Broccoli is a crop that requires high amounts of nitrogen from the soil. If the soil lacks nitrogen, then the broccoli leaves can turn yellow. Hence the main and common reason for broccoli leaves turning yellow is a deficiency of nitrogen.

In this, the lower parts get affected first and it continues towards the whole plant. In critical conditions, the whole plant can even turn yellow and die. This broccoli is edible but can taste bitter. One can also cut off the yellow part and use the rest.

Besides, leaves don’t just turn yellow due to less nitrogen but this can also be due to lack of other nutrients. Along with a lack of nutrients, moisture stress can be another reason for this.

So to stop your broccoli leaves from turning yellow, one should make sure that your plants get enough nitrogen and all other nutrients along with proper moisture. Also to keep your broccoli fresh, you should avoid wrapping your vegetable in plastic and use damp paper towels instead before storing them.

Why do my broccoli leaves turn yellow:

Broccoli is a crop grown in cold climatic conditions. It requires sufficient light. It requires Sandy soil that is rich in nitrogen and has a slightly acidic pH. There are mainly three situations where the leaves of a broccoli plant can turn yellow.

The first one of them is becoming yellow with time also called maturity yellowing, the next is due to lack of nitrogen and the last is any fungal disease.

Getting yellow as it becomes mature:

The head or the main edible part of the broccoli is made up of very small flowers. When the broccoli becomes mature, ready to harvest then these flowers turn yellow and start to produce seeds if they are not harvested for a long time.

However, these seeds can be used for the next generations. When the main part becomes mature, the buds start expanding and till the flower bursts, the head part of the plant turns yellow. This yellowish broccoli hence lacks all the nutrients and is also bitter.

Lack of nitrogen:

As told earlier, broccoli needs a lot of nitrogen from the soil. If the soil lacks nitrogen, then the broccoli leaves will start turning yellow. Starting from the lower part the leaves gradually turn yellow to upwards. In uttermost conditions, the whole plant can turn yellow and die at the end.

Any fungal disease:

Fusarium oxysporum is a type of fungus that affects broccoli plants that can cause yellowing of the leaves of the plant. This fungus mainly enters the plant through the new roots or through old roots during transferring the plant to the main field. This fungus makes its way through the stem to leaves resulting in the leaves turning yellow. This fungus is very dangerous and kills the plant.

Along with these above-mentioned reasons some diseases are also the reason behind the yellowing of leaves. Downy mildew is the first disease that is accountable for the broccoli leaves turning yellow. It is also a type of fungal disease.

Must Read: Growing the Microgreen Broccoli

The fungus named Peronospora parasitica causes Downy mildew. This fungus can act upon both seedlings as well as the mature plant part. In this, the leaves of the broccoli turn yellow. High moisture content supports this fungal disease. In this disease, mainly the leaves at the bottom get affected.

Prevention of Downy mildew: For avoiding this, one should plant the crops at sufficient distances. Also, take care that you water the crop near the roots so that the leaves don’t get wet. Besides this one can also use chemicals or fungicides to control the disease.

You should spray the fungicides at weekly intervals after transplanting the plant. Use these fungicides on the leaves present at the bottom. Avoid fungicides when the temperature is more than 35° C.

The next one is an Alternaria leaf spot. It is again a type of fungal disease in which Alternaria species is responsible. This disease occurs when the conditions are warm as well as moist. You can see small dark shade spots on the stems as the symptoms of the disease.

In the matured plants round spots of brown color can be noticed on the leaves and the leaves gradually turn yellow with time in this disease. A temperature of 15 to 35 °C supports the disease.

How to prevent and treat this disease: one should clean up all the debris after harvesting. This disease can also be very easily spread through the infected tools or wind or splashing water or through insects hence one should take care of all this. Other than this one can also use chemicals and fungicides to control the disease.

Black rot is the next disease that is spread by bacteria named Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris. In this disease mainly the parts above the ground get affected. In this V-shaped lesions of yellow color appear on the leaves that expand with time.

For black rot disease, no chemical cure is available so the plant must be prevented from this disease. For this, all the debris should be removed from the field.

Also, weeds should be cut off from time to time. Seeds of infected plants should not be used at all. Wind, splashing water, insects, etc. are also the reason behind the disease. High temperature and moisture also support the disease so these conditions should be avoided. Disease-free tools should be used in broccoli farming. Also, the seeds should be free from infection.

Bottom line:

There are many different reasons for broccoli leaves turning yellow. They may be insufficient nutrients or some diseases. So one should provide sufficient amounts of required nutrients to the crop and also keep a check on the symptoms so that if any disease is there it can be treated on time.

Farming Pedia

Why Are My Radishes Growing Above Ground

ByMaryem

Radishes are a healthy and versatile plant. They can be consumed as toppings on salads used in western dishes too. The juice of radishes is full of nutrition. It is also cooked as a vegetable in various parts of the world. Along with all of this, radishes are so easy to grow and consume.

But while growing radishes you can face some problems too. Problems that occur while growing radishes can be woody stems, bitter taste, cracking in roots, not forming bulbs, too hot taste. And while growing radishes, one question you might ask is, why my radishes are growing above ground?

Here we shall discuss why radishes grow above ground and solutions to this problem too.

First, check out these numerous benefits of radishes.

They can be eaten raw or can be cooked too. Only half a cup of radish has enough vitamin C to fulfill your daily need. It also has nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin, calcium, and magnesium.

Along with this, extracts in roots of radish have the power to kill cancerous cells. It is also great for bowls. To add to this, radish consumption can control blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Gastric ulcers can be cured by radish juice. Natural antifungal agents are present too.

Why are my radishes growing above ground?

There can be few reasons behind this and they are mentioned below-

1. Imperfect Soil

If soil is not fit and does not match the required criteria for growth then abnormalities are obvious. Soil should be loose and crumpy to grow perfect and healthy radishes. In case, the soil is too compact, roots do not get enough space to expand. Therefore, first, they grow small in size.

Next, when they have no space to expand, they push themselves out and radishes start growing above ground. This situation can be prevented by loosening soil a little. It provides enough space to grow freely and thus, they do not pop out.

The soil must be loosened and well maintained with compost and dry leaves up to 14 inches.

By the time radishes start popping out of the ground, the problem would have increased very much without you noticing. Thus, if they come out by a quarter of an inch, check soil integrity.

2. Seeds not sown deep enough

Seed packets bought from the market suggest sowing seeds up to ½ inch inside the ground. Scientists suggest that seeds must be sown at least one and a half inches deep in the ground for perfect growth of radishes. Sowing seeds above can lead to roots or main bulbs coming out of soil early.

Sowing seeds deeper ensures proper growth and maximum output.

3. Temperature of soil

Soil temperature becomes unsuitable for radish growth when radish seeds are not sown at the correct time. The best time for sowing seeds in the spring season.

Sowing too early or too late makes them face too cold or too hot soil temperature which affects the growth of radish. Further, temperature above or below 80F is not suitable for radishes. Therefore, radishes come out of the ground.

Must Read: Radish Farming: Planting, Harvesting, & Diseases

Tips to prevent radishes growing above ground

Make sure soil is loose and crumbly up to 12-14 inches deep.
Use compost and dry leaves to make soil fit for radish growth.
Seeds should be sown at least one and a half inches deep for maximum output.
Maintain good moisture in the soil to avoid bitter radishes.

Radishes turning long and thin

There can be various reasons behind radishes turning long and thin. First of all, understand that the growth of leaves generally determines when they are to be pulled. Sometimes, leaves can be healthy but radishes below-ground can be long and thin and unfit for consumption.

You can check growth by pulling the main root out a little. The main taproot is strong and deep and does not get affected much. However, tiny roots attached to the main one can get damaged by harsh pulling. So, be careful while checking.

Now if your radishes appear to be long and thin then this might have occurred because of your little mistakes like-

Overcrowding- Radishes grow below ground and require enough space for proper growth. If they don’t get enough space due to overcrowding then they grow long and thin. Radishes should be grown 2-3 inches apart. This makes sure each one gets enough space to grow fully.
Sunlight- 6 hours of sunlight are a must for healthy and fully grown radishes. Alteration in sunlight periods affects growth and makes them long and thin.
Regular watering- radishes require a lot of water to grow. Shortage in the water supply makes them long and thin. However, too much water can destroy them so care must be taken. Radishes can bolt if hot water is supplied.
Temperature- 80F is the optimum temperature for radish growth. If the temperature is above 80F, radishes start producing flowers.
Nutrients- improper intake of nutrients causes thin and long main roots. If high nitrogen content is added to the soil, radishes focus more on leaf growth than root.

Radish leaves turning yellow

Various conditions can result in the yellowing of leaves like overcrowding, lack of sunlight, competition for weeds, irregular watering, pests, or diseases. Few diseases that lead to yellowing of leaves are-

Septoria leaf spots- this condition leads to yellow spot formation on leaves. Well-drained and nutritional soil prevents this disease.
Club rot- yellow leaves, tumor growth, and swelling in roots us seen. It can be prevented by crop rotation.
Downy mildew- Angular yellow spots appear on leaves along with the white or grey fungus.

Holes in Radish leaves

Flea beetles can lead to holes in the leaves of seedlings or small transplants. Larvae of flea beetles feed on radish leaves and make holes in them.

Holes eaten in the leaves of radishes by flea beetles, early June.

Cultivating them often can help get rid of flea beetles. The Garden should be kept clean to avoid pests.

Conclusion

Radishes are an easy to grow and versatile plant. They take only 3-4 weeks to grow and ready to eat as such. But growing radishes can be accompanied by the above-mentioned problem too. Therefore, take steps to prevent and cure these ailments and you can grow perfect radishes that are fit for consumption.

Farming Pedia

Why Are My Spinach Leaves Turning Yellow

ByMaryem

Spinach leaves turn yellow with age naturally. Spinach is succulent and has rich green leaves. However, if you observe yellowing at a young age in spinach leaves then it might be a problem. Growing spinach can be accompanied by various problems and spinach leaves turning yellow is also one of them and quite a common one.

Generally, healthy spinach leaves are dark green. But yellow leaves in spinach plants can occur due to various reasons. These are discussed below in detail-

Factors leading to yellowing of spinach leaves

There can be various reasons that can lead to yellow leaves in spinach. Situations leading to this problem can be diseases or unhealthy soil conditions. Too much heat and water can also cause the yellowing of leaves. Further, nutrient deficiency caused by lack of compost or fertilizer use also results in the same. It can be a little difficult at times to judge the problem and work on solutions with so many possibilities. Along with this, the temperature is also a yellowing causing factor.

Symptoms of certain diseases can be the same as improper soil conditions. To add to this, boron deficiency and fusarium wilt disease cause the same symptoms in spinach plants.

Fusarium wilt

Fusarium wilt also known as fusarium yellowing is a fungal disease. This disease causes the yellowing of spinach leaves. It also stunts the growth of plants. It infects the vascular tissues of the plant. Causing agents of this disease live in soil and can be carried easily by cucumber beetles.

Nutrient deficiency

Various nutrient deficiencies can lead to the yellowing of leaves in spinach. Either insufficient amounts of nutrients or lack of nutrients can develop this situation. Nutrient deficiency can be due to low or high soil pH. Also, sometimes nutrients do not get absorbed due to damaged roots. Yellowing can be caused due to deficiencies of manganese, boron, magnesium, zinc, or nitrogen.

Iron- this deficiency is caused due to waterlogged soil. Veins remain green sometimes but leaves turn yellow. Yellowing in this case starts in younger leaves then moves to older leaves.
Magnesium- yellowing areas between veins of older leaves are observed in magnesium deficiency.
Nitrogen- all leaves become yellow in nitrogen deficiency. It first occurs in lower older leaves. Nitrogen present in plants moves to new young leaves thus causing old yellow leaves.
Boron- boron deficiency causes yellowing and stunted growth in spinach.

Must Read: Why Are My Papaya Leaves Wilting

Spinach growing problems

Spinach can be affected by various elements and problems can be caused by them.

Growing crops in the wrong season can cause defective growth. The best time for the growth of spinach is early spring. Seeds should be sown a few weeks before summer. Next, late summer sowing can be performed for a cool fall harvest.

Seedling not germinating- if seeds are sown too shallow then they do not get the required conditions and fail to germinate. Dry conditions and too high temperature can also lead to this condition. The soil must be moist and noncompact.
Eaten or cut off leaves- Cutworms are found curled under the soil. They eat and damage stems, roots, and leaves. a 3-inch paper collar should be formed at the base of the plant to avoid this.
Dark water-soaked stems- High humidity, cool and moist soil causes fungus growth. To avoid, the soil should be well-drained.
Bolting- plants and flowers bolt before leaves are ready to harvest. Too much sunlight and warm temperature cause bolting.
Leaf curling- deforming, yellowing, leaf curling can be caused by aphids.
Round water-soaked spots- this is caused by a fungus known as anthracnose. It develops in highly humid conditions. Plants can die back and infected plants should be removed and thrown away to avoid further spread of disease.

Why are my spinach leaves turning white?

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Spinach leaves turning white can be a symptom of a disease called white rust. This disease is caused by Albugo occidentalis. Symptoms at the initial stage resemble downy mildew symptoms. It can be difficult to differentiate between the two. However, at further stages, you can distinguish between them.

Chlorotic spots start appearing on the upper side of spinach leaves. These turn white eventually and give the appearance of white leaves. When the white blisters release spores, they turn reddish-brown.

It Can cause wilting and death of plants in end. Fungicides can be used to prevent it.

Prevention measures

To prevent such a situation, you must take care of a few things mentioned here. Otherwise, you will continue to grow plants that are unfit for consumption. The soil must be well-drained and not compact. Loose and properly irrigated soil ensures the good growth of spinach plants. It would be rich in organic matter which contains necessary nutrients. The pH of the soil should be 6.4-6.8 for healthy growth. Yellowing or bolting can be caused at temperatures above 75 degrees.

Also Read: How To Plant Spinach? Here Is Everything You Need To Know

You can avoid high temperatures by planting spinach in early spring or fall. Insect diseases caused by aphids can be prevented by using natural aphid predators like ladybugs and other insects.

The fungal and viral disease can be caused by clean growth and usage of resistant varieties.

Cure

You need to be aware of problems that lead to yellowing leaves in spinach first to cure them. In case of a pest attack, insecticidal soap can be used to remove pests. Fungicides can be used to treat the fungal disease like fusarium wilt. However, virus-infected plants should be removed and thrown away to stop the further spread of disease.

If soil is too acidic, consider adding lime. And if the soil is too alkaline then you can add coffee ground or commercial acidifiers to make pH acceptable.

Add compost to the soil to balance the pH of the soil.

Organic compost or fertilizers can help overcome nutrient deficiencies.

You must test the number of nutrients present in soil so that the proper amount of nutrients can be added manually. Adding nutrients vaguely can increase certain nutrients and affect plants negatively.

Conclusion

Growing spinach can be accompanied by various problems but a little care and thought while growing them can prevent disease and such problems. Preventive measures are taken before can produce healthy and edible crops.

Farming Pedia

Why Are My Papaya Leaves Wilting

ByMaryem

Papaya, also known as Carica papaya is herbaceous perennial. It belongs to family caricaceae. They are known to have originated in Caribbean in Central America. Papaya plants are generally grown in tropical or subtropical regions. They are native to Mexico and Southern America. In the USA, they are grown in Florida, Texas,southern California and hawaii. Based on their region of growth, the colour of this fruit varies.

The papaya plant bears edible fruit called papaya. The plant is treelike and usually unbranched. Stem of the papaya plant is hollow along with the petioles. Leaves are palmately lobed and arranged spirally on the top.height of plant is 2-10 m and its life span is around 25 years. This plant is found as males, females and hermaphrodites too.

Papaya is a tropical plant that bears pear shaped or melon like fruits. It is a little difficult to grow it because of its sensitive nature. Also, they cannot bear too cold temperatures, high winds and shades. Plus, papaya plants are very susceptible to diseases. Shortage of water, disease and attack by nematodes can result in wilting of leaves in papaya plants.

Male plants usually bear many flowers while female flowers bear either clusters of solitary flowers or very few flowers. Fruit of papaya is edible and is consumed by masses. It is a fleshy berry which has smooth skin on it. Skin of papaya is green and turns red, yellow or orange as it matures. Flesh of fruit is succulent and thick. Its colours vary from yellow,red to orange. Also, it contains numerous blackwrinkled seeds in it.

Basics of Papaya Plant

Plantation should be replaced every 3 years to ensure productivity to be maximum. Another name of papaya is pawpaw.

They can be eaten fresh. Along with this, people make jams, jellies, candies, and juice of papaya too. Young leaves and green fruit of papaya can be cooked and consumed as a vegetable.

Growth of papaya

papaya is a tropical plant. It grows very well in temperatures ranging from 21C to 33C. They require rainfall of at least 4 inches per month for proper growth. However, proper irrigation can also ensure undisturbed growth of papaya in dry areas. Avoid growing papaya plants in areas with risk of floods or waterlogged soils. They are also very sensitive to high winds and can easily get toppled in winds. Therefore, avoid their growth in windy areas.

Seeds can be planted out in soil and areas which receive good sunlight. But they can also grow well in containers at the start. They are grown in sterilized soils in nursery to keep diseases at bay. You can sow 3-4 seeds in one container.

Once they reach a height of 20 cm, they are ready to be planted outside. They generally grow well on hills or ridges. This is because of these places aid drainage. In addition to this, space them 2-3 m apart to ensure proper development.

Care and maintenance of Papaya

First of all seeds of papaya plants must be sown properly in well-drained soil. Proper Water supply must be ensured. Proper watering is required to grow papaya successfully. If water is not provided in the required amount that results into dropping of leaves, fruits, or flowers. Small fruits of papaya have a very small sugar content and cannot be consumed raw. In later stages, the supply of water can be reduced.

They are highly susceptible to diseases and weeds. Keep the area clean and weed free.

Mulch can be used to suppress weeds around papaya plants. Moreover, mulch has added benefits and retains moisture in soil. Regular use of fertilizer is advised to provide proper nutrition to plants. Giving required nutrients to plants helps is production of sweet and healthy fruits.

Commercial plants can be fertilized for about 2-4 times in a year. While, plants grown for personal use in gardens can be fertilized with ¼ cup of fertilizer every fortnight. When plants grow and reach the age of 7-8 months, fertilize them with 1-2 lbs of fertilizer every couple of months.

Also, these plants do not require pruning. But you can remove dead leaves from the plant without worrying.

Harvesting of Papaya

Harvesting takes around 22- 26 weeks for plants to mature. However, fruits can be picked anytime when ⅕ of fruit surface turns yellow. In addition to this, sweetness of fruit increases with time. Therefore, if you wish your fruits to have high sugar content, pick them a little later than usual. For removal of fruits, they can be either twisted or snapped. You can also use a knife to remove them.

Common diseases and pests- papaya plants are very susceptible to diseases. There are numerous microorganisms and pests that can affect these plants badly. Some of the common diseases and pests of papaya plants are mentioned below.

Anthracnose and charcoal spot- This disease is caused by fungi named Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. It causes light brown margins in circular lesions on plants. Also, small water soaked lesions are found on plants. Fungicide can be used to control the disease.
Black rot- Mycosphaerella caricae is responsible for this disease. It causes black sunken rot on young fruits. Young fruits start withering and dropping from the plant. This disease can be controlled by proper use of fungicide. Alos, fruits can be dipped in 48C hot water for 20 min to kill the fungus.
Black spot- This is also a fungal disease. It leads to formation of circular water soaked lesions. Centre of lesions becomes bleached in later stages. It can be controlled with fungicide.
Powdery mildew- Infection of all tree parts is observed in this disease. White mycelial growth occurs on the upper leaf surface. Infected area on the plant becomes light green. For getting rid of infection, avoid sprinkler irrigation systems. Also, remove the infected part to avoid further spread. Fungicides can be applied in case of severity.
Pest called as Papaya mealybug feeds on papaya plant and destroys it. It also causes plant stunting, early leaf and fruit drop. Lady beetles can be used as a natural enemy against mealybug. However, usage of chemicals can kill lady beetles and result in an outbreak of mealybug.

Cause Of Wilting Leaves In Papaya Plant

The Main reason behind wilting of leaves is insufficient watering, attack of nematodes and diseases.

Here are a few diseases mentioned that can result in wilting of papaya leaves.

Apical necrosis- this is a viral infection. In this disease,papaya leaves start curling downwards and wilt. Leaf margins turn brown and young leaves become small and have shortened petioles. As the name suggests, the disease basically begins at the top and infects other plant eventually. Gradually, it kills whole plant. Organism responsible for this deadly disease is still unknown and so is the cure. Diseased plant must be isolated to protect other plants from dying.
Phytophthora blight- This disease is caused by fungi and is extremely destructive. It leads to the death of infected plant. Root, stem and fruit of plants begin to rot in such conditions. Rapid wilting is observed and the plant dies after that. Water soaked lesions are also observed on the stem. On fruits water soaked lesions appear with white fungal growth. Further, fruit shrivels and drops. In this manner, fungus comes in contact with ground and infects roots too. This fungus is spread by wind too.

Fungicide for this disease is available but it requires good cultivation practice too. Ensure good draining soil to treat this disease. Remove destroyed or fallen fruits as fast as possible. Remove any afrucan snails from the planting site as they spread this disease.

Nematodes – these organisms are microscopic worms that attack and lead to the formation of galls in the roots of papaya plants. Galls interfere with the ability of plants to take in water and nutrients. Therefore,this results in wilting of leaves, stunting, yellowing and reduced crop yield and death of plants eventually.

These organisms can be present in any type of soil. Before planting,make sure to turn soil several times and leave it so that nematodes are exposed to sunlight.this practice results in death of nematodes.

Crop rotation also helps in handling the disease. Remove Plant debris after harvesting. To add to this, usage of resistant varieties like cassava, taro and heatmaster of tomato can be helpful

Bacterial canker and decline- Angular water soaked lesions are seen on leaves. Wilting of leaves also occurs in this disease. Water soaked lesions and cankers on the stem are observed.

Why are my papaya leaves turning yellow

The reason behind yellowing leaves infection by lethal virus. The name of this virus is Papaya Lethal Yellowing Virus (PYLV). It occurs only in Northeastern Brazil.

It results in progressive leaf yellowing and growth of greenish circular spots. The leaves wilt after becoming yellow and die. Whole plant dies eventually due to the infection.

Must Read: Why are my Strawberry Leaves Turning Red

Virus that infects plants and causes this disease generally belongs to the genus Sobemovirus. Papaya plant species that are generally infected are C.papaya, Jacaratia heterophylla, V. monicca, J.spinosa, etc.

This disease can be managed and avoided by using virus free certified plantings. Further, plants that are infected must be isolated. Usage of disinfectants to clean agricultural equipment is advised.

How to identify male and female plant seeds?

It is not possible to identify the gender of papaya seeds from naked eyes.DNA analysis is required to figure out the gender of seed. However, you identify male and female seeds once they turn into seedlings.

Male seedlings produce single straight root but female seedlings produce 2 or more branched rootlets.

Be careful while checking the gender of the seedling and avoid root damage. Just wait for plants to develop 1 or 2 true leaves and then check their rootlets.

How to pollinate papaya flowers?

One way of pollinating papaya flowers is hand pollination.

Pollination generally occurs through wind or insects.

Hermaphrodite plants have both male and female reproductive organs present in them. They do not require pollen from other plants to pollinate themselves. In other words, papaya plants undergo self pollination.

Why is my papaya tree not fruiting?

Papaya plants in home gardens fail to bear fruits sometimes. A few other times, they bear fruits but drop them as time passes. This situation can occur because of wrong pollination. Sometimes, male flowers get pollinated. But due to lack of ovary it does not bear any fruits. In rare conditions, male flowers start bearing fruit too but that fruit does not mature and drops off at a young stage.

If a tree is a female, it requires pollen to bearfruits.in case, the female plant does not receive pollen then it does not bear any fruits. Pistils of such plants start turning brown and non functional after some time.

In few cases, trees become summer sterile bisexual. Though they have both reproductive plant parts but hot weather in summer can lead to infertility. However, in cool months trees begin to function normally.

Insufficient water supply can result in a non- fruiting condition in plants. If a proper amount of water is not provided then plants cease to bear flowers and therefore there is no fruit formation too.

Excessive dryness in plants can lead to death eventually.

If the tree looks perfectly fine from outside and a proper water supply is ensured with good soil drainage and still there are no fruits. This can be a sign that the tree is starving to death. Lack of nutrients is the cause of this problem.

Provide proper nutrition to plant to get rid of problem.

Pests and diseases can also lead to no fruiting in papaya plants. When the natural functioning of plants is disturbed, they fail to fruit. Diseases like mildew and root diseases lead to non fruiting.

There are various conditions that can lead to problems and death in papaya plants. But the cure and treatment is also known to mankind. You can deal with diseases and make your plants healthy. Papaya is a herbaceous perennial and a little care of it will bring sweet fruits to you.

Farming Pedia

How Long Does Sugarcane Take To Grow

ByMaryem

How Long Does Sugarcane Take To Grow

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum ) is a widely grown crop and is the main source of sugar. It is a well-known cash crop that is of great commercial importance. It has also provided employment to a large number of people directly or in an indirect way hence contributes to the national economy.

Sugarcane is mainly a tropical plant and hence it runs across all the seasons whether it’s raining, summer or Winters.

Before knowing how long does sugarcane take to grow, check out the essentials that you must know about for sugarcane plantation.

Different requirements for sugarcane plantation:

Suitable climatic conditions : As we know sugarcane is able to grow throughout the seasons, but they best grow in tropical hot sunny areas.

A long warm growing season with high frequency of solar rays and sufficient amount of moisture can be said to be the ideal conditions for proper growth of this crop. For ripening it requires a cool but frost free season.

Soil type : sugarcane can be grown in different varieties of soil such as alluvial soil or the red volcanic soil or the soil that is a mixture of silt , sand and clay particles along with some organic material can be the perfect soil for sugarcane plantation. This crop needs a well drained soil for which the land is ploughed and left to weather for some time before subsoiling.

The pH range of the soil for sugarcane cultivation should be from 6.5 to 7.5 pH. The minimum depth of the soil should be 45 cm and the soil should have an adequate amount of nutrients.

Seed Quality: Accessibility of good quality cane seeds is must for good crop yield. Firstly the seed is grown in the nursery for 10-11 months and then that nursery crop is planted in the field. After that some other chemical treatments need to be provided to the seed which are 0.05% Bavistin, 2.5%KCl , 2.5% urea KCl +Urea etc. After the above chemical treatments , a hot water treatment is also given for prevention of seed borne diseases.
Land Preparation for Sugarcane plantation: Every single time a new crop is grown , it becomes necessary that soil should be brought to a properly cultivated land for proper germination of seeds and good root growth.

There are some reasons behind land Preparation which are:

Land Preparation includes the preparation of seedbeds that allows optimal soil water relations.
This activity also provides good physical conditions for early root proliferation and penetration.
It is also helpful in destroying weeds and hibernating pests.It also helps to knock down the diseases causing organisms.
It also helps the land to absorb the previous crop residue and organic manures.
Land preparation also facilitates proper soil chemical and microbial activities.

Tillage is an important operation under land preparation. Tillage is basically agricultural preparation of the soil with the appropriate tools or implements to loosen the surface soil layer.

The main function of tilling is to mix up the organic matter into your soil properly , break down the crusted soil, and loosen up the tiny areas for plantation. Anything in excess is never good and so is tilling, excess tilling can also cause more damage to the soil.

The best time for tilling is the spring season but can also be done in autumn for cool weather crops. However tilling must be avoided when the soil is wet as it can cause damage to soil structure.

Plantation methods of sugarcane:

Mainly, there are a few different methods for plantation of sugarcane described below-

Must Read: How To Plant Sugarcane – A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Ridge and furrow method:

It is one of the most common methods for sugarcane plantation. In this method the ridges and the furrows are opened with the help of a ridger by maintaining a distance of 120cm between the furrows in the heavy soils and and a distance of 105cm in the light and medium soil. After this step, the main and sub irrigation channels are opened at suitable distances.

Initially the sets are laid on the end of the top ridge and later on these are planted in furrows by dry and wet method.

Dry method :

This method is adopted for heavy soils to avoid pressing of the setts very deep into the soil. These sets are arranged in the furrows end to end by

facing eyes buds on the sides and sheltering it with a layer of soil. After completing the steps of plantation, the field is ready for irrigation.

Wet method :

This method is adopted for light to medium soil. In this method of plantation the field is irrigated initially before planting the setts. Then the sets are planted at the depth of 2.5 to 5 cm in the furrows with hands or feet. These sets are placed end to end in such a way that they face the bus on the sides.

Flat bed method:

Flat bed method is another method for sugarcane plantation. In this method firstly the land is ploughed, harrowed and then leveled and then flat beds are prepared. After that the cane stes are laid down in the flat beds in end to end rows. A distance of 60-90cm is maintained between the rows depending on the soil type.

Afterwards they are pressed into the soil with the help of a hand or foot , about 2.5-5 cm deep and then it is covered with a layer of soil. During the plantation by this method one must keep in mind that the buds should face on the sides otherwise it would not be possible for lower buds to germinate. This method of cane plantation is usually adopted in the areas where there is abundant moisture.

Rayungan Method:

This method of plantation is usually adopted for adsali sugarcane plantation. Rayungan Method is followed in Riverside fields or in the areas with heavy rainfall. In these areas the cane fields are usually prone to floods during the rainy season which affects the germination of the seeds and in such conditions the sets cannot be directly planted in the main fields.

So firstly the single bud sets are planted in the nursery in a vertical manner which are prepared in a high lying area of the farm in summer. After about a period of 6 weeks the sets that have been sprouted are shifted in the main field when the danger of floods is over.

Trench or the Java method:

In this method trenches ( a type of deep and wide depression in the ground) are made that depth is about 22-30cm and maintained at a distance of 90-120cm. The deeper soil is loosened and mixed up with manures. Then the sets are placed in the middle of these trenches and then covered with a layer of soil.

After the completion of planting irrigation is carried out. Large clumps of cane are produced in this method that do not lodge when tied together. The danger from wild animals is least.

Manures and fertilizers: Sugarcane is a long durational crop, as well as a heavy feeder thus the requirement of manures is quite high.

During the land preparation about 25-50 tonnes of FYM/ha has been used.

It is recommended that different sugarcane fertilizers have to be used according to the planting season, it even varies from growing track to track. So basically for Adsali 250:115:115 is used and for pre seasonal 340:170:170kg nitrogen , phosphorus and potash respectively are suggested.

Irrigation:

The water requirements for sugarcane generally range from 2000 to 2500 mm depending upon some factors like soil type, duration, and climatic conditions etc. Irrigation of sugarcane crops has been done during the different phases like the germination phase, tillering phase, grand growth phase and the final maturity phase.

So firstly during the stage of germination, the soil needs sufficient moisture for better germination however water logging can result in rotting of sets. In this phase irrigation can never be done at intervals of a week however these intervals can be of 10 days in tillering phase.

Next comes the grand growth phase which is known to be a critical stage for water demand. This also needs to be irrigated at intervals of a week. It takes 12-14 months for sugarcane to grow. Now finally in the maturity phase, the irrigation has to be done fortnightly and has to be stopped about 15 days before harvesting.

Intercultural operations: These include mulching, hoeing, tying of the cane and earthing up.

In the initial period, spreading the paddy straw or sugarcane trash on the field can help to prevent more evaporation and hence the demand for water supply will also be less.

Hoeing and weeding is necessary in the first 3-4 weeks after plantation for high yield and improved quality of sugarcane. After the germination phase two to three more hoeing and weeding may be required during the first three months depending upon the field conditions and frequency of irrigation.

The final earthing up has to be done before the monsoon rains and should be synchronized with the implementation of the last dose of fertilizers. This operation is helpful in keeping down the weeds.

Tying of canes is said to be a very desirable activity that prevents the canes to sway during wind. Bringing together the stalks from the adjacent rows and tying them all together along with their own trash and the old leaves is considered as the best way of tying the cane.q

Sugarcane diseases:

There are a few plant diseases that can be controlled or cured with some simple methods. First comes the red rot disease which is a fungal disease. It’s symptoms are drying of top leaves, the leaves start withering, red lesions on the midrib of the leaves.

One should uproot and destroy all the clumps if you notice the above symptoms. Use diseases free and heat treated setts for plantation.

The next disease is whip smut which is also a fungal disease and the symptoms can be noticed before 1 month of harvesting season and to prevent this , diseases free and heat treated sets should be used.

Harvesting:

When the lower leaves start withering up and leaving progressively, and fewer green leaves are left at the top, it can be marked as the maturity phase. Even a maturity testing device call a refractometer can be used to test the maturity stage. If the hand refractometer shows a reading of 20 , it can be said that the cane has reached the maturity level.

The harvesting of sugarcane generally begins in early winters as is continued for about 150 days. Nowadays the harvesting and cutting of sugarcane is done after receiving the cutting orders from factory authorities and these cutting orders are issued depending upon the date of planting of which the records are maintained. Harvesting of sugarcane is done with the bog machines that contain rotating knives which cut the sugar cane from the base of the stalks.

How long does it take sugarcane to grow:

sugarcane takes quite a long time to grow, we can say that it grows through the entire season. Sugarcane plants produce several stalks and each one of them can grow well over ten feet and this usually takes 12- 14 months. The best time to plant cane crops is in early Winter so that the sprouting can happen in early spring. These os basically one harvest of the primary crop and then 3-4 harvests of the regrowth.

Yield: The average yield of the cane crop under the commercial cultivation of170 tonnes per hectare for Adsali and 120 tonnes per hectare in the case of pre seasonal sugarcane and 100 tonnes per hectare for suru

Conclusion:

Farmers that grow sugarcane want their farms to be sustainable and by using sustainable practices Farmers can keep the farms and crops healthy.

Farming Pedia

Chilli Flowers Dropping Off – Plant not flowering

ByMaryem

Chilli is one of the most used spice crops in the world. There is no better way to provide the harsh and bitter taste in your food than using chilli. It is an absolute delight to use chilli to bring out the flavour of your food and make it worth it. Indian have always been very excited about their rich spices, and they never lagged behind in this. The Indian chillies are worldwide known and are amazing to taste.

Chilli is a part of the botanical family Solanaceae. The flowers seen on the plant are small, white ones, and they often are downward facing. Even the chilli fruit which grows on the plant is similarly growing downward, and hence they hang beautifully from the main plant.

But this transformation of the flower to the main fruit depends on a number of factors. The fruit bears seeds and without this, it is not possible to have the next growth. There can be a number of reasons why a situation of chilli plant flowering but not fruiting is seen. It is really hard to get close to perfection and then later losing the result of the fruit.

Flowers growing into fruit depends on a number of factors such as the intensity of the sunlight, humidity, water content, air, and many other such things. Chilli drop is a usual event, but a situation where chilli flowers dropping off is seen as very tragic.

Why does such a thing happen?

The gardeners very easily face this problem of chilli flower drop in their plants. It’s also a natural phenomenon as these shrubs do drop the flowers for giving a balance to the plant.

The main stem of chilli is so weak that due to excess flowering, it is seen that the plants do shed their flowers. It’s very normal for a healthy chilli plant, but there can be many other reasons for having this “blossom drop.”

Optimal temperature matters-

This factor really plays a lot for flowering and fruiting. The chilli plant is very limited in the temperature range. They are very sensitive to high temperature, and due to this factor, the gardeners face problems in maintaining the crop.

The morning temperature ranges from 20-10 degree celsius in the daytime. The plant drops the flower as an option to survive. This is a typical case of chillies flowering but no fruit. There can be other temperature-related facts, but you will have to see and analyze exactly which part of your plant gets damaged by the heat variation.

Fertilizers-

Another big point in chilli flower dropping off is the misuse of fertilizer. Many gardeners don’t get the entire concept of fertilizing, and hence they often think that using extra fertilizer is beneficial, but it is completely a myth. It can just backfire, and hence one needs to have a clear and keen analysis of the type of fertilizer, and the quality of fertilizer one should use. A better way would be consulting an expert for this—one who can analyze and work in detail.

Water Content-

Water plays a very unique role in plants. When you analyze the situation and see how it can work, you can observe the fact that both extreme water and low water can be harmful to the chilli plant. Both of them can cause chilli flowering but no fruit. When the water content gets lowered up in the soil and eventually in the plant, the chilli plant goes for an option to save the water from transpiration so that the water can be there for useful processes involving its life.

Flowers have their own water requirement, and also the surface area of the flower gives more surface for the water to escape; hence one can see chilli flowers dropping off. Similarly, in the case where water is in excess, the plant becomes heavy. Even the flower becomes loaded up with water, and the stem is full of water. In such a case, the flower can drop easily. The weight is a big factor in chilli plants, and hence they can’t make it easy if the plant gets full of water. It can even break the main stem.

Also Read: How to Grow Lavender with Maximum Productivity

Pollination-

It is a process in which the male spores from the male plant are transferred on the stigma of the female to form a zygote and later a seed. This process in chilly does happen via an agent. It can be air, water and many other such things. In the chilly plant, pollination is mainly via an insect.

Garden bees are a very common vector for this transfer. It is amazing to notice that lack of these vectors can cause the stoppage of pollination. Most of the gardeners aren’t aware of this fact. It will eventually lead in the death of the flowers.

The flower without being pollinated gets dried up, and hence the flower sheds off the plant. In such conditions, the flower needs to be pollinated by artificial means so as to make the flower stay on the plant. Even the gardener can do such a thing by using a cotton brush and artificial techniques.

Improper and incomplete pollination

Basically, even if anyone of the given conditions doesn’t match with a compatible pollination environment, then the process could be a complete failure. Any type of poor air circulation and improper agents can lead to such a situation. The life span of these flowers on the plant is very short, and even with a small change in the complete process, the pollination misses. This leads to Chilli Flowers Dropping Off the chilli plant after being dried up. The solution to such problems is easy, and a g can easily take some of these.

How to increase pollination?

It’s not very hard to increase the pollination rate in chilli plants. In chilli growing in gardens, the main pollinator is bees. This bee is one of the most amazing organisms in nature. To attract bees, you can plant many colorful flowers in the main garden or field where you are growing the main chilli.

Bees easily get attracted to the fragrance and sweet smell. Also, the big attractive looking flowers are very pleasing to the bees, and they like to come around these. This will accidentally help in the pollen transfer so moreover a great technique. But, you can never be sure of the success story. It is a complete case of hit and trial, and luck only can make the pollination better. If you are in an area with poor aeration or less attractiveness to pollination agents and if the pollination is the reason for Chilli flower dropping off, then you have nothing to do rather wait.

Nitrogen-

yes, don’t be surprised to know that the gas which is found the most in the atmosphere is one among the deficiencies responsible for chilli flowering but no fruit. The main reason behind this is the presence of nitrogen in free form in the soil in which the plant can use it. The nitrogen is very much important for the proper growth of chilli flowers.

Being one of the most essential macronutrients Nitrogen is very important for the blossom to remain perfect and later to transform into the chilli you want. Not only a deficiency but also an excess is very much harmful to the plant. In any case, if you took a chance to increase the nitrogen level much above the optimum, then the consequence could be a crop full of foliage bosom, and eventually, it costs in the toxicity of the land. There can be a shocking drop in the number of flowers in chilli plants, so be very strict in maintaining the appropriate amount of nitrogen for proper growth.

Air-

not only nitrogen but also air is a reason for such events. There can be many points on how air can affect the plants. The first case is itself the pollination rate. Chilli pollen is also travelled by air currents in the atmosphere which gives you an option of air pollination.

Unavailability of this airflow can reduce the pollination, dry up the flower, and then shed the flower. The second is the air content in the soil. Aeration is important for the roots. Due to tight soil, the air cannot get inside, and the roots don’t get the proper air. Further, this may lead to a lowering in the number of flowers. Even if the plant will grow, but the chilli plant flowering but not fruiting is seen.

Density-

The density or the area in which each plant is placed on the field is also a determining factor. If there are any plants on the field and the spacing is a problem, then the consumption of air and the circulation becomes weak. This may lead to chilli flowers dropping off. Sensity can be another factor by which the number of flowers can variate. The lesser the distance between pants, the lesser the growth is seen.

Humidity is very dangerous-

This plant likes to grow in dry areas. Proper and moderate humidity is required for easy and quick pollination. If the moisture content in air increases, the stickiness of the pollen also increases. The humidity is also a very important reason that can make the flowers heavy. This might be a very good cause for chillies flowering but no fruit. The content of the air is very determining, and hence small plants such as chillies do need the optimum condition. The blossom drop is very much significant in the areas with high moisture content.

Watering in the soil-

The water in the soil is important. If the water on the land where chilli is growing then it completely vanishes the fruiting in the plants. If the water level goes down the situation can be very stressful for the chilli plant. Due to such harsh conditions, the flowering might drop.

Water is very important for the overall growth, when overall is hampered the fruit is destroyed automatically. The chilli flowers dropping off can be seen in such situations, and water is something that can be really managed well. Even if the water is very much in the soil, it creates a lump. The aeration further decreases.

How to prevent this drop?

There are many factors for all these situations, and a gardener always wants a solution to it. So here are some of the things you can do to take of the problem-

You cannot change the environment, and hence it’s not on your choice, but you can select the area where you are going to cultivate chilli. Even some solutions such as artificial heating and greenhouse gases are beneficial, and one can try using these artificial techniques for getting the plants back on track.
Fertilization- it is very much sensitive in chilli plants. Most of them provide ammonia to the soil and hence are great with fixing nitrogen and providing other ions for the growth. Try providing a good amount of fertilizer just enough to support the flowerings.

Here is a key point with fertilizers.

Excess of fertilizers on your plant is very much more harmful than less content or no fertilizer. One has to be very specific with the amount.

Try providing good water to the plant. Chilli is very sensitive to water. If they don’t get a good amount of water, the growth degrades a lot. Chilli flowering but no fruit is a very basic thing seen on the plant due to water.
Sometimes there are many growth factors in the plants responsible for fruiting. One can easily get these chemically synthesized chemicals from the market and use these for use. Cytokines, Auxin and other chemicals are growth initiating hormones.

Conclusion

Dropping of flowers from the main plant is a very common phenomenon and sometimes it is even very natural. Chilli is so sensitive that even a tinge of variation in the conditions and your fruits are spoiled. The best a person can do is to make the situations favourable and more worthy for the plant.

Refences:

https://www.agrifarming.in/chilli-flower-drop-pepper-mirchi-causes-control-methods#:~:text=A%20lack%20of%20pollinating%20insects,be%20contributed%20to%20poor%20pollination.&text=Also%2C%20Chilli%20blossoms%20are%20even,to%20the%20temperatures%20during%20pollination.

https://spicesontheweb.co.uk/chilli-flower-drop-off

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pepper-blossoms-falling-off.htm

Farming Pedia

Why My Eggplant Leaves Turning Yellow and Curling

ByMaryem

Eggplant is one of the most consumed vegetables in the world. It is a delight for vegetable lovers. The tangy taste of Eggplant has it all. Even vegetables contain many important minerals and vitamins which can be beneficial for human growth.

These plants go through a very special process in which the fruit comes out and grows very slowly. It needs good care and technique for maximum output. A gardener gives a lot to see this magical moment of growth, but sometimes due to one or the other mistake defects such as Eggplant leaves turning yellow and Eggplant leaves curling are seen.

What can be the problems?

Yellow eggplant leaves are really a matter to worry. The fruit can vary in colors and hence that is not that a serious matter but the leaves indicate problems related to the entire plant. It can be there due to hundreds of reasons.

The most common reason can be infection by an outside host. Species such as spider mites are very harmful to the eggplant leaves. They like to feed on the plant’s leaves and hence can leave yellow spots on eggplant leaves. They can be so harmful that they produce such situations in which the plant gets destroyed by the absence of the required number of leaves.

However, these days we have tons of solutions to deal with such problems. Even other pests can be very harmful as they find these leaves to be an interesting food material. It eventually hits up the fruit and later if left without sorting out the problem then the plant will die eventually.

Also Read: Why Are Bottom of Tomatoes Turning Black: Blossom End Rot

Another good reason is the lack of nitrogen. Nitrogen is a very important gas when it comes to planting growth. It provides an important source to start numerous reactions in the plant necessary for its smooth functioning. Most of these reactions occur in the cells of the leaves. If there is a deficiency in the nitrogen content, you can easily observe eggplant leaves turning yellow and curling. Nitrogen does play a very important role in fixations, so even the soil sometimes lacks the number of ions required.

Water content in the soil and in the plant can also affect the leaves. On a very hot and sunny day, you can easily see the eggplant leaves curling. This is a protective mechanism to stop extra evaporation of water from the leaf surface. This is also a reason Why eggplant leaves turn yellow. When water is not present in a sufficient amount, the basic cellular activity of the leaves cell gets degraded. Further, the cells start dying, leaving yellow spots on eggplant leaves.

Many other cells on the leaves of the Eggplant are very sensitive to turbidity, and hence other ions are also very important in the wilting and curling. Many times you can have different conditions of the leaves depending on the weather and the time of day. In the morning, it is a very frequent experience to see the leaves rolled out due to extra water content.

Verticillium Wilt

This one of the most common diseases seen in plants and shrubs. Eggplant easily has the influence of this fungal disease. The fungal pathogen lives in soil and finds its ways to the plants leaves through the root. It is one of the most frequently seen reasons for Eggplant leaves turning yellow and curling and eventually wilting.

The problem with the detection of this disease is mimicry. It mimics many environmental effects on the plant. This makes the detection delayed by a good amount of time. The yellowing starts in the lower regions of the plant and eventually gets spread in the entire plant. After a span of time, one can see yellow spots on eggplant leaves. It mainly takes the vascular system for its spread. Hence it’s very hard to stop the spread.

Another disease which might be the reason Eggplant leaves turning yellow can be Early blight. It’s very important to notice this that the fungus Alternaria solani can infect Eggplant too. It was a misconception that the disease is seen in potatoes and tomatoes, but it readily infected Eggplant. The most common symptom is yellow spots on the eggplant leaves. It spreads on the different parts and stems of the plant and further, the leaves start curling. Not just yellow but brown spots are also seen. Brown rings over yellow are very common in the early blight. It is also a circulatory spread fugal hence hard to deal with.

Both these diseases are very harmful to the plant as these fungal diseases find no stoppage easily. They get inside the main vascular and circulatory system, and hence you cannot get proper treatment for such problems. PretreatmentsPretreatments are possible when detection is early but then also the chances of curing the disease is very low.

Yellowing is just a common symptom which should be enough to start the pretreatment. The most effectiveness is seen in the process of crop rotation. If you rotate the crop according to the pathogen expected and plant a crop immune to the pathogen, it might work miracles. The pathogen cant gets its host, and later it dies due to lack of food, it dies.

Coming up the next is the Eggplant virus. The most harmful virus for Eggplants. The thing to notice here is the complete incurability of the virus. All the diseases have some of the other prevention and cure up to a limit, but this virus once is there in your plant, the leagues will curl and deep yellow spots on eggplant leaves are seen which gets worsen up further. The best option to deal with this is to take the plant out from the field to stop spreading to others.

The main thing to focus on here is the fact that you cannot have a complete cure or turn back in most of the yellowing and curling of the leaves. There are some methods that we will discuss in the next section that can help you in protecting your eggplant leaves from turning yellow, but the best option if the plant is infected by an organism is to go harsh on the plant and uproot it, stopping the spread.

So now we can talk on the section,

How to prevent yellow spots on eggplant leaves?

There can be many methods to stop the effect on the plant. The basic thinking of any farmer is not eventually stopping the leaves but is protecting the fruit, which actually does matter. Loss in the fruit due to such problems can be very dangerous financially for the one growing it. Especially when it’s done on a large scale, it turns out to be a hell of a problem.

Eggplant leaves curling

The first case is deficiency leading to eggplant leaves turning yellow, and Eggplant leaves curling- you expect to provide the plant what it is missing. There are many fertilizers and other microbes that can be useful in doing so. Even the Nitrogen-fixing method can be useful. Ammoniation and other such techniques on the root provide the plant, useful substance. But you have to be specific in this case.

Every plant does react to different chemicals and methods in different ways. A thorough analysis of your soil is needed. It could be done in a laboratory. You can get the exact number of missing nutrients your plant needs which are the cause of the yellowing leaves of the Eggplant. Accordingly, an agriculture expert can give you the best option.

Never overuse any type of fertilizer or chemical, especially those containing ammonia and other such stuff. It can cause a toxification of your Eggplant. This will kill the plant or will do harm to the harvest of the plant. The fruit not only becomes harmful for the plant but also is very harmful for human consumption.

Watering

The water-absorbing capacity and even the retention by the leaves can be boosted. This will help the drainage to improve and later help you with getting back your normal leaves. There are colloids and other chemicals boosting different root absorption.

When provided with such substance, one can get the perfect turgidity and circulation. There are many organic matters and other homemade therapies and techniques to increase the water retention and aeration of the soil. Even many ions and minerals get transport through the water with the Xylem in the roots, and hence it becomes even more important. Any loss of such an ion can cause things such as yellow spots on the eggplant leaves.

Insecticide

It is a very complicated thing to use. There are a number of bugs and spiders that like to enjoy the feast upon the leaves of Eggplant, leasing to loss of the plant and necrosis. The problem in using these chemicals is the surface they are sprayed upon.

All the others are not directly applied to the edible parts of the plant, but insecticide is very different. It tremendously harms the fruit and quality of the Eggplant. The bugs and other such pests can be prevented up to a limit. Overuse has a great loss here. It is seen that insecticide is very limited to its usage over time and generations. Many organisms have turned immunes in the next generations giving you no other option than letting them destroy your crop.

pH plays a role

Sometimes the yellowing of the leaves or the yellow spots on eggplant leaves is because of the acidity of the soil. The plant depends a lot on the soil, and therefore the pH or the alkalinity or basicity of the plant is another determining factor.

In cases the pH gets imbalanced, the plant is seen in great trouble. This pH allows the passage of different ions in the plant, and the concentration once gets dis balanced it will get very worse for the leaves. It is not something which you can just look at and tell, so it needs good sample testing. After the report, try getting the soil back to normal in most of the cases as seen the plant does get the proper pH via different chemicals leading to getting the leaves again green and back to a healthy state.

Pre Treatments for fungal treatments

This is a very new technique; hence you might need an expert. The first problem is the detection of the disease. These fungal pathogens are very clever species, and they mimic environmental factors deficiency. There are chemicals such as chlorothalonil useful in getting these diseases treated.

Many other forms of fungal disease do exist in Eggplant. Pretreatment doesn’t give assurance of eradicating the virus from the plant or so, but it can also be a preventive measure. These treatments help to gain the plant an immunity boost to fight with the possible fungi. But one needs to provide a specific amount of these.

Virus anyhow still doesn’t have a proper solution in eggplants. They are the most amazing organisms working in nature, and they have the finest capacity to hide from nature. They are very brilliant in mutating and hiding from the treatments and chemicals, so it’s better to let a plant die rather letting it infect all the other plants.

Environmental conditions

The last we have here is Environmental conditions- many a time the environment can make a change in the leaves of the plant. Eggplant leaves curling is one of the most commonly observed changes in an eggplant due to overheating weather or when the temperature of the surrounding is too high than the optimum.

Many times plants don’t get accurate sunlight, so the process of photosynthesis can be disturbed. This might be a cause of the breakdown of chlorophyll in the leaves and further getting the yellow spots on eggplant leaves. Many other environmental conditions can prevail and change the leaves, and the only solution to this is trying to provide weather artificially. Greenhouse arrangements are one among such arrangements.

Conclusion

What we made you go through in the article is a very small part of the reasons and factors eggplant leaves can turn yellow. There are hundreds of other possibilities, but the above listed are the top ones.

References:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/eggplant/eggplants-turning-yellow.htm#:~:text=Yellowing%20of%20leaves%20is%20often,as%20the%20water%20stress%20increases.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/verticillium-wilt-treatment.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/eggplant/early-blight-on-eggplants.htm#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20earliest%20signs,and%20completely%20destroy%20the%20leaves.

https://www.dpvweb.net/dpv/showadpv.php?dpvno=421#:~:text=Eggplant%20mottled%20dwarf%20virus%20(EMDV,virus%20with%20bacilliform%20particles%20c.

Farming Pedia

Importance of Farming in Our Life

ByMaryem

Farming pedia provides the essential information about farming and agriculture around the world. The information provided includes case studies and project reports of agriculture farming. And also it provides vast information about how to originate, maintain and develop farming and agriculture. This can help us to create our own farming world. C

Agriculture has been engaged in making essential food crops for decades. Agricultural production beyond farming covers forestry, milk, fruit farming, poultry, beekeeping, mushrooms, arbitrary agriculture, etc.

Currently, crop processing, marketing, distribution and livestock products are all recognized as part of existing agriculture. Agriculture may also be referred to as agricultural product growth, processing, promotion and distribution. In maintaining the lifecycle and development of the economy, agriculture plays a major role.

Agriculture is the foundation of a given country’s economic structure. Agriculture also provides a significant percentage of the population with job opportunities as well as food and raw materials.

So, we need to look at some of the contributions made by the agriculture sector across the globe. Here we can know some of the facts that can be provided and produced by the farming that can give information beyond the importance of the farming.

Importance of farming in our life

Livelihood

Farming is the most populated and essential occupation that has been chosen by the people. Around 1billion people globally derive their livelihood from agriculture in some way or the other. This high percentage of agriculture is the product of the lack of growth of non – farm sectors to absorb the rapidly increasing population.

Besides, many people in developing countries are not engaged in agriculture. To understand the difference between rich and developing nations in agribusiness: In the Republic of Congo, 69% of individuals work in farming; in the United States of America, just 1% work in this segment.

Raw Material

Agriculture acts as an essential resource in the exchange of raw materials for industries development. They seek raw materials like cotton and jute, sugar, tobacco, edible and non-edible oils for their production purpose. Also, for other sectors, other materials like fruit processing, veggies and rice husking are primarily provided by agriculture.

Food and fodder

The farming sector supplies domestic animals with fodder. The cow gives people milk that is protective food. Besides, livestock also fulfills human nutritional needs.

International trade

The agricultural products like tea, rice, spices, tobacco, coffee, etc. are major exporting items of agricultural-related countries. If agriculture develops constantly, imported goods will be reduced while export increases considerably.

This leads to lowering the unfavorable balance of payments in countries and saving foreign exchange. It can be used well to purchase other essential inputs, machinery, raw materials, and other infrastructure that supports the country’s economic development.

Marketable Surplus

Agricultural sector growth contributes to marketable surpluses. Many individuals are interested in manufacturing, mining, and other non-agricultural industries as the nation evolves.

These individuals rely on food produced by the marketable surplus of the nation. With the development of the agricultural sector, demand rises, leading to a rise in marketable surpluses. This can be exported to other countries.

Transportation

The bulk of agricultural products are transported from farms to factories via railways and roads. Internal trade is mainly dependent on agriculture. Also, the government’s revenue relies heavily on the accomplishment of the agricultural sector.

Contribution to the economy

For most developing countries, agriculture is the primary source of national income. However, the agricultural sector’s contribution is a smaller percentage of their federal revenues to developed countries such as the USA.

Foreign exchange

The export trade of the nation mainly depends on the agricultural sector. Farm commodities, for instance, such as silk, tobacco, seasonings, oils, cotton production, coffee, and tea, account for about 18% of the entire value of a country ‘s exports. This shows that agricultural products remain a significant source of income for the foreign exchange of a nation.

Employment

Building irrigation systems, drainage systems, and other such operations in the agriculture sector are necessary because they offer more opportunities for jobs. The agriculture industry provides the workforce with more job opportunities. This, in turn, reduces the high unemployment rate caused by the rapidly growing population in developing countries.

Development

As agriculture employs many people, it helps to develop the economy. As a result, the amount of national income, and the quality of living of people is increased. The rapid pace of development in agriculture provides both progressive prospects and intrinsic confidence for the event. It, therefore, helps to create a healthy environment for a country’s overall economic growth. Economic development, therefore, depends on the rate of agricultural growth.

Food security

A stabilized farming sector ensures food security for a nation. Every country’s main requirement is food security. Food safety prevents food shortages that have historically been regarded as one of the significant problems of developing countries. Most countries depend on their crucial source of income for agricultural products and related industries.

Medicines

Agriculture not only provides food, employment, and leads to development but also does it help to obtain life-saving medicines. For example, the papain enzyme is extracted from the papaya fruit. This papain is used as an organic enzyme.

This is used to substitute indigestion with one of the proteolytic juices. Particularly helpful for the sick and the elderly. This papain is obtained by large-scale cultivation of papaya. Most alkaloids are used as medicine. Opium alkaloids like morphine often relieve extreme pain, cough, and lose balance. These are obtained by growing opium poppy crops in farms.

Protection of bees

Were you aware that 2018 was the 14th straight year for the honey production of North Dakota in which it ranked first? The State has almost 500,000 bee colonies and in 2017 generated 33 million pounds of honey. With so many bees sheltered for growth, beekeepers help protect people’s lives. In Montana, ranchers and farmers even provide 75% of the State’s wildlife with a critical winter habitat.

Agriculture for profit

Agriculture is the biggest fabric material source. This fabric type is cotton. Often used to make jeans, bedding stuff, etc. Jute and other fabrics are also used to make gunny bags.Chemical filament fabrics are used to produce garments.

Agricultural fiber meets broad clothing demand. Therefore, they are safe for use and nature-friendly disposal. Farm animals, including sheep and cattle, are useful. Sheep ‘s hair is wool that produces sweatshirts and winter clothing. While livestock skin is used to produce leather to produce belts, wallets, etc. Silk is another industry where silkworms or insects are raised to collect silk. This silk yields fine and costly fabric.

Woman Empowerment

More than a hundred thousand farms are headed by women, 30% of all the farmlands. Not only is this creating the small business values of America, but it also creates powerful people running such companies.

Improvement of communities

Another promising trend is the increasing growth of farmers ‘ markets. Farmers’ markets allow smallholders to communicate effectively with consumers. The food supply is domestically produced throughout the local community, reducing the need for long-distance travel. The opportunity to buy locally grown food is invaluable as demand rises.

Consumers benefit from healthier food options, and farmers have a new chance to buy their crops. Consumers and their children will hear first-hand about goods from producers and how they are born. Farmers interact and improve their communities.

Conclusion

Therefore, the role of farmers and agriculture in the development of the world cannot be ignored. The contribution of farmers in our daily lives, from food to clothes, cannot be denied. All these points prove the importance of farming in our daily lives.

However, it is another matter that developing countries will have to create many facilities to strengthen the region. Yet farming and gardening is a significant source of life in such countries.