Aung Win Htut - Industrial Crop Farming

Part (2)

Industrial crop cultivation

1. Growing cassava

Water and land climate

It is suitable for cultivation in areas with a minimum rainfall of (60-110) inches. It prefers sandy loam or silty sandy soil with moderate soil fertility and water vapor content and a soil temperature of (35) degrees Celsius. However, it can be cultivated in low-fertility and clayey soil by adding moderate amounts of fertilizer. It does not like saline soil. If grown in very fertile soil, the leaves and stems grow more and the tubers and starch content are reduced.

It prefers a humid tropical climate and prefers 60 inches of rainfall, but can grow in areas with 20 - 200 inches. It is drought tolerant if given adequate water at the time of initial planting.

- Plants that are exposed to snow will die and will not survive temperatures below (10) degrees Celsius. The best temperature is between (25 - 27) degrees Celsius.

Land preparation

Cassava tubers can penetrate the soil up to (1-2) feet, so they should be planted as deep as possible. If planting a small area, you can plant them in rows (6-12 inches high) or in mounds. For large-scale planting, it is best to plant them with a deep plow. Plowing and harrowing should be done carefully to loosen the soil.

If you are planting on a hillside, you should make a ridge to prevent water erosion. When making a ridge, dig it up and down according to the slope of the hill. Only then will the water that flows down the ridge easily, without being stuck in the ridge. Cassava does not like waterlogging.

Breeding

The yield of plants grown from seeds is lower than that of plants grown from cuttings. Plants that are about (10) months old and about (1) inch to (1.5) inch in diameter can be cut and saved as seeds. When cutting, cut (9) inches from the base and the tip of the stem and remove only the middle. The tip of the stem grows quickly, but the yield of seeds is not as good as the base. (10-15) seedlings can be tied up and stored in a dry place by the base.

When cutting the seed stalk, be careful not to damage the buds next to the deciduous leaves. Seed stalks cut vertically produce uniform eggs, while seed stalks cut at an angle tend to produce eggs at the slanted tip, resulting in uneven egg production.

When to plant

It is usually planted in April, May, and June, at the beginning of the rainy season. It is not a water-loving plant, but it needs water when the tubers begin to grow. In areas where irrigation is available, it should be planted before the end of summer to coincide with the time of tuber growth and the time of rain. Some cassava varieties can be grown all year round. Cultivation,

The stored seeds should be planted in the field at a distance of (3x3) feet, (4) between the plots. Before planting, make four plots at a distance of (3 x 3) feet in the field and dig small holes at (3 x 3) feet intervals. Each seedling should be planted (5-6) inches deep in each hole.

There are three methods of cultivation: vertical planting, horizontal planting, and (45) degree planting. In areas with high rainfall, vertical planting can cause the soil to rot due to rainwater. In areas with low rainfall, horizontal planting is the best method, and in areas with moderate rainfall, vertical planting is the best method. The soil should be buried (2-4) inches below the ground. ' ' After (30) days of planting, the soil should be leveled and compacted. In areas with high rainfall, it should be done after another (60) days, and again after the end of the rain.

Fertilizing,

If grown in barren land, there is no need to add fertilizer in the first year. In annually cultivated land, 20 cartloads of cow dung per acre should be added at the time of soil preparation. Urea (16 pounds), T-super (112 pounds) should be added at half the rate at the time of initial preparation, and potash (56 pounds). After planting, mixing, and harrowing, the remaining half of urea and T-super should be added at the time of tillage.

Fertilizer can be applied by either sprinkling or by spraying from one (1) to two (2) feet away from either side of the plant, as appropriate.

Pests and diseases

Spider mites - - They eat the young leaves of young plants. When they are attacked, the young leaves stop growing and yellow spots appear on the leaves. The leaves droop down. There is also a red spider mite, which prefers mature plants with mature leaves.

Spider mites prefer dry summers and are spread by wind and from infected plants to other plants. -

The firefly moth - This moth is a pest of cassava plants and prefers dry weather. It damages plants growing in poor soil. It takes about (24) days for the eggs to hatch and the optimum temperature for egg hatching is (26) degrees Celsius.

When the pest infects, its toxins enter the plant, causing leaf curling, stunted growth, and wilting. The pest feeds on the leaves from the base of the stem, through the stems, and then through the leaves. The larvae and eggs can be spread to other plants through the air.

Leaf spot - When leaf spot is affected, brown spots appear on the tips of the leaves. It is not a concern when growing in small quantities, but care should be taken when growing in large quantities. Prevention and control can be achieved by spraying insecticides or burning fallen leaves in the summer, or by cutting off (6) inches of branches from the plants and burning them.

Cassava rootworm - Common in cassava plants that have not been harvested for a long time (2) to (4) years. If grown on slopes, it is more dangerous for plants at the foot of the hill. When the rootworm attacks, the leaves turn yellow from the base and the stem soon falls off. The stem within (4) inches from the ground develops black streaks and cracks.

Bacterial blight - caused by a bacterium called Xanthomonas spp. It is mainly transmitted by leaf-eating insects. It is also spread by cuttings from infected plants. It starts on old leaves and can spread to the entire plant through the saplings, stems, and tubers through the plant's vascular system. When the disease is present, the leaves wilt and the leaf stalks die. The scarred leaf stalks can regenerate new shoots, but this is very rare. The tubers are also small and rot. Plants grown in sandy, loamy soils are not resistant to the disease.

Moth disease - This disease affects young leaves more than old leaves. The incidence of the disease decreases as the leaves mature. If the disease is found, it can be controlled by removing the shoots and young leaves. The disease is afraid of acidic soil. Adding lime to the soil can increase the incidence of the disease.

Anthracnose - This disease is an important cassava stem disease that occurs more frequently in poor, sandy, and acidic soils. It affects the stems of young plants more than the stems of older plants.

Harvesting and storing,

The time for harvesting cassava tubers should be the time when the maximum tuber yield per acre and the maximum amount of starch can be extracted from the tubers. The harvesting time varies depending on the variety, but is generally between (8-14) months.

Generally, when the flowers open and the leaves start to turn yellow and fall off, the time to harvest is when the soil around the plant starts to crack. The tubers can be stored for up to two years without being harvested. The adhesive will decrease, but they will not rot. If they are left for more than 48 hours after harvesting, they will rot. If the tubers are damaged during harvesting, they will rot more quickly.

For storage, a layer of neatly arranged cassava tubers, a layer of about (3) inches of soil, and a layer of (6) inches of soil should be placed on top and compacted. Then, small ditches should be made to allow good drainage. In addition, fresh tubers can be stored for about (20%) months if buried in sand containing (20%) water at a temperature of (25 -27) degrees Celsius.

When storing eggs with chemicals, fresh eggs can be stored for about 16 days by spraying the outer shell with wax to protect it from mold. In addition, spraying with a disinfectant solution of ethylene bromide, methyl bromide, ethyl bromide, or a solution of 1 part formalin to 32 parts water can also keep them for 19-25 days.

When stored in a cold room, cassava tubers can be stored for up to (6) months if kept in a cold room at a temperature of (32 - 35) degrees Celsius and humidity of (85 - 90%).

2. Sunflower cultivation

Water and land climate

It grows in red soil, yellow soil, clay soil and brown soil with high lime content. However, it grows better in well-drained sandy soil and clay soil with a soil thickness of more than (1, 50) meters. It does not like waterlogging and requires a soil thickness of up to (3) meters for root attachment. The pH is (5 - 8.5), but the best is (6 - 7.5). It grows best at a temperature of (20 - 25) degrees Celsius. The planting time should be adjusted to the age of the plant to achieve this temperature, especially during flowering. Sunflowers need pollination, so there should be one bee hive per acre. Many bees collect pollen and nectar when the temperature is moderate, but when the temperature is high, they collect only water and cool it by beating their wings in the hive. Extreme temperatures can damage the pollen and reduce the number of bees, which can affect the yield of sunflower seeds .

Planting time

It can be grown in various ways during the rainy season and winter. In the central regions of Myanmar, where rainfall is low, it is grown primarily for yield during the rainy season, and in the winter, it is grown alone or intercropped with other crops. In the lower regions of Myanmar, it is grown as an intercrop after rainy rice and as an intercrop with various legumes.

Varieties

Previously, GOR - 102 , 104 and “Perinovit” varieties were imported and cultivated successfully. In Myanmar, sunflowers are divided into (3) types. These are large plants, medium plants and dwarf plants. Large plants were previously grown for their seeds. The plant height is about (6 - 12) feet, the flower diameter is about (12 - 20) inches. The seeds are white (or) light brown with black stripes and the life span is about (120 - 130) days. The medium plant is about (4 . 6 - 6) feet high, the flower diameter is about (7 - 9) inches. The seeds are light brown with white stripes and the life span is about (150) days. The dwarf plant is about (2 - 4) feet high, the flower diameter is about (5 - 6) inches. The seeds are small and black and the life span is about (95) days.

Cultivation

When planting by hand in rows, when exposed to strong sunlight and strong winds, the seeds are often damaged and the plants are scattered and killed. Therefore, seeds should be sown using a seeding device. The water supply of sunflower roots goes down to (9) inches into the soil, but most of the water supply flows out to the side (1) foot above the soil. Therefore, the spacing between rows should be (11 x 24) inches. When planting, planting (24,290) plants per acre is better than planting (36,437) plants per acre. For large plants, planting (36,437) plants per acre is better than planting (24,290) plants per acre. Only (3-4) seeds are used per acre, and an average of (27 - 40) baskets can be produced. If water can be supplied when needed, yields can be good.

Disease

There is no resistance to Alternaria leaf blight, which is a serious disease affecting sunflower leaves.