Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Harvesting and yield

• The pods should be harvested when they are immature and green and have attained edible size. In general, harvesting every alternate day is advisable. Field is divided into blocks to ease harvesting at one or two intervals. Delay in harvesting causes fibrous and matured fruits of poor edible quality. Such fruits get very poor price in the market and ultimately poor income to the growers. Ten to fifteen pickings are done during the crop period. The best length at which the pods should be harvested is 8 to 10 cm. For distant market harvesting in the late evening and transporting the produce during coolness of night is practiced.
• The yield depends upon the season, variety and cultural practices followed for the crop cultivation. An average yield of 8 tonnes green fruits per hectare during spring-summer and 12.5 tonnes during rainy season is ideal, though much higher yields have been harvested by individual farmers.