healthy.
Consuming ashwagandha reduces the risk of heart related diseases.
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties found in it are helpful in lowering cholesterol.
Consuming it strengthens heart muscles and reduces bad cholesterol levels .

Cucumber crop is cucurbits crop , if there is a sudden change in the weather, the crop of cucurbits family suffers a lot of damage.
Alternaria blight , powdery mildew, downy mildew can attack due to weather changes.
Be sure to use the following products to control them.
Alternaria leaf spot: – For the prevention of this disease, spraynCarbedenium 12% + Mancozeb 63% WP @ 300gram/acre or Ketazine @ 300gram/acre
Powdery mildew: – Azestrobin 11% + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC @ 300 ml/acre or azoxystrobin @ 300 ml/acre for its management.
Downy mildew: – Spray of Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25% WG @ 150gram/acre or Metalaxyl 4% + Mancozeb 64% WP @ 600gram/acre or Chlorothalonil 75% WP @ 400gram/acre
Spray Trichoderma viride @ 500 gram/acre + Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 250 gram/acre as a biological treatment
Follow the crop cycle and keep clean in the field.

In some places of Madhya Pradesh, the excessive amount of moisture in the soil due to rain, the attack of fungal diseases can be very high.
In green gram crop , germination stage is more likely to cause dumping off, Cercospora leaf spot disease.
To control this, it is very important to use the necessary products on time.
Cercospora leaf spot disease: – Thiophanate methyl 70% W/W @ 500 gram/acre or Chlorothalonil 75% WP @ 400 gram/acre
Dumping off: – Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% @ 30 gram / pump or Thiophanate methyl 70% W /W @ 50 gram / pump or Mancozeb 64% + Metalaxyl 8% WP @ 60 gram/pump
Use pseudomonas fluorescens @ 250 gram/acre as a biological treatment.