MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC CROPS (2+1)

Cultivation

Soil

The opium crop needs deep clay loam, highly fertile and well – drained soils with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.5. Such soils, containing adequate organic matter, retain moisture and there is no need of irrigation during lancing. However, with adequate manuring and use of fertilizers even light, loam to sandy-loam lateritic soils can give high yields under good management. Heavy clay or fine sandy soils generally sowing for correcting zinc deficiency 12-30 kg/ha of zinc sulphate should be added.

Sowing
Poppy seeds should be sown in a well prepared soil. The file dshould be given 5-6 cross ploughings followed by planting. The land should be divided into small plots to facilitate irrigation. The seeds should be treated with thiram (405 g/kg of seed) to protect the seeds against soil borne pathogens. The seeds are sown between late October to mid November. After sowing, seeds are covered by a thin layer of soil followed by a light irrigation.

Fertilizer application
The crop requires nutrients required for flowering and capsule formation. A fertilizer recommendation of 90:50:30 kg NPK/hectare is followed.

Irrigation
The first irrigation is given, immediately after sowing, if there is not enough moisture available in the soil. For subsequent irrigations, 7-10 days Irrigation schedule is the optimum depending upon the weather and soil conditions. A total of 10 to 15 irrigations are required for this crop.

Flowering and fruit - set
After about 90 to 100 days of sowing, the plants which are waist-high begin to flower, i.e., flowering will take place during first week of March, if the crop was sown during the second fortnight of November. Usually after 3 days of flowering, the petals fall off and after another 10-14 days the capsules are ready for lancing.