P.P.Shelke


P.P.Shelke

SMS(Agri.Engg)

KVK Karda Distt. Washim (M.S.)

                Shri. Punjaji Narsuji Budner, is a marginal farmer of Nizampur village of Washim District. He is having 8 acre of cultivable land. He is growing Chilly, brinjal & tomato through out the year. We have selected this farmer for conducting on farm research.  Tomato is important vegetable crops of Washim district, farmers are growing this crop on commercial line. During the visit of farmers we have analysed the problem and decided treatment.  The package includes variety Bhagyashri, 75:50:50 Kg NPK per hectare, natural growth regulator spray for 6 times. The seed was sown during the month of May on raised beds. The raised bed was sprayed with mixture of cow urine and cow dung before sowing. Seedling Were transplanted during the month of June in the main field.

 

Natural Growth Regulator was used for spraying on tomato. The procedure for preparation of natural growth regulator is simple.  First take materials required  like cow dung 1kg, Gomutra 4kg, Crushed neem leaves 400gm, Jaggery 100gm.   Then all the above material was mixed well & stored in air tight container of capacity 10 to 15 lit. Allowed this mixture airtight up to 7 days. After 7 days lid of container was opened and mixed well. Then added  1 lit. of water and filtered the mixture. Natural growth  regulator of 5 lit, capacity was ready for spraying. 250 ml of this solution was mixed in 10 lt. Of water for spraying. Spraying was taken during morning and in the evening.

                Different spraying of NGR followed during various crop stages.

15 days after transplanting

30 days after transplanting

45 days after transplanting

60 days after transplanting

75 days after transplanting

135 days after transplanting

                The farmers has harvested 139.50 qt. In 0.20 Ha area. He has harvested 465 totals of crates of tomato fruits. The farmers has sold fruits in local market. He has got average Rs.275 (INR) per crates. He has got total income of Rs. 2 lacs (INR)during the year. Due to use of natural growth regulator, the incidence of pest and disease attack was very low during the growth period. Only neem based insecticides with endosulfan was used. The quality of the fruits, shape and size was very attractive. The farmers has got maximum price in Risod market.



Jennifer

Dave Truman


Spring is on its way and many people are looking forward to planning and planting their vegetable garden. There are so many options, it can be hard to know what to choose and from whom to purchase your seeds. Because there are so many online vegetable seed companies to pick from, the choices can be overwhelming. This article will help to point you in the right direction.

Buying vegetable seeds online can be a very good choice. Many companies do not package their seeds ahead of time, which helps the seeds stay fresh longer. Likewise, many stores will ship the next day so you are guaranteed quick delivery. You will also find a very large selection of seeds that you may not be able to find at your local store. Even greenhouses or nurseries cannot provide a comprehensive array of viable vegetable seed options. If you are looking for that rare organic tomato seed, chances are you can find it online.

Most online vegetable seed companies offer some type of warranty. Some say that if a seed does not produce within a certain time frame, they will refund your purchase price or replace the item. This is the most common type of warranty you will come across. Other guarantees say that they will refund your money if you are not satisfied for any reason. Regardless, make sure you understand the terms before you buy.

Prices are usually fairly comparable, but check a few things before you purchase them. See how much you are really getting. Some sites may be cheaper, but they may be selling a lighter weight. Also be aware of the quality of the seeds. For example, heirloom seeds produce the best tasting tomatoes. There are also a lot of different types of the same vegetable. Be sure you are comparing the exact same vegetable or you will not get an accurate picture.

Have an idea of the type of vegetables you would like to plant. Do you want an eclectic collection of classics and exotics. Are all organic vegetables your thing. Or do you just want an old fashioned vegetable garden with the staples of cooking in it. Whatever you choose, you can find a company that will cater to your preferences.

Make sure that you patronize a reputable vegetable seed company. If you are unsure about where to start, ask some of your friends where they purchase their seeds. If you know someone in the neighborhood who has a great garden, ask them where they get their seeds or if they have any recommendations. Another way to get tips is to join an online gardener’s chat group. Gardeners are always willing to help someone who is looking for advice.

Starting a vegetable garden can be an immensely rewarding experience. Have fun with your vegetable garden, but don’t forget the things we talked about. They can save you time and frustration later on. Buying your seeds from a reputable online company is a convenient and economical way to get your garden started.



Allison

Judith Schwader


Picture three ripe red tomatoes arranged on a wooden cutting board awaiting your pleasure. They’ve each come from a different source: can you tell which one was grown organically?

Two of the tomatoes were lovingly tended in backyards - one in a conventional garden and the other in an organic garden. The third tomato came from the supermarket, and it’s easy to eliminate from the guessing game.

The supermarket tomato is the pale red one the size and shape of a tennis ball. Bred for packing, shipping, and storing, (not flavor), this tomato was picked green, has traveled more than a thousand miles from farm to store, and has sat on the shelf for weeks — looking none the worse for wear.

Set this one aside. It was definitely not grown organically.

Two remain. For the sake of the game, they are the same tomato variety, let’s say Big Beef slicers. Bright red, they were just picked and are still warm to the touch from afternoon sun.

It’s not so easy to tell the difference in these; we have to look beyond the surface… literally. The quality of the soil from which they grew is the key element to naming the winner of this game: conventional tomato vs. organic tomato.

The chemicals in the fertilizers used in conventional gardens actually break down the health of the soil. Microbes that are necessary for making soil nutrients available to the plants are killed off.

The dead soil requires increasing doses of conventional fertilizer, and still the plants are malnourished, falling prey to insects and disease. Enter the deadly pesticides, sprayed liberally on the plant.

Now, the game is getting serious. One of the two remaining contestants in our tomato contest had better be carefully washed before being eaten; it’s been dusted with poison.

On the other hand, the organically grown tomato also had fertilizer applied to it, but this fertilizer was made from naturally occurring substances like bone meal, fish emulsion, and rock phosphate. These additions fed the soil and did no harm to the beneficial microbes that make nutrients available for use by plants.

Pesticides probably weren’t necessary because a healthy plant produces its own pest-resistant chemicals. But if there were pests, the organic gardener might have used a home-mixed spray of hot pepper and garlic, or something similarly non-toxic to humans.

There are a few additional techniques the organic gardener probably used, such as tilling in a cover crop to add organic material for the microbes and earthworms to decompose. This process results in a crumbly textured soil that holds moisture and allows the roots to breathe.

But even without the soil improvement from a cover crop, it’s fairly clear which tomato is better for health: the only nutrients that can be found in the fruit had to come from what was available in the soil. The organically grown tomato provides better nutrition.

What is not so clear is which tomato is better for flavor. A test of the ratio of sugar to acid might be made, but that isn’t a big issue. Both the conventionally grown and organically grown tomato are vastly superior in flavor to the poor tomato found in most supermarkets.

The original question in this tomato guessing game was whether you could tell which one of those ripe, juicy tomatoes on the cutting board was organic. Turns out that it’s hard to tell just by looking, or even just by tasting.

So, what’s the big issue? Mainly this: sustainability. Conventional growing depletes and eventually destroys the soil. Whereas organic growing techniques actually build and improve the soil.

In the end, the nutritious organic tomato contributes more to your health, and it is certainly better for the health of the soil from which all future crops will come.



Lara

Rachael Green


Growing your own organic tomatoes is fairly easy. If you are tired of paying high prices for organic tomatoes at the store then next season, you should be prepared to experiment with organic tomato gardening. There are a few basic tips in organic tomato gardening:

Location with Plenty of Sun:

Tomatoes need plenty of sun, at least eight hours a day to be productive and to keep the soil and roots warm. Organic tomato gardening is based on the ideal garden location. Tomatoes thrive as much on heat as they do the sunlight. If you have to increase the level of light or heat, then sometimes a reflective back fence can help. It can be as simple as a white sheet staked between two fence poles to reflect more light onto the tomato plants.

Temperatures:

Plants do the best when the soil temperature is over 55 degrees and the night-time temperatures don’t get colder than that. On the other hand, tomatoes have a hard time withstanding a heat wave for very many days when it reaches over 90 degrees. If the temperatures at night are cooler than 55 degrees, you may need to cover your plants with buckets or sheets overnight. If it is getting extremely hot during the day, you need to provide shade, by hanging a sheet on one side of the garden to block the hottest sun of the day.

Staking and Pest Control:

In organic tomato gardening, staking plants by keeping them off the ground protects them from soil that is laden with harmful plant insects. Natural pest control in organic tomato gardening also means that you don’t re-plant tomato plants in the same place you may have experienced diseases or pests the year before. Organic tomatoes are to be grown in an area that has not been chemically treated in three growing seasons, so you may have to relocate plants.

Watering:

Uneven watering can be responsible for sporadic growth of fruit and can also cause problems with rot diseases. Two good waterings per week, with the ground soaked six to eight inches is usually sufficient for tomatoes. Of course, they love water, so if it gets extremely hot, you will have to water more often for them to stay productive.

Mulch for Weed Control and Preserving Moisture:

By using black plastic around your plants, you will discourage weed growth and keep warmth in the soil. This can help direct water to the plant’s root system when sloping towards the plant. You can keep weed growth down and moisture in by laying heavy layers of newspaper around the plants and keeping them damp.

Pruning:

By pruning the suckers at the joints of the stem and leaves, you will focus more of the plant’s energy on bearing fruit. If you don’t prune, you will get more tomatoes, they will be smaller in size, and be sure you have plenty of mulch to keep the vines and fruit from direct contact with the soil. If you decide not to stake plants, the suckers will root themselves into the ground. This can help provide more water. If they are not rooted, they will take more of the water the plant gets.

Fertilizer:

You can use natural fertilizers, such as manure or fish emulsion on the tomato plants. Using compost from your recycling pile is another way to add nutrients without chemicals, when you are organic tomato gardening.



Anne-Marie