British economist
Senior Member
- Jul 14, 2013
- 104
- 14
GOOD MONEY WITH LADY'S FINGER/OKRA OR BAMIA(ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS)
Bamia is one of the popular vegetable in Tanzania. It is cultivated extensively all the year round for its immature fruits. Bamia fruits are used as a vegetable. The stem of the plant is used for the extraction of the fiber.The best variety of lady's finger/Okra is Alabama red; it is the best because it gets matured very quickly
Climate:
Bamia is a warm season vegetable crop and requires a long warm growing season.-- In Tanzania it is grown is summer months and during the rainy season (summer and mild winter).-- It is highly sensitive to cold temperatures. Seeds germinate poorly at ground temperature of 20 °C or less.Never less, lady's finger/Okra grows best in full, hot sun, if you try to grow it in a shady spot, it won't produce much fruit if it lives at all. it should be planted in a location that gets at least 6 hrs of full sun every day.
Soil and its Preparation:
Bamia can do well in all kinds of soil. .But sandy loam and clay-loam soils are best for its cultivation.The optimum pH range from 6.5 to 7.0, the land is prepared by giving 5-6 ploughing and till depth is 12 inches. Cartloads of FYM or Compost should be incorporated during land preparation and work in 4 inches of compost or fertilizer using a garden rake so that its evenly distributed. Neglecting to add nutrients to the soil may result in Okra plants that do not produce a lot.Seed Rate & Sowing Time:The seed rate for rainy season is 12 to15 kg.-- The seed rate for summer season is 8 to 10 kg/ha.Layout & Spacing:Ridges & furrow type of layout is use. Sometime Bamia is also sown at the border of main crop & layout is same as for main crop. For summer crop spacing is 45x30 cm. & Rainy season crop spacing is 60 x 45 cm or 1feet×3feets
Pests, Diseases and prevention:
Aphids –are usually spread by ants and controlled by sprinting Turmeric powder/boric acid or pesticide chalk such as laxman rekhaStink bugs/Mealy bugs-can be controlled by mixing spirit (rubbing alcohol) and water 1:1 ratio and spraying. It controls aphids as well.Treated seeds-are those that are pre coated with fungicide (Thiram) to avoid problems like damping off.
Manures & Fertilizers:
20 to 25 tones well rotten FYM, compost, cocopeat and bone meal mixed with soil during field preparation. For rainy season, crop apply 50 kg; N, 50kg P2O5 per hectare. For summer season 40 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 should be applied.
Interculture Operational:
Weeding, thinning and earthling up is the important intercultural operations of Bamia. Earthing up in the rows should be done in rainy season crop. Application of herbicides for controlling weeds in Bamia is found effective. Basalin (Fluchoralin 48 per cent) @ 1-2 liter per hectare, and soil application of Tok-E-25 @ 5 liter per hectare effectively controlled the weeds.Irrigation😛re-sowing irrigation should be given in the soils having no sufficient moisture.-- First irrigation is given just after sowing and then the field is irrigated after 4 to 5 days in summer and 10 to 12 days in winter season. Also irrigation is done on early the morning
.
Harvesting:
Flowering begins from 35 to 40 days after sowing and fruits are ready for harvest four to five days after flowering Bamia pods may be harvested continuously at some intervals. The young fruits can be harvested in the morning. Delay in harvesting may make the fruits fibrous and they lose their tenderness and taste.Yield & Crop Duration:Rainy season crop gives 7,500 kg/ha. Summer crop gives 5,000 kg/ha. Duration is 90 and 120 days respectively.
Economic value:
At farm gate price, rainy season 1Kg TZS 800, thus Revenue will be 7,500 kg × TZS 800 = TZS 6,000,000/ha. At market price, rainy season 1kg is sold at TZS 1,000, thus Revenue will be 7,500kg × TZS 1000- =- TZS 7,500,000/ha.This calculation could be done likewise as summer season for farm gate price 900 TZS/kg and market price 1000 TZS/kgCost implication per hectare-is almost TZS 3 Million for irrigation production but for non irrigation production is almost TZS 2 Million. Thus the-gross margin-is almost TZS 3 to 4 Million.It is a good venture, is it not?
Nawasilisha
Bamia is one of the popular vegetable in Tanzania. It is cultivated extensively all the year round for its immature fruits. Bamia fruits are used as a vegetable. The stem of the plant is used for the extraction of the fiber.The best variety of lady's finger/Okra is Alabama red; it is the best because it gets matured very quickly
Climate:
Bamia is a warm season vegetable crop and requires a long warm growing season.-- In Tanzania it is grown is summer months and during the rainy season (summer and mild winter).-- It is highly sensitive to cold temperatures. Seeds germinate poorly at ground temperature of 20 °C or less.Never less, lady's finger/Okra grows best in full, hot sun, if you try to grow it in a shady spot, it won't produce much fruit if it lives at all. it should be planted in a location that gets at least 6 hrs of full sun every day.
Soil and its Preparation:
Bamia can do well in all kinds of soil. .But sandy loam and clay-loam soils are best for its cultivation.The optimum pH range from 6.5 to 7.0, the land is prepared by giving 5-6 ploughing and till depth is 12 inches. Cartloads of FYM or Compost should be incorporated during land preparation and work in 4 inches of compost or fertilizer using a garden rake so that its evenly distributed. Neglecting to add nutrients to the soil may result in Okra plants that do not produce a lot.Seed Rate & Sowing Time:The seed rate for rainy season is 12 to15 kg.-- The seed rate for summer season is 8 to 10 kg/ha.Layout & Spacing:Ridges & furrow type of layout is use. Sometime Bamia is also sown at the border of main crop & layout is same as for main crop. For summer crop spacing is 45x30 cm. & Rainy season crop spacing is 60 x 45 cm or 1feet×3feets
Pests, Diseases and prevention:
Aphids –are usually spread by ants and controlled by sprinting Turmeric powder/boric acid or pesticide chalk such as laxman rekhaStink bugs/Mealy bugs-can be controlled by mixing spirit (rubbing alcohol) and water 1:1 ratio and spraying. It controls aphids as well.Treated seeds-are those that are pre coated with fungicide (Thiram) to avoid problems like damping off.
Manures & Fertilizers:
20 to 25 tones well rotten FYM, compost, cocopeat and bone meal mixed with soil during field preparation. For rainy season, crop apply 50 kg; N, 50kg P2O5 per hectare. For summer season 40 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 should be applied.
Interculture Operational:
Weeding, thinning and earthling up is the important intercultural operations of Bamia. Earthing up in the rows should be done in rainy season crop. Application of herbicides for controlling weeds in Bamia is found effective. Basalin (Fluchoralin 48 per cent) @ 1-2 liter per hectare, and soil application of Tok-E-25 @ 5 liter per hectare effectively controlled the weeds.Irrigation😛re-sowing irrigation should be given in the soils having no sufficient moisture.-- First irrigation is given just after sowing and then the field is irrigated after 4 to 5 days in summer and 10 to 12 days in winter season. Also irrigation is done on early the morning
.
Harvesting:
Flowering begins from 35 to 40 days after sowing and fruits are ready for harvest four to five days after flowering Bamia pods may be harvested continuously at some intervals. The young fruits can be harvested in the morning. Delay in harvesting may make the fruits fibrous and they lose their tenderness and taste.Yield & Crop Duration:Rainy season crop gives 7,500 kg/ha. Summer crop gives 5,000 kg/ha. Duration is 90 and 120 days respectively.
Economic value:
At farm gate price, rainy season 1Kg TZS 800, thus Revenue will be 7,500 kg × TZS 800 = TZS 6,000,000/ha. At market price, rainy season 1kg is sold at TZS 1,000, thus Revenue will be 7,500kg × TZS 1000- =- TZS 7,500,000/ha.This calculation could be done likewise as summer season for farm gate price 900 TZS/kg and market price 1000 TZS/kgCost implication per hectare-is almost TZS 3 Million for irrigation production but for non irrigation production is almost TZS 2 Million. Thus the-gross margin-is almost TZS 3 to 4 Million.It is a good venture, is it not?
Nawasilisha