Temperate Vegetables (1+1)

PESTS & SEED PRODUCTION

PESTS
Onion maggot : (Hylemya antique)

• It is similar in appearance to a housefly, though smaller.
• Larvae feed on the plant tissue.
• They may kill smaller plants.
• Feeding wounds act as entry point for secondary plant pests.

Control measures

• Spray malathion (0.05%) or deltamethrin (0.0025%)

Onion Thrips : (Thrips tabaci)

• Affected leaves show silvery white blotches which later become brownish.
• Spring- summer crop is affected more by thrips.
• A long spell of dry weather is favourable for its rapid multiplication.

Control measures

• Collect the debris, affected leaves, weeds and destroy them.
• Follow crop rotation.
• Grow resistant varieties like ‘Nasik Red’ and ‘Spanish White’.
• Apply malathion (0.05 %) or phorate 10 G (1 kg /ha).

SEED PRODUCTION

• Leek does not usually seed in the plains as the mature plants should be expose to low temperatures for a period before they form flowering stalks.
• The seed is produced at higher altitudes in the hills.

Methods of Seed Production

Seed to seed method

• In this method, the first season bulb crop is left to over winter in the field, so as to produce seed in following season.

Bulb to seed method

• Bulbs stored in previous season are lifted, selected and replanted to produce seed in 2^nd year.

Mostly bulb to seed method is followed because

• It permits selections of true to type and healthy bulbs for seed production.
• Seed yields are comparatively high.

Production and storage of bulbs (1^st year)
Sowing time

• Sowing of over wintered bulbs is done from Middle of October to middle of November

Nutritional Requirements

• Apply 200q/ ha of FYM, 60 kg each of N and P and 80 kg of K per hectare.
• Method of application is the same as for bulb crop.

Spacing

• Depends upon variety and bulb size, a spacing of 40 x 10 – 15 cm is followed.

Irrigation

• Fortnightly irrigation during winters and weekly irrigation during hot weather/summers is required..

Interculture

• Same as that of onion