Technique of Growing Indian Spinach on the ground

Technique of Growing Indian Spinach on the ground by Pritham Denzil D'Souza aka MetalFarmer

Traditionally Indian Spinach also known as Basale soppu in tulu and Valchhi bajji in konkani is grown on a trellis. While respecting our traditional farming practices, we also must learn to innovate and improvise, and if works out, share data for free that will benefit farmers all over. Growing Spinach on the ground was done merely as a challenge to growing them using support or a trellis.

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

STEP BY STEP PICTORIAL GUIDE TO GROWING SPINACH ON THE GROUND

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• as you can notice in the pic above, a trench with a minimum width of 1 meter and max length is made
• weeds, stones and other unwanted materials are removed
• 1 load of freshly decomposed farm yard manure is added and the soil is mixed well

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• bunds are made to the entire row length as seen above
• the bunds act as make shift pits where the spinach stick will be transplanted

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• from the older spinach plant, long and healthy spinach vines are selected for transplanting as seen above
• the long spinach vines are then cut in half to get 2 spinach sticks of approx equal length
  

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• from the base of the spinach stick, all the leaves are plucked out leaving only a few leaves at the top
• this is also done for polarity
  

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• 2 pairs of spinach sticks are then transplanted in every bund pit as shows and covered with soil. so every bund pit will have 4 transplanted sticks

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• in around 50 days, the vines grow luxuriently and a number of lateral shoots also emerge and the spinach is now ready to harvest

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• here harvesting is done cutting off the long spinach vines and tying around 10 sticks to make a bundle.
• more number of cuttings, will produce more number of lateral shoots.

From Growing Indian Spinach on the ground at Padval Farms, Mangalore, India

• daily irrigation is a must as the spinach sticks need all the moisture they can get
• covering the transplanted spinach sticks with coconut palms and banana leaves is also done to prevent excess damage due to high temp.
• banana leaves, arecanut palms and coconut palms are also placed on the ground to prevent the growing spinach vines in coming to contact with the soil
  
• manuring is done again after 30 days from first transplanting
• only decomposed farm yard manure is suitable as fresh un decomposed manure will destroy the developing roots and kill the vines

all images and data by Pritham Denzil D'Souza 'Metalfarmer'

Growing Cowpea Beans in Pit Method Summer Cultivation

Growing Cowpea Beans in Pit Method Summer Cultivation by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a very popular vegetable grown in Mangalore and other parts of th country. It has been grown in India since the Vedic period. The entire plant is of economic importance, the pods harvested are rich in proteins, while the foliage is used as green manure and fodder for animals. Its called Alasandae in kannada, alasundae sango in konkani and Lattanae in Tulu

CLIMATE AND SOIL

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

• requires well drained soils
• saline or alkaline soils should be avoided
  
• it can tolerate drought to a certain extent but cannot withstand water logging
• partial shade is tolerated however its highly succeptable to frost
• being a tropical crop it thrives at temps between 21 to 35 degrees centigrade

LAND PREPARATION

since this crop is grown on a hilly area, we chose to grow it in pits and not the traditional method of growing them in rows.

• square pits the size of 90cmx90cm with depth of 30 cm are made as shown
• the distance between the pits is maintained
• each pit, 2 buckets of decomposed farm yard manure is added and the soil is well mixed
• around 5 seeds are sowed in each pit and after germination 4 are retained in each pit

Since this variety grows long, it requires vertical support and hence the distance between the pits is very important to prevent over crowding.

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

MANURING AND IRRIGATION

• being a root nodule crop, heavy nitrogen fertilizer application is not required, however timely application of nutrients allows for better yield results
• since we apply only decomposed farm yard manure with bacterial culture for faster decomposition, we split the manure application into 3 doses. first dose at the time of land preparation and sowing. second dose, when the plant has attained a height of 45 cms and the third and final dose on the on set of flower buds.
  
• since this is a summer method of cultivation, irrigation is very important and must be done at regular intervals to avoid wilting due to extreme temperatures.
  
• light irrigation at germination stage followed by irrigation during the early hours of the day is best for the crop during later growth
  
• not much mulching is required as the root zone will get adequate shade from the plant

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

OTHER AGRI OPERATIONS

• weeds are a serious pest and need to be dealt with immediately
• during the second and third manure applications, the soil surrounding the roots are made loose and manure mixed properly. this increases soil aeration
• when the plant start to develpo long tendrils, vertical support needs to be given as shown
• the plants are then trained to grow on the support

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

FLOWERING AND HARVEST

• most varieties start to produce flower buds after 45 days after sowing, and pods can be harvested after 15 days after pod setting
• the fruits formed can be harvested up to 45 to 60 days after flowering and then there will be gradual decrease in yield and also quality.
• spraying with plant hormones before the onset of flowering, produces more female flowers and is recommended
• growing flower crops like marigold side by side also increases the yield due to increase in pollinating agents like bees, wasps etc

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Pod borer (Muruca tesulatis and Lampides boeticus) is the single most destructive pest, resulting in over 80 percent crop loss. colonies of aphids are also seen on young leaves and inflorescence and makes harvesting difficult. Leaf eating caterpillars tend to skeletonise the plants if not checked properly

• for pod borer, chemical application is foliar spray with a combination of profenophos and cypermethrin @2 ml per litre of water sprayed at interval of 10 days just at the onset of flower bud formation.
• we use pure neem oil @10 ml per litre of water and sprayed at 7 day intervals
  

the application of neem is not a 100 percent guarantee to eliminate pod borer problem, but it controls the problem to a great extent and is an organic method of controlling

• for leaf eating caterpillars, hand picking using gloves and destroying the pests is the best option even though its cumbersome.
• aphid problem can be controlled by using the least toxic imidochloprid @half ml per litre of water at 14 day intervals. other chemical method is using Dimethoate Rogar at 1 ml per litre of water and sprayed when the incidence is observed.
  

From Growing Cowpea Lentils using Pit Method at Padval Farms, India

SOME IMPORTANT TIPS

• bugs that emit characteristic odor are not a serious pest and can be controlled using neem sprays
• Bruchid (Callosobruchus chinensis) causes damage to stored cowpea seeds by the grubs which turn the seed hollow by eating from inside. infestation starts in the field but can be seen mostly at storage. adding 2 percent edible oil (volume by weight) controls this problem for at least 5 months. seeds have to be dried thoroughly before storage.
• foliar application of neem should be done in the evenings when the intensity of sunlight is less. after 4 pm before 6 pm is ideal
• the tender succulent pods are preferred to over ripe wrinkled pods. and so harvesting every day is recommended to avoid this problem

all images and data by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

Flight T bait trap Container

Flight T bait trap Container by Pritham D'Souza Metal Farmer

From Flight T bait trap by PCI

The flight T bait trap container introduced by PCI is a strong and durable container
I have already used this successfully in controlling Daucus dorsalis pest attacking my cucurbit crops.

From Flight T bait trap by PCI

• what you see here is a large number of dorsalis flies that were caught in 2 days

From Flight T bait trap by PCI

From Flight T bait trap by PCI

• the trapped dead flies are discarded and collecting vessel washed thoroughly
• detergent water is added along with water in the collecting tray

From Flight T bait trap by PCI

• the bait is then placed in the container and the top closed using the cover
• it is then suspended using its hook either under a trellis or close by to the crop
• as you can see, the bottom is open in the middle which allows the insects to fly into the container.
  

From Flight T bait trap by PCI

• once the insect gets intoxicated by the pheromone trap and falls into the collecting tray filled with detergent water, it dies due to drowning

• hundreds of flies are caught this way and the entire operation is repeated at intervals of 7 to 10 days, denending on the pest incedence.
• detergent water is preferred over normal water, as normal water can breed mosquitoes.
  

if you are interested in purchasing these bait traps you can contact Mr. Ranjan Shagrithaya on his mobile @ 9448485353 and email him at bioranjan@gmail.com

all images and data by Pritham 'metalfarmer' D'Souza

Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi Ladies Finger

Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi Ladies Finger by Pritham D'Souza 'Metal Farmer'

From Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi

Yellow mosaic disease in Okra is one of the most devastating diseases, resulting in 80 percent of crop loss.
and the sad part is , since its a virus, there is no cure. Prevention is the only cure.

From Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi

Symptoms and Damage

• intricate network of interwoven yellow veins, enclosing islands of green tissue within
• the appearance looks similar to that of a mosaic floor tile and hence the name
• causes up to 80 to 90 percent loss
• transmitted by vectors like plant hoppers and other sucking pests of okra

From Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi

From Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi

From Mosaic Virus Disease in Okra Bhendi

Management

• Since it is a virus there is no cure, however Prevention is the only cure
• the vectors that are responsible for the spread of the virus need to be controlled
• Chemical methods include using dimethoate (rogar) 1 ml per litre of water as a foliar application at 10 day intervals
• Organic methods include 5 to 10 ml neem oil in 1 litre of water, foliar spray at weekly intervals
• the spraying must be done preferably during late hours, when temp is cooler (after 4pm till 6 pm)
• when an infected plant is seen, it must be uprooted and destroyed immeadiately
• plant residue including leaves etc must be cleared from main site or it the infection can spread to other healthy plants
  
• resistant hybrids like 'arka annamika', 'arka abhay' must be used

all images and data by Pritham 'metal farmer' D'Souza

Pitting method of Cultivating Bitter Gourd

Pitting method of Cultivating Bitter Gourd by Pritham Denzil Dsouza aka 'Metal Farmer'
i have already discussed how to cultivate Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) in my previous post in continuous pits . here i would like to show you how one can grow Bitter Gourds in individual pits.

• the size of every pit is around 60 cms X 60 cms and height is about 30 cms
• in every pit around 6 seeds are sowed
• after germination, 3 seeds are retained per pit
  
• this is done to prevent over crowding

• support in the form of sticks has to be given during vegetative phase
• the vines tend to fall to the ground and care has to be taken to see the vines are trained on top of the support so as to move upwards

• during flowering phase, thousands of bright yellow flowers are seen, however only one tenth of them will pollinate and yield fruit

• once the vines reach a desired height as shown above, they will need to start growing vertically and a proper trellis needs to be built as seen in the pic below

• results can be seen in 21 days as the pic shows above
• retaining just 3 seeds per pit has resulted in lush growth of the vines in every pit
• watering the pits is easy and there is no wastage
• application of manures can also easily be done per pit

• there is a tendency for the vines to produce excessive lateral shoots and they too are given support so they move upwards as shown in the pic above

Advantages of growing in pits

• plant density and plant population can be maintained
• no over crowding
• application of manure and fertilizer is much easy
• no wastage due to excessive drainage
• spraying with neem using back pack sprayer is convenient and can be done from a distance
• harvesting is easy
• the resultant shade increases pollination by attracting a large number of pollinators

all images and data by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza