|
Growing okra in coastal areas
By Engr Kamran Bukhsh Soomro
August 1, 2011: OKRA, called Bhindi, is cultivated in
tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate regions. It can
also be grown in the coastal areas of Pakistan.
The length of the country’s coast is about 1,100kms which
ranges from Gwadar in Balochistan to Badin in Sindh. Malir
and other adjacent districts of Karachi come under the
coastal area.
Where there is shortage of water, drip irrigation system can
be adopted. It is a system that applies water and
fertilisers directly to the root zone of individual plant
instead of irrigating the entire area with flood or
sprinkler irrigation. The system comprises pipeline network
as main, sub-main, lateral lines and emitters or tricklers
which are fitted on laterals from which water is delivered
to the plant at a low pressure.
Under proper management, drip irrigation system is capable
of saving water, as only the plant’s root zone is supplied
with water; under this system, the use of water is efficient
with higher crop yield as compared to traditional irrigation
method.
In the coastal areas, the groundwater is saline ranging from
marginal to hazardous quality and can be used for
cultivation of okra and other vegetables. The Coastal
Agricultural Research Station of PARC has taken an
initiative for using marginal quality irrigation water in
comparison to good quality water under drip irrigation
system.
The amount of water applied through drip system to okra crop
was 6,989.7m3/ha. The crop yield and water use efficiency
was 16.96t/ha and 2.43 kg/ respectively. Thus, it was
concluded that okra crop can be grown successfully on a
sandy loam soil using saline (marginal quality) ground water
for irrigation.
Okra has a great potential in coastal areas. Growers should
be made aware of the use of saline ground water for
vegetable cultivation.
Controlled and on-spot irrigation through drip system seems
the only appropriate method to grow and sustain
horticultural activities in this region.
It shall not only provide the required water to the plant
but will also resist salt built up in the root. Another
possibility may be prevention of diseases particularly of
fungal origin.
However, there is need for more research on the use of
saline ground water for cultivation of winter and summer
vegetable crops and fruit orchards in the coastal belts of
Sindh and Balochistan under the drip irrigation system for
the benefit of the people of these area.
Courtesy: The DAWN
|
Pakissan.com;
|
