FAQ

Apply neem cake to soil at the time of transplanting @ 250 kg/ha or immediately after germination and repeat at flowering. Spray neem soap (1%) or pongamia oil 1% when required. For oil spray take 10 ml pongamia oil in a bottle, add 1 ml spreader and 50 ml oil to it and shake thoroughly and make to 1 litre and spray. Sprays of abamectin (0.2 ml/litre ) and oxymatrine (1.5 ml/litre) are also found effective. Spray under surface of leaves thoroughly as mite is found generally there. When the incidence is heavy, first mechanically remove infected leaves and burn them, then only give spray.

We do not have any fixed training programme on processing of fruits and vegetables at present. But on request, if adequate number of farmers are interested training can be arranged.

The first and second order umbels only should be selected for better quality seeds. The tertiary and fourth order seeds must be rejected.

64 plants were needed for conducting field trials in patchouli.

Spray 4% pulverised neem seed powder extract or neem /pongamia soap 1% at 20-25 days after planting. Repeat the sprays two to three times at 10-15 days interval. Bacillus thuringiensis can also be applied at 1g/ltr at weekly intervals. In cauliflower no sprays should be given after curd formation.

8 plants were needed for conducting field trials in carnation.

Yes. One or two honey bee hives per acre can increase the seed yield of crop pollinated crops where cross pollination is effected by insects like honey bees.

Spray dimethoate (0.05%) .

149 trees out of 500 trees should to be sampled to get better estimate in Coorg mandarin (30 percent).

70 plants out of 393 plants (17 percent) should to be sampled to get better estimate in banana.

Baiting is the only effective method. For this purpose, 8 kg of rice bran with sufficient quantity of water to moisten and is mixed with 100 g jaggery in the morning and kept for fermentation for 12 hours. In the evening, about 250 g of methomyl or thiodicarb and sprinkle over ridges and furrows. The caterpillars feed on this and get killed. Baiting may have to be repeated 2-3 times for getting complete control.

The seed yield in vegetable crops varies greatly depending on varieties and various agronomic factors and agro-climatic conditions. However, the average seed yields in tomato-250 kg, brinjal-200 kg, Chillies-200 kgs, Capsicum-150 kgs, Onion-800 kgs, Okra-1200 kgs, Gourds-600 kgs, Peas-20000 kgs, Crucifers-800 kgs, Cucumber, melons-400 kgs.

32 trees out of 100 trees (32 percent) should to be sampled to get better estimate in sapota.

Soil application of neem and pongamia cakes @500 kg/ha at planting and repeated 3 more times at 30-45 days interval followed by neem soap or Pulverised neem seed extract 4% spray  was found to reduce the borer damage to about 10% during August-February months.  However, the cake applications were not effective during summer months and early monsoon period before August. This is perhaps due to high temperature and high wind velocity which cause rapid loss of the volatiles in cakes. The quality of cakes is also another limiting factor.  Mixing 2 ml endosulfan with 2 ml pongamia oil and 1ml sticker, then emulsifying with water and making it to 1 litre and spraying is also found moderately effective in reducing fruit borer.

The tropical Cv. Asiatic varieties of winter vegetables of carrot, radish, etc. can produce seeds in the plains. But the temperate or European varieties of these crops can produce seeds only in the hills.