Organic Farming :: Organic Farming Practices

Organic cultivation of Gerbera

Soil

Sandy loam soil with well drainage with the pH of 5.5 – 6 is well suitable.

Climate

Temperature should be within the range of 25 °C – 27 °C to avoid bud abortion or scorching. So crop is raised under poly green house.

Varieties

Danaellen, Pink elegance, Dalma, Sangria, Mircola, Sun Set, Nevada, YCD-1, YCD-2

Season

Throughout the year.

Propagation and planting

Tissue culture plantlets can be used as propagating material. Cost of each tissue culture plant is around Rs. 25. Raised beds with 70 cm bottom width, 60 cm top width and height of 30 cm are formed at an interval of 45 cm. Planting is done at a spacing of 30 cm x 30 cm.

Irrigation

Provided with drippers once in 2-3 days of 15 – 20 minutes. Average water requirement is 500 – 700 ml/day/plant.

Manuring

  • Green manuring with lupin 60 days before planting

  • Application of well decomposed farmyard manure @ 50t/ha and biodynamic compost @ 5 t/ha

  • Application of Neem cake @ 1.25 t/ha

  • Application of Azospirillum and    Phosphobacterium @ 25 kg/ha

  • Application of vermicompost @ 2t/ha at the time of planting and 3,4, and 5 months after planting

  • Spraying of Neem oil 5 per cent at 3, 4 and 5 months after planting

  • Drenching of Neem oil 5 percent at 3, 4 and 5 months after planting

  • Spraying with Agni Hotra ash thrice at 60th, 90th and 120th day after planting

After cultivation

Hand weeding is done whenever necessary.

Growth regulators

Application of the following growth regulators increases the yield and quality of the cut flowers

  • Foliar spraying of panchagavya @ 3 per cent at 10 days interval from 1st month after planting comprising 35 sprayings/year

  • Soil drenching with dasagavya 3 per cent solution @ 1 lit/m2 once in a month

  • Foliar spraying of vermiwash @ 10 per cent at 3,4,5,6,7 and 8 months after planting

  • Spraying of horn silica at 75 days after planting @ 2.5g/ha

  • Drenching with Manchurian tea 5% filtrate at 30th, 45th, 60th, 75th and 90th day after planting

Plant protection

Pests   Control measures
White flies : Yellow colour plastic pots coated with castor oil can be used to trap white flies
Aphids : Foliar spray of 10% nettle leaf extract
Sucking pests : Foliar spray of 10 % Garlic- chilli extract
Cut worms : Application of pyrethrum bait in soil
Diseases   Control measures
Leaf spot : Foliar spray of 5% Manchurian tea filtrate at 2, 3 and 5 months after planting
Blight : Spraying Agni Hotra ash (200 g Agni Hotra ash soaked in 1 liter cow urine for 15 days and diluted in 10 litres of water before spraying) 3 times at one month interval from one month after planting
Soil borne diseases :
Application of Trichoderma viride @ 5kg/ha or Application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 5 kg/ha

Harvesting

Fully opened flowers are harvested and kept in water. Harvesting is done in early morning or in late evening.

Yield

Harvest starts from the 3rd month of planting and continued up to two years. 2 stems/plant/month is harvested.

Grading

Flowers are graded into A, B, C and D based on stem length and flower diameter. First quality flowers (A grade) should have 52 cm stem length and 11cm flower diameter.

Post harvest handling and packaging

Flowers are harvested and dipped in water. The neck of the flowers are covered with polythene cover with the size of 4"x5". Cover should have small hole in the center. 10 flowers are arranged as one bunch and placed in corrugated cardboard boxes. The end of the stalk should be covered with wet cotton wool. Transport is done through rails and cold chain vans.

 

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