Plant Nutrient Management

• Grown on residual soil fertility and removes less nutrients.
• Yield of 10 t DM/ha and 2.2 t seed/ha removes- 120 kg N, 32 kg P2O5 and 136 kg K2O.
• Irrigated conditions: 40-60:15-20:15-20 kg NPK/ha.
• Rainfed conditions: 30-50:15-20:15-20 kg NPK/ha.
• Apply N in 2 splits in heavy and 3 splits in sandy soil.
• 2/3rd at sowing and 1/3rd at flowering for heavy soil.
• 1/3rd at sowing, 1/3rd at 30DAS and remaining 1/3rd at 50DAS.
• 40 kg/ha of S is better for plant growth.
• FYM: 20-25 t/ha.

Irrigation Management

• Requires 1200-2500 mm rainfall.
• Critical stages: Flowering and pod development stage (45-50 and 60-70 DAS).
• Water can be scheduled as 1st immediately after sowing to aid germination.
• 2nd when plants are 15 cm high and have been weeded with an interval of 15-20 days.
• Irrigate at or just after maximum flowering to fully develop the capsules.

Intercultural operation

• Yield loss up to 40% due to weeds.
• Critical period: first 15-45 days
• Major weeds: Cyperus rotundus, Digitaria sp, Imperata sp, Sorghum sp
• 1-2 hoeing and hand weeding: 1st at 15-20 DAS and 2nd at 40-45DAS.
• Do thinning along with weeding to keep the plants at 15 cm distance between rows.
• Fluchloralin @ 1.0 kg/ha in 800-1000 l of water as pre-planting spray.
• Alachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i./ha as pre-emergence spray.

Harvesting and threshing

• Ready to harvest at 80-150 days depending upon cultivar.
• Harvest within 2 weeks from physiological maturity.
• Harvesting is done when capsules turn green to yellow and the leaves begin to drop.
• At partially ripe stage of the crop (top most ripe), stem are cut at ground level and stacked into field to ripen the seed.
• Thresh by beating with stick.
• Sun-dry the seeds to reduce the moisture content to 10% or below before storage.
• Store in airtight metallic bins that should be placed in dry and cool places.

Yield

• Well irrigated: 1-1.5 t/ha
• Rainfed: 0.5-0.7 t/ha