• Zinc deficiency
• Iron deficiency

Asia’s useful trees and plants — Basuti
K. L. Noatay
BASUTI is a small-sized evergreen en shrub. It grows gregariously all over the Indian subcontinent, right from sea coast to the foot-hills of the Himalayan ranges up to a height of about 1500m. Along latitudes, its natural habitat starts from Burma in the East and rolls up to western most part of the continent. Its scientific name is Adhatoda vasica. Some scientists also call it Justica adhatoda. The family being Acanthaceae, its regional names, in addition to basuti, are adusa vasaca, bansa, vasika, etc.

An effort to popularise organic foods
V. P. Prabhakar
TAKE fruits, vegetables, wheat and rice, there is nothing which does not contain residues of pesticides. They have affected the water and even the mother’s milk. In order to assess this, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, according to its annual report, had taken samples of various commodities to monitor pesticides residues in them and the results were quite revealing.

Farm operations for May

Rice Sunflower

Management of micronutrient deficiencies in kharif crops
S. P. Saini, I. M. Chhibba and V. K. Nayyar

INTRODUCTION of high-yielding varieties of crops coupled with an intensive cropping and a manifold increase in the use of high analysis chemical fertilisers has resulted in a rapid depletion in the available micronutrients status of the soils. The deficiencies of micronutrients are also generally more prevalent in the crops grown in soils with coarse texture, high ph, low organic matter, and high calcium carbonate, besides the fields irrigated with poor quality irrigation water. Kharif crops in Punjab generally suffer from zinc and iron deficiencies. If not corrected timely, these deficiencies can cause sizeable loss to the crops in terms of ultimate yield. In order to timely correct these deficiencies, it is essential that the farmers have the knowledge about the type of symptoms due to deficiency of a particular micronutrient, besides being familiar with the efficient way to correct the same.

Zinc deficiency

Rice: Zinc deficiency in paddy is called bronzing of leaves. Its symptoms start appearing in rice about two weeks after transplanting. The lower leaves become rusty brown near the base and ultimately dry up. Low absorption of zinc by plant roots can result in shortening of internode length. Similar type of symptoms appear in the paddy nurseries also where seedlings remain stunted and have less tillers. Severally deficient rice fields give rusty brown appearance from a distance.

Management: The best way to save the rice crop from the deficiency is to apply 25 kg of zinc sulphate per acre at puddling in case the previous crop in this field had shown the symptoms of zinc deficiency. In case that could not be done and the crop shows deficiency symptoms, then add 25 kg of zinc sulphate per acre immediately on the appearance of the symptoms. In highly deteriorated soils, the symptoms of zinc deficiency sometimes appear in patches even after the application of the recommended dose of zinc sulphate. In that event, broadcast additional dose of 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre mixed with an equal quantity of dry soil on the affected patches.

Maize: Zinc deficiency symptoms appear within two weeks of seedling emergence. A broad band of white or very light-yellow tissue, with reddish veins, appears on each side of the mid-rib, beginning at the base of the second or third leaf from the top of the plant. The white patch later extends in strips towards the tip parallel to the mid-rib. The mid-rib and the leaf margins remain green. Plants remain extremely stunted in growth and have short internodal length. The deficiency is generally called white bud of corn and under severe deficient conditions the leaves become papery. The mild deficiency disappears by the mid-season, but silking and tasseling are delayed.

Management: Apply 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre at sowing where zinc deficiency had been noticed in the preceding crop. When zinc deficiency symptoms appear in the standing crop, apply 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre along rows, hoe it into the soil and then irrigate the field. When the deficiency symptoms are noticed late in the season and interculture is not possible, then spray the crop with zinc sulphate solution that should be prepared with 1200 gm of zinc sulphate and 600 gm of unslaked lime in 200 litres of water for spraying crop in one acre. Repeat the spray at weekly intervals.

Cotton: The leaves develop interveinal golden yellow colour in the early stages of growth. The brown colour spots develop when temperature is high and extend from leaf tip to the base of leaf. Scorching starts from the margins of the leaves and internodes are shortened and plants give bushy appearance. Upward or downward cupping of leaves generally appears. Deficient plants suffer less fruiting and improper opening of bolls.

Management: Zinc deficiency in cotton can be managed by applying 10 kg zinc sulphate per acre at the time of sowing in deficient fields. In case deficiency appears in the standing crop, 10 kg zinc sulphate per acre should be topdressed on the appearance of deficiency symptoms and mixed into the soil by hoeing by a light irrigation.

Iron deficiency

Rice: Iron deficiency in rice appears in situations where water is not ponded properly in the field either because of scarcity of water, or high permeability of soil. It is exhibited as interveinal chlorosis of the younger leaves 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting. With time, the veins also lose their green colour and the whole leaf looks pale. Under severe deficient conditions, the newly emerging leaves look bleached. The iron deficiency symptoms also appear in paddy nursery very early.

Management: Start giving copious irrigations as soon as chlorosis appears. Two or three foliar applications of 1 per cent ferrous sulphate solution (1 kg of ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water per acre) should be made at weekly intervals to correct iron deficiency in plants. However, the number of sprays may be increased depending upon the severity of the deficiency. Regular incorporation of dhaincha” green manure before transplanting rice can go a long way in mitigating the occurrence of iron deficiency in rice.

Sugarcane: Iron deficiency has been noticed both in the ratoon and plant crops on light-textured, high ph and calcareous soils. Deficiency symptoms first appear in young leaves as yellowish white stripes in the interveinal area. Later, the veins also turn yellow along with the appearance of reddish streaks. Under severe deficiency, leaves become bleached and the plants, remain stunted.

Management: Iron deficiency is corrected by spraying the crop twice or thrice with 1 per cent solution of ferrous sulphate (1 kg of ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water) at weekly intervals soon after the appearance of the symptoms.

Asia’s useful trees and plants — Basuti
K. L. Noatay

BASUTI is a small-sized evergreen en shrub. It grows gregariously all over the Indian subcontinent, right from sea coast to the foot-hills of the Himalayan ranges up to a height of about 1500m. Along latitudes, its natural habitat starts from Burma in the East and rolls up to western most part of the continent. Its scientific name is Adhatoda vasica. Some scientists also call it Justica adhatoda. The family being Acanthaceae, its regional names, in addition to basuti, are adusa vasaca, bansa, vasika, etc.

Basuti grows naturally in vacant wastelands all over its habitat. Also in hedges along paths, track, roads, railway tracks and canals. In fact the shrub colonises freshly exposed slopes and land slides, thus acting as a useful cover against soil erosion.

The leaves of the basuti are ovate to elliptic or lanceolate shaped. There are 10 to 15 cm long and 3 to 7 cm wide. Upper surface of young foliage is hairy. The lower side is glabrous green, especially when mature. New buds keep sprouting throughout the year. The old ones keep falling simultaneously. The phenomenon gives the plant its evergreen nature.

Basuti flowers during September to April. The inflorescence comprises a short but dense pedunculate spike. Individual follower are nearly 2 to 1cm in diameter and 2 to 4 cm in length. The spike is a conical bunch, about 5 to 7cm in thickness and 5 to 10cm in height. Calyx is short barrel shaped. The corolla, being whitish to mauve in colour, consists of two prominent lips. Of them one is slightly larger than the other. These contain traces of honey. That is the reason why children suck the base of the flower for its sweetness.

The foliage of basuti is used by the agriculturists as a mulch cover for young and tender sprouts of their summer crops. The mulch protects the sprouts and seedlings of plants like sugarcane etc. growing in areas having limited moisture. These are also spread in the barns for making “bed” for domestic cattle. The dung of the cattle thus mixed with basuti leaves makes an excellent farmyard manure.

In fact vasa leaves are valued for their medicinal utility. These contain an alkaloid called “vassine” and also a quantity of oil, called vassa oil. The alkaloid, and sometime only leaves, are used as curative medicine against bronchitis, asthma, fever etc.

The leaves and roots of vasa are antispasmodic quite efficacious as remedy against cough. These have insecticidal and antiseptic properties too.

The stem of basuti is generally too small to be of any significant utility as and for wood work. Its grain, however, is fairly even and moderately hard and is as such used to a limited extent for making rosary beads. Further, it is also converted into important variety of charcoal, essential in making gun powder locally.

The basuti plant can be raised from seed. The seed is available during May-June and sown during monsoons i.e. July-August. The plant can also be raised from cuttings, which are planted in nursery beds during February-March or July-August.

An effort to popularise organic foods
V. P. Prabhakar

TAKE fruits, vegetables, wheat and rice, there is nothing which does not contain residues of pesticides. They have affected the water and even the mother’s milk. In order to assess this, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, according to its annual report, had taken samples of various commodities to monitor pesticides residues in them and the results were quite revealing.

Fruits and vegetables: Out of 277 samples of vegetables analysed, 181 (65 per cent) were found to be contaminated with pesticide residues, and out of which 10 (4 per cent) exceeds the maximum residue limit (MRL) values. In fruits, out of 122 samples, 67 samples (55 per cent) were contaminated, and eight (6 per cent) were with exceeded MRL value. In vegetables and fruits, the levels of residues exceeding MRL values declined from 9.1 to 4.5 per cent. This indicates that farmers have started following good agricultural practices, resulting in lower residue levels.

Milk: Out of 194 samples analysed, 90 (46 per cent) were found contaminated with the DDT and 172 samples (89 per cent) with the HCH and 35 samples (18 per cent) with endosulfan residues. None of the samples containing the DDT exceeded its MRL values and for the HCH, 60 per cent contaminated samples exceeded the MRL values. No MRL has been prescribed for endosulfan, so all samples (18 per cent) exceeded the MRL values.

Monitoring of pesticide residues was also carried out in mother’s milk. Out of the 51 samples of mother’s milk collected from Solan and Shimla, all were found contaminated with DDT residues. The HCH residues were detected in 96 per cent samples and endosulfan and dicofol in the 86 and 17 per cent samples.

Total diet: Out of 109 samples analysed, 75 per cent samples were contaminated with pesticide residues. Contamination was slightly more in non-vegetarian diet than in vegetarian diet. The DDT and the HCH were main contaminants with their level ranging from 0.01-0.59 ppm to 0.01-0.79 ppm in vegetarian diet and 0.01-0.79 to 0.01.05 ppm in non-vegetarian diet. Besides, the DDT and HCH, endosulfan residues detected in Kanpur ranged from 0.02 to 0.04 ppm in vegetarian diet and 0.01 to 0.08 ppm in non-vegetarian diet. And docofol residues from Kalyani ranged from 0.08 to 0.20 ppm in vegetarian diet and 0.05 to 0.57 ppm in non-vegetarian diet.

Water: Out of the 322 samples of groundwater and surface water, 105 samples (33 per cent) were found contaminated with the DDT residues, 149 samples (46 per cent) with the HCH, 88 samples (27 per cent) with endosulfan, 93 samples (29 per cent) with other commonly used organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides.

Farm operations for May

Rice

— May is the right time for sowing paddy nursery of varieties i.e. PR-116, PR-114, PR-111, PR-106, PR-108, PR-115 and sowing must be completed by 20th of this month. Apply 12-15 cartloads of well-rotten farmyard manure per acre. Flood the field and puddle it well. Apply 26 kg of urea and 60 kg of superphosphate per acre at pudding. Prepare plots of convenient size.

— Treat seed before sowing to prevent primary seed-borne infection. Dip 8 kg of seed in 10 litres of water containing 10g Ceresan wet or 10g Agallol of 5g Tafasan or 5g Areton/Emisan and 1g Streptocycline for 8 to 10 hours before sowing.

— Sow the treated and pre-germinated seed @ 1kg/20 sq. m. Keep the soil moist by irrigating the plot frequently. Apply another dose of 26 kg of urea per acre about a fortnight after sowing.

— Weeds in paddy nursery can effectively be controlled by applying 1200 ml per acre of any recommended brand formulations of Butachlor 50 EC. The herbicide should be applied in the standing water 7 days after sowing in the pre-germinated seed or alternatively apply Sofit 37.5 EC Pretilachlor+Safner (Readymix) @ 500 ml/acre 3 days after sowing of pre-germinated seed.

— During the initial stages of growth, light irrigation should be given but after about 10 days, sufficient water should be kept standing to avoid iron deficiency, particularly in the case of light-textured soil. However, if the seedlings in the nursery show yellowing of leaf tips, spray thrice with 1% ferrous sulphate solution at weekly intervals. If leaf turns rusty brown after becoming yellow, give a spray of 0.5% neutralised zinc sulphate solution.

— In case attack of plant hopper, hispa and stem borer in rice nursery is noticed then spray of 560 ml of Nuvacron 36 SL against plant hoppers and rice stem borer may be carried out immediately. If the attack of hispa is noticed in the nursery, clip off and destroy the leaf tips of the affected seedlings before transplanting. If a severe attack is noticed then spray 120 ml methyl parathion 50 EC in 100 litres of water per acre should be done.

Sunflower

— Due to prevailing hot weather conditions, sunflower would require irrigation at 8-10 days interval during this period. Various types of caterpillars such as cabbage semilooper, tobacco caterpillars and hairy caterpillars feed on green leaves and defoliate the attacked plants. These larvae can be checked by spraying 500 ml of Thiodan 35 EC or 200 ml Nuvan/Divap/Vapona 100 EC in 100 litres of water per acre. Repeat after two weeks, if necessary. This treatment will also control jassids and other sucking pests in case they appear.

Progressive Farming, PAU