COMMODITY:OKRA

Presented by: MAYNARD M. BALUYUT

Professor: MARY GRACE B. GATAN

Introduction

Abelmoschus
Botanical Name
esculentus

Plant Type Vegetable

Sun Exposure Full Sun

Soil Type Loamy, Sandy

Soil pH Slightly Acidic to Neutr

al

Bloom Time Summer

Flower Color White, Yellow

 Okra or Lady’s Finger

it is botanically known as Hibiscus

esculentus L.or Abelmoschus
esculentus L, is a famous and basic
vegetable in the market. The young
fruit can be eaten fresh, steamed, or
singed. It is additionally a crucial part
of a Filipino dish pinakbet. It is
generally developed during the time
since it is impervious to either dry
season or wet season.

Photo from: ( The Old Farmers Almanac 1792)

PLANTING

 You can begin okra seeds inside in

peat pots under full light 3 to
about a month prior to the
previous rainy season.

 you can't begin your okra plants

early, hold up until there is steady,
warm climate. You can plant okra
in the nursery when the soil has
warmed to about 65° or 70°F—the
hotter, the better. Photo from: ( The Old Farmers Almanac 1792)
 SELECTING A PLANTING SITE
 As a warm-climate crop, okra
acknowledges full sun.

 Okra is versatile and will develop in

most soils, however it performs best in
very much depleted soil that is rich in
decomposed particles.

 Soil ought to in the acidic side, with a

pH somewhere in the range of 5.8 and
7.0.
Photo from: ( The Old Farmers Almanac 1792)
HOW TO PLANT OKRA

 if you are planting okra transplants,

make certain to space them 1 to 2
feet separated to give them adequate
space to develop.

 Plant okra seeds about ½ to 1 inch

down and 12 to 18 inches separated in
row. You can splash the seeds for the
time being in lukewarm water to help
accelerate germination.

 Okra plants are tall, so space out the

columns 3 to 4 feet separated.

Photo from: ( The Old Farmers Almanac 1792)

Growing of Okra

 if you are planting okra transplants,

make certain to space them 1 to 2
feet separated to give them adequate
space to develop.

 Plant okra seeds about ½ to 1 inch

down and 12 to 18 inches separated in
row. You can splash the seeds for the
time being in lukewarm water to help
accelerate germination.

 Okra plants are tall, so space out the

columns 3 to 4 feet separated.

Photo from: ( The Old Farmers Almanac 1792)

Major Diseases of OKRA
 Charcoal rot

 Symptoms
Discoloration of stem at soil line;
cankers on stem may spread
upwards; leaves may wilt and drop
from plant; numerous small black
sclerota (fungal fruiting bodies)
develop in affected tissues and can
be used to diagnose the disease

Management
Rotate crop to non-host to reduce build-up of
inoculum in the soil; avoid water stress to
plants by irrigating when required
 Fusarium wilt
 Symptoms
Wilting of cotyledons and seedling leaves;
cotyledons become chlorotic at the edges and
then necrotic; older plants exhibit symptoms
of wilting and leaf chlorosis; wilting is
usually gradual but may be pronounced after
heavy summer rain; if infection is severe
plants become stunted and may be killed;
vascular system of infected plants becomes
discolored and can be seen by cutting the
stem

Management
Use on certified, disease-free seed; plant
varieties with higher resistance to the
disease in areas with a history of
Fusarium diseases; fumigating the soil
may reduce disease incidence
 Powdery Mildew

 Symptoms
Powdery white covering on leaves; patches
may coalesce to cover entire plant; if plant is
heavily infected leaves may roll upward and
appear scorched

 Management
Use overhead irrigation (washes fungus from
leaves and reduces viability); plant crop as
early as possible; applications of appropriate
fungicides may be necessary to control the
disease
 Southern blight

 Symptoms
Sudden wilting of leaves; yellowing foliage; browning stem
above and below soil; browning branches; stem may be covered
with fan-like mycelial mat
 Management
Remove infected plants; avoid overcrowding plants to promote
air circulation; rotate crops with less susceptible plants; plow
crop debris deep into soil; provide a barrier to infection by
wrapping lower stems of plant with aluminum foil covering
below ground portion of stem and 2-3 in above soil line
 White mold Sclerotinia sclerotum

 Symptoms
Flowers covered in white, cottony fungal growth; small,
circular, dark green, water-soaked lesions on pods leaves
and branches which enlarge and become slimy; cottony
white growth may be visible on lesions during periods of
high humidity; death of branches and/or entire plant

 Management
Rotate crops with non-hosts like cereals and corn;
plant rows parallel to direction of prevailing winds
to prevent spread of disease from secondary hosts
nearby; avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer; use a
wide row spacing
 Enation leaf curl disease
 Symptoms
On lower surface of leaves we will see a small pin head enations. This
enation become warty and rough in structure at later stage. Reduce in leaf
size. The stem, lateral branches and leaf petioles become twisted along
enation.
Leaves appear thick and leathery. In severely infected plants the
emerging leaves shows bold enations and curling. And produce few
deformed fruits.

Management
 1. Remove the infected plant and burn them to avoid further spread of
disease
 2. Use yellow sticky traps to monitor whiteflies population
 3. If the whiteflies infestation is more spray suitable insecticides.
 Yellow Vein Mosaic Disease
 Symptoms
The infected leaves shows alternate patches of green and yellow.
Veins become clear and chlorotic. With the progress of disease
the veins become conspicuous and both vein and vein lets
become thick. In advance stage the stems and leaf stalk become
distorted. Fruits are yellowish green in color and small in size.

 Management
Use resistant cultivars. Sow disease free certified seeds.
Roughing of infected plants. Follow crop rotation. Keep the field
free from weeds. Control vector with suitable insecticides.
MAJOR INSECT PEST
of OKRA
 Aphids
 Symptoms
Small soft bodied insects on underside of leaves and/or stems of plant;
usually green or yellow in color, but may be pink, brown, red or black
depending on species and host plant; if aphid infestation is heavy it may
cause leaves to yellow and/or distorted, necrotic spots on leaves and/or
stunted shoots; aphids secrete a sticky, sugary substance called
honeydew which encourages the growth of sooty mold on the plants

 Management
If aphid population is limited to just a few leaves or shoots then the
infestation can be pruned out to provide control; check transplants for
aphids before planting; use tolerant varieties if available; reflective
mulches such as silver colored plastic can deter aphids from feeding on
plants; sturdy plants can be sprayed with a strong jet of water to knock
aphids from leaves; insecticides are generally only required to treat
aphids if the infestation is very high - plants generally tolerate low and
medium level infestation; insecticidal soaps or oils such as neem or
canola oil are usually the best method of control; always check the
labels of the products for specific usage guidelines prior to use
 Armyworms
 Symptoms
Singular, or closely grouped circular to irregularly shaped holes in
foliage; heavy feeding by young larvae leads to skeletonized
leaves; shallow, dry wounds on fruit; egg clusters of 50-150 eggs
may be present on the leaves; egg clusters are covered in a
whitish scale which gives the cluster a cottony or fuzzy
appearance; young larvae are pale green to yellow in color while
older larvae are generally darker green with a dark and light line
running along the side of their body and a pink or yellow
underside
 Management
Organic methods of controlling armyworms include biological
control by natural enemies which parasitize the larvae and the
application of Bacillus thuringiensis; there are chemicals available
for commercial control but many that are available for the home
garden do not provide adequate control of the larvae
 Corn earworm Helicoverpa zea

 Symptoms
Larvae damage leaves, buds, flowers and pods; young caterpillars
are cream-white in color with a black head and black hairs; older
larvae may be yellow-green to almost black in color with fine white
lines along their body and black spots at the base of hairs; eggs are
laid singly on both upper and lower leaf surfaces and are initially
creamy white but develop a brown-red ring after 24 hours and
darken prior to hatching

 Management
Monitor plants for eggs and young larvae and also natural enemies
that could be damaged by chemicals; Bacillus thuringiensis or
Entrust SC may be applied to control insects on organically grown
plants; appropriate chemical treatment may be required for
control in commercial plantations
 Cucumber beetles 
 Symptoms
Stunted seedling; damaged leaves, stems and/or petioles;
reduced plant stand; plants may exhibit symptoms of
bacterial wilt; scars on fruit caused by beetle feeding
damage; adult beetles are brightly colored with either a
green-yellow background and black spots or alternating
black and yellow stripes

 Management
Monitor new planting regularly for signs of beetle; floating
row covers can be used to protect the plants from damage
but will need to be removed at bloom to allow bees to
pollinate plants; applications of kaolin clay can be effective
for management of small beetle populations; application of
appropriate insecticides may be necessary
 Cabbage looper

 Symptoms
Large or small holes in leaves; damage often extensive; caterpillars
are pale green with a white lines running down either side of their
body; caterpillars are easily distinguished by the way they arch their
body when moving; eggs are laid singly, usually on the lower leaf
surface close to the leaf margin, and are white or pale green in
color

 Management
Looper populations are usually held in check by natural enemies; if
they do become problematic larvae can be hand-picked from the
plants; an organically acceptable control method is the application
of Bacillus thuringiensis which effectively kills younger larvae;
chemical sprays may damage populations of natural enemies and
should and should be selected carefully
 Melon thrips
 Symptoms
If population is high leaves may be distorted; leaves are
covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery; leaves
speckled with black feces; insect is small (1.5 mm) and
slender and best viewed using a hand lens; adult thrips
are pale yellow to light brown and the nymphs are smaller
and lighter in color

 Management
Avoid planting next to onions, garlic or cereals where very
large numbers of thrips can build up; use reflective
mulches early in growing season to deter thrips; apply
appropriate insecticide if thrips become problematic
NEMATODES
 Root-knot nematode

 Symptoms
 Galls on roots which can be up to 3.3 cm (1 in) in
diameter but are usually smaller; reduction in plant
vigor; yellowing plants which wilt in hot weather

 Management
 Plant resistant varieties if nematodes are known to
be present in the soil ;check roots of plants mid-
season or sooner if symptoms indicate nematodes;
solarizing soil can reduce nematode populations in
the soil and levels of inoculum of many other
pathogens
 Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s Don’ts

•Timely sowing •Don’t apply more than the recommended dose of

•Field sanitation the pesticide
•Always use freshly prepared •Don’t repeat the same pesticide consecutively
neem seed kernel extract •Don’t apply mixture of pesticides
(NSKE). •Don’t apply highly hazardous insecticides like
•Apply pesticides only when monocrotophos in vegetables
required •Don’t apply pesticides just before harvesting
•Wash okra fruits before •Don’t consume produce till 3-4 days after
consumption application of pesticides
REFERENCES:

 Plantvillage.psu.edu
 The Old Farmers Almanac 1792
THANK YOU
for
LISTENING….