PAU TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION OF RADISH

LUDHIANA, JULY 20:-----



With the available varieties and matching production and protection technologies, radish can be grown year-round, said PAU experts of the Department of Vegetable Crops. Whetting the knowledge of the farming community, the scientists said that through careful selection of varieties for a particular season, radish can be raised throughout the year. Its main season is August-September. Asiatic varieties tend to bolt, if sown late, told the experts and added that main and spring season varieties, if sown in summer season, fail to establish due to their sensitivity to high temperature.



Sharing vital information with the farmers about the suitable varieties for different seasons, Dr D.S. Cheema, while referring to four varieties of radish – Pusa Chetki, Punjab Pasand, Pusa Himani and Punjab Safed, told that Pusa Chetki is suitable for sowing in summer months of April-August. Its roots are short (15 cm), white, stumped and thick and root yield is 100 q/acre. Punjab Pasand is quick growing variety and reaches marketable maturity in about 45c days after sowing, said Dr Cheema and added that its yield is 215 q/acre in September sown main season and 140 q/acre in March sown off-season crop. Punjab Safed is a main season variety suitable for sowing from mid of September-October. Having an average yield of 160 q/acre, its roots are pure white, long and conical with broad shoulders, told he.



Another expert Dr Dilbag Singh, talking about the soil requirement, said that the radish grows well on sandy loam, friable soils for best root development. It can also withstand acidic soils (pH 5.5-6.5). He cautioned that soil with high clay content tend to produce misshapened and forky roots.



Educating the farmers, the vegetable scientist Dr M.S. Dhaliwal, told them that for an acre, 4-5 kg seed is sufficient to raise the crop. Saying that seed is sown on ridges, 45 cm apart, he added that shallow furrows are made on top of ridges and seed is then sown by kera method. Seed is then covered with soil and plant-to-plant distance is maintained at 7.5 cm by thinning at seedling stage. The expert informed that thinning is important to produce uniform and quality roots.



Further, Dr I.S. Ahuja, asked the farmers to apply 15 tons of well rotten farm yard manure (FYM) and 25+12 kg/acre of N and P at the time of sowing. Top dressing of 10 kg N is applied at the time of earthing-up to produce good quality roots. He told the farmers that one weeding about 2-3 week after sowing is sufficient which is followed by earthing-up. Discussing about irrigation, Dr Ahuja said that first irrigation is applied immediately after sowing. Subsequent ones are applied at 3-4 days interval during summer months and 7-10 days during winter months depending upon the weather and soil type. He informed that pre-harvest irrigation is recommended in radish before uprooting to keep the roots fresh, crispy and less pungent.



The PAU vegetable scientists told the farmers that radish crop is ready for harvest in 45-60 days and roots are fit for harvest when they are tender and crisp. About the management of the diseases, they told that Alternaria blight appears as brown concentric spots on the lower leaves. For its control, the experts advised to treat the seed with Captan or Thiram @ 3 g/kg of seed, before sowing. They also suggested to spray the crop with Indofil M-45 @ 500 g/acre at seven days interval to control the blight.
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