Method of Seed Production

Method of Seed Production
    Varieties
    • CO-1, CO-2, BSR-1, BSR-2, Suguna, Suvarna, Sudharashana, Krishana, Sugundham, Roma, Suroma, Rajendra Sonia, Ranga, Rasmi
    Preparation of land
    • The land is prepared with the receipt of early monsoon. Soil is brought to a fine tilth by giving about four deep sloughing. Weeds, stubbles, roots etc. are removed.
    • Immediately after the receipt of pre monsoon showers, beds of 1 to 1.5 m width, 15 cm height and of convenient length are prepared with a spacing of 40 to 50 cm between beds.
    • Planting is also done by forming ridges and furrows.
    Planting
    • Kerala and other West Coast areas where the rainfall is sufficiently early crop can be planted during April-May with the receipt of pre-monsoon showers.
    • In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, sowing is done during May-June or July-August.
    • Since turmeric is a shade loving plant, castor or Sesbania grandiflora may be raised along the border lines in the field.
    Seed materials
    • Whole or split mother rhizomes weighing 35 to 44 g are used for planting.
    • Well developed healthy and disease free rhizomes are to be selected.
    • Rhizomes are treated with 0.3% Dithane M-45 and 0.5% malathion for 30 minutes before sowing.
    • Two system of planting viz., flat beds and ridges and furrows methods are adopted in India.
    • Small pits are made with a hand hoe in the beds in rows with a spacing 25 x 30 cm and covered with soil or dry powdered cattle manure.
    • The optimum spacing in furrows and ridges is about 45 to 60 cm between the rows and 25 cm between the plants.
    • A seed rate of 2500 kg of rhizomes is recommended to plant one hectare.
    Manures and manuring
    • Farm yard manure @ 10 t/ha is applied as basal dressing.
    • The other NPK recommendation followed for Tamil Nadu (Irrigated condition).

    Manure

    (kg/ha)
    Neem cake 200-basal
    N 225 kg each at basal, 30,60,90 and 120 days after planting i.e., 125 kg N
    P2O2 60 kg as basal
    K2O 60 kg as basal
    FeSO­4 30 kg basal
    Mulching
    • The crop is to be mulched immediately after planting with green leaves or banana psuedostem or sugarcane trash at the rate of 12 to 15 tonnes per hectare.
    • It may be repeated for second time after 50 days with the same quantity of green leaves after weeding and application of fertilizers.
    After cultivation and growing as intercrop
    • Weeding may be done thrice at 60, 120 and 150 days after planting depending upon weed intensity.
    • It can be grown as an intercrop in coconut and arecanut plantations.
    • It can also be raised as a mixed crop with chillies, colocasia, onion, brinjal and cereals like maize, ragi etc.
    • In some places, double inter cropping viz., Fenugreek + Onion in Turmeric field is followed.
    • Depending on the soil types, irrigated crop require 15 to 20 irrigations in heavy soils and 35 to 40 in light soils.
    • Moisture stress affects the growth and development of the plant especially during the rhizome bulking stage.
    Harvesting
    • Depending upon the variety, the crop becomes ready for harvest in seven to nine months. Usually it extends from January-March. Early varieties mature in 7 to 8 months, medium varieties in 8 to 9 months and late varieties after 9 months.
    • The land is ploughed and the rhizomes are gathered by hand picking or the clumps are carefully lifted with a spade. Harvested rhizomes are cleaned of mud and other extraneous matter adhering to them. The average yield per hectare is 20 to 25 tonnes of green seed turmeric rhizomes. Curing of turmeric by sodium bicarbonate method registered the highest recovery of processed rhizome than conventional cow dung method.
    Post harvest handling
    Cleaning and Sorting
    • Just after harvesting, rhizomes are cleaned for adhering soil and roots.
    • Harvested produce may be left over for 24 hours or so and then collected and cleaned.
    • The rhizomes which are not fit for seed purposes, should be taken out (they are very small or very large, injured, bruised, cuts, deformed etc).
    Separation
    • Fingers are separated from the mother rhizomes; both are suitable for seed purposes.
    • The most effective treatment for storage is 100 gauge poly bags with 3% ventilation which exhibited 91.9 % sprouting in the field.
    Plant protection
    Pre-planting treatment
    • The seed rhizomes are dipped in carbendazim 1 g/lit and phosalone 35 EC 2 ml/lit or monocrotophos 36 WSC 1.5 ml/lit for controlling rhizome rot and scales.
    Pests
    Thrips
    • Spraying of dimethoate 30 EC or methyl demeton 25 EC 2 ml/litre.
    Rhizome scale
    • Application of well rotten sheep manure @ 10 t/ha in two splits (one basally and other at earthing up) or Poultry manure in 2 splits followed by drenching dimethoate 30 EC 2 ml/lit or phosalone 35 EC 2 ml/lit or application of Carbofuran 3 G @ 1.5 kg a.i./ha. Seed rhizomes dipped in phosalone 35 EC 2ml/lit or monocrotophos 36 WSC 1.5 ml/lit and then stored.
    Nematode
    • Application of Carbofuran 4 kg a.i./ha twice on the third and fifth month after planting the rhizomes.
    Diseases
    Rhizome rot
    • Drenching with Bordeaux mixture 1 % or Copper oxychloride 0.25 %. Seed treatment of rhizomes with 0.3% Copper oxychloride for 30 min before storage is recommended.
    Leaf spot
    • Spraying of Carbendazim 500 g/ha or Mancozeb 1 kg/ha or Copper oxychloride 1.25 kg/ha.

Last modified: Saturday, 24 March 2012, 7:21 PM