Strategy for Availability of Vegetables during Rainy Season

April 2015

Dr Daljit Singh GillHorticulture Development Officer,

Cum Project OfficerCentre of Excellence for Vegetables, Kartarpur (Jalandhar), Punjab

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Potential & Constraints for Vegetable Crops

Selection of suitable Vegetable -Varieties / Hybrids

Protected Cultivation during Summers and Rainy Season

Scenario in Punjab

Transplanting of seedlings instead of direct sowing

Raised Bed Cultivation

Control of Insect-Pest and Diseases

Storage of Vegetables

STRATEGIES

Opportunities for Growers 2

Scenario of Punjab

Total Population of Punjab 2,77,04,236

Geographical Area 50.36 Lakh Hectare

Net Area Sown 41.84 Lakh Hectare

Total Cropped Area 78.70 %

Irrigated Area 98 %

Area under Horticultural Crops 2.67 (3.4% of Cropped Area)

Total Area under Vegetable Crops

2 Lakh Hectares

Production of Vegetable Crops 40 Lakh tonnes

Average Productivity of Vegetable Crops

20 tonnes per hectare3

Hot Season April to June Highest Temperature

44.20C and 44.70C (Recorded in the month of June)

Rainy Season July to September(75% of Rainfall recorded in the month of July to September)

Mean Annual Rain Fall

705 mm(Varies from 1200mm at Pathankot to 300mm at Abhohar)

Winter Season October to March Lowest Temperature

0 to 2.2 0C (Recorded in the month of December)

Soil Type Sandy loam with pH range 7.5 -8.5, therefore it has good potential for cultivation of various horticultural crops

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Scenario of Punjab (...Contd)

Potential & Constraints for Vegetable Crops

Particulars Potential Constraints

Total Area under Vegetable Crops

2 Lakh Hectares

> 4 Lakh Hectare •Insecure Marketing•Fixed Support Price of wheat/ paddy•No support price for vegetables

Productivity of Vegetable Crops

40 Lakh MT > 80 Lakh MT Shortage of High yielding, resistant cultivars

Average Productivity of Vegetable Crops

20 MT per hectare

35-40 MT per hectare

•Traditional methods of cultivation which needs to be replaced with raised bed cultivation & drip irrigation.•Knowledge gap between researchers and stakeholders.

Cropping Pattern/ Crop Rotation

Wheat – Paddy Rotation

Area under paddy can be reduced

•Farmers are interested for paddy crop instead of vegetables because ensured income of paddy.

.. Contd5

Potential & Constraints for Vegetable Crops (Contd ..)Particulars Potential Constraints

Labour requirement & Production Cost

Double than Cereal Crops

Mechanization & Irrigation/ Fertigation

•Higher Labour requirements & Capital intensive production.

Post Harvest Management & Marketing

Post Harvest Loses 20-30 %

Can be Reduced upto 90%

•Area should be sown according to demand & region specific with new methods•Insecure marketing (Middleman takes big share – 50%)•Lack of Storage, Processing, Market Chain.

Rainfall Annual Rainfall 300 – 1200 mm(75% during July to September)

Protective Cultivation & Raised bed cultivation with drip irrigation in open fields also

•Stagnation of water•Weed problem•More insect/ Pest & Diseases

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Strategy - I

Selection of Suitable Vegetable CropsSr. No Crops Common Varieties * Crop Period

1 Bottle Gaurd Punjab Komal May – June to September – October

2 Bitter Gaurd Punjab-14 May – June to September – October

3 Squash Melon S- 48 May – June to September – October

4 Pumpkin Punjab Smrat May – June to September – October

5 Ash Gaurd Punjab Ash Gaurd May – June to September – October

6 Spong Gaurd PSG-9 May – June to September – October

7 Okra Punjab 8 May – June to September – October

8 Tomato Varsha, Uphar July – August to October – November

9 Brinjal PBH-1 , PBH-2, PBH-3 May – June to September – October

10 Radish Pussa Chetki May – June to September – October

11 Chilly CH-1. CH-3 May – June to September – October

12 Cucumber PB-Naveen May – June to September – October

13 Cowpeas S263 May – June to September – October

14 Beans Mithi Phali May – June to September – October

* Hybrids of private companies are available 7

• During Rainy Season, Transplanting of Seedling should be preferred instead of Direct Sowing.

• Crop Mature one month earlier than Direct Sowing

• Less attack of Insect-pest (Red Pumpkin Beetle) & Diseases (Damping Off) during initial stages.

• Better establishment of seedling plants.

Strategy – II

Transplanting of Seedlings instead of Direct Sowing

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• Protective structure is a facility to protect crop from biotic and abiotic stress

• Structure for protected cultivation include Poly-green House, Net House/Shade Net and Tunnels.

• Poly house structure helps in protecting crops otherwise which are affected by excessive rainfall.

• Net house & Shade Net cultivation provide better Micro Climate specially during summer in minimising high temperature effect.

Strategy - III

Protected Cultivation during Summer & Rainy Season

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Raised bed •To avoid damage from rain water stagnation raised bed cultivation technique should be adopted

Drip Irrigation System

•Saving water 30-50%•Considerable saving in water, increase growth, development and yield of vegetable and control of weed•Saving of labour

Mulching •It improve yield and quality, suppression of weed growth , fertilizer use efficiency •Reflective mulches also minimise incidence of virus disease

Stacking •To avoid direct contact of vegetable fruit with soil and rain water•Improve aeration ,use of vertical space, high density plantation, also increased photosynthetic activities.•Better fruit quality , Easy Harvesting, Easy field operations•Protect crop from sun-scald, insect-pest & diseases.

Strategy – IV

Raised Bed Cultivation (Drip Irrigation, Mulching & Stacking)

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• Major Threats – Red Pumpkin beetle, Aphids, mites, Fruit Fly, Fruit & shoot

borer.– Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, Crown/Stem rot, and

Virus Diseases• Protection

– Use of Resistant cultivars – Integrated Pest Management Technique should be

adopted– New techniques of Cultivation

Strategy - V

Control of Insect-Pest and Diseases

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• To avoid Shortage of Vegetable during rainy season , produce can be stored when there is glut in market (April-May).

• Requirement of Multi-purpose Cold Store for different vegetable storage.

• Small Pack-house Units including Pre-cooling/ cold store at farmer’s field should be adopted to avoid post-harvest losses.

Strategy - VI

Storage of Vegetables

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Opportunities for GrowersPermanent Vegetable production system indeed may be an option to improve vegetable production system

All stakeholders should collectively decide to sow area on demand specific and region specific.

Protected cultivation in Plastic Houses/ Net Houses/ Tunnels could improve production and yield however because of insecure marketing conditions, farmers are reluctant to invest in protected cultivation.

Mulching reduces (i) The Leaching of nutrients; (ii) Soil surface erosion; and (iii) Labour demand for weed control while at same time preventing soil surface compaction.

An opportunity therefore to design, test and implement innovative vegetable production system.

In order to improve the bargaining power of farmers/ producers with collectors, wholesalers or retailers, growers would need to able to offer their product in large quantity and on regular, planned basis.

The knowledge gap between the experts and the farmers should be reduced. This will need strong extension efforts.

Special efforts need to be made in reducing the gap between potential yield and the actual yield obtained at present at the farmers’ field, reducing intra-regional and inter-regional yield variations.

Efforts should also be made to cover more area under hybrids where ever possible.

Farmers participation in commercial cooperation and producer’s organization would be an option to achieve this goal. 13

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Thanks