About the Book
Book 1: Production and
Management of Spices
Book 2: Production and
Management of Tea
Book 3: Production and
Management of Rubber
Book 4:
Production and Management of Coffee
Book 5: Production
and Management of Other Plantation Crops-Coconut and Cashew
Book 1: Production and Management of Spices
Spices impart colour, flavour and fragrance to
food. As a preservative, spices played an important role in preservation of
physical bodies of Royalty in Egypt. India is the world leader in production,
marketing and domestic uses of spices. Among spices, cardamom, black pepper,
ginger, turmeric and tree spices are grown along the length and breadth of
India. Cardamom, the Queen of Spices, originated in the Western Ghats of India
and spread to other countries including Guatemala. Tree spices are clove,
nutmeg, allspice, tamarind and garcenia. Cloves are grown for its immature
unopened flower bud. Nutmeg is a three-in-one spice, all three parts of it are
spicy. Allspice flavours like cardamom, cinnamon and clove.
India grants over 50 spices of which black
pepper is most important in production and export. Vietnam is competing with
India in Global market. Guatemala is overtaking India in cardamom. India is the
world leader in production of large cardamom. During 2007-08 India exported
spices worth US$ I billion; the target for export by 2015 is US $ 10 billion.
The Spice Board of India has the mandate on production and export of cardamom
and export of other spices. Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India takes
care of all the spices other than cardamom. Productivity of many of our spices
are to be boosted up by practicing high production technologies considering the
increase in domestic consumption greater demand for Indian spices in the world
market as well as the threats to exports from other producing countries. Good
agricultural practices to produce clean spices is gaining significance.
Pertinent information on ago climatic-soil-water requirements, establishment of
plantations, integrated management practices for nutrition, pests and diseases
and salient features relating to organic spice producers are presented in this
Block of three units.
Unit 1 In
Cultural practices of spices are elaborated. Spacing, time of planting, soils
and water requirement are dealt with. Pests and diseases affecting black
pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric and tree spices are indicated along with
their control measures. Weed management to minimize nutrient and water losses
is important in .spices cultivation. List of important varieties grown provides
Indias strength in the productive genotypes.
Unit 2
discusses Integrated Nutrierts, Pests and Diseases Management. Integrated
Nutrient Management deals with the optimization of nutrient use to maximize
productivity of spices. IPM deals with Integrated Pest Management to control
important pests of spices so that minimum insecticide residues are recovered on
analysis. Integrated Disease Management (IDM) takes care of management of
diseases through bio control tools, avoidance of preferred hosts and also
intercropping with non-preferred crops. Parasites, predators and parasitoids
are used in one way or other in pest management.
The significance and scope of organic spices
following good agricultural practices have been dealth with in Unit 3. Standards and principles for
efficient and economic spice production, products for plant protection for more
nutritive and socially acceptable spices etc., have been discussed. Procedures
for organic spice -production and citification in respect of the two prominent
spices viz., pepper and
cardamom are also explained at length in this unit.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. We have also provided check your progress questions for
self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do, is
to go through units and jot down important points as you read, in the space
provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list
of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
detailed reading.
Book 2: Production and Management of Tea
Do you know that tea, India's number one
beverage, is obtained from the plantations distributed along the mountain
terrains of North-East India and the Western Ghats of South India. India has
the second largest area under tea in the world after China, and is second in
terms of total production too. Darjeeling Tea which fetches premium price in
export market, is from the Himalayan Hills of North-East India. This block on Production and Management of Tea gives
you adequate details on better nursery materials and management practices for
high and sustainable tea production.
Promising tea varieties have been developed and
approved for cultivation by tea research institutions in India. Tea being a
self-sterile plant, shows variability in seedling populations hence,
vegetatively propagated superior clones are widely used. Establishment of new
plantations, maintenance of field planted estates, cultural practices including
fertilizer application, regulation of shade, drainage, provision of need based
irrigation etc., should be properly undertaken. Similarly, management of pests
and diseases through timely application of chemicals is the last but the most
important factor for maximum production. At the end comes harvesting (plucking)
of tea leaves which also demands scientific approaches as far as tea quality i concerned.
In addition, procedures for scientific 'organic tea' production, are also
elaborated and presented in this Block.
Unit 4 gives you
information on distribution, area and production of tea, production of
plant.ing materials for commercial tea growing, management practices for
plantlets and grown up tea bushes both in the nursery as well as in established
areas, and on different soil and water copservation measures. The importance of
shade management, pruning of tea bushes for shape and production and their
maintenance and methods of harvesting tea are also dealt with in the unit.
Unit 5 Nutrient
Management - This unit describes soil types found in tea growing areas, method
of collection of representative soil samples for fertility evaluation,
importance and principles of manuring, types of plant nutrients and fertilizers and
symptoms of nutrient deficiency. Various climatic, soil and plant factors
affecting utilization of nutrients and the use of plant growth regulators for
increasing crop production are also discussed in Unit 5.
Unit 6 on 'Plant
Protection Measures' deals with different types of pests, diseases and weeds
that affect tea and which bring about on an average 15-20 per cent reduction in
yield due to loss of crop and sometimes even the death of tea bushes. Besides
crop loss, there is also deterioration in quality of made tea. This unit also
describes different types of pests, diseases and weeds commonly found in tea
growing areas, the nature of damage caused by them and their control through
chemical, cultural and other means.
Production of 'organic tea' without using any
kind of synthesized chemicals like pesticides, fungicides, herbicides,
concentrated fertilizers and plant growth regulators is given in Unit 7 on 'Organic Tea'. A brief
description is given on the selection of site and planting materials for
organic conversion of existing tea growing estates into organic areas and their
maintenance. Details of different methods of crop protection measures to
control/manage pests, diseases and weeds in organic tea growing areas are also
discussed in this unit.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. We have also provided check you progress questions for
self.test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do,
is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the space
provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list
of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
detailed reading.
Book 3: Production and Management of Rubber
The words of Professor Richard Evans Schutes,
"No single species of plant has in the short span of 100 years so utterly
altered life style around the globe as Hevea brasiliensis", truly describe the prominent position the
rubber tree enjoys I as an important industrial plantation crop.
Introduction of Hevea brasilensis as a plantation crop in South and South-East
Asia in the last quarter of the 19th century paved way for
systematic studies on, plant productivity technologies and processing of the
crop. The discovery of pneumatic tyres and the. subsequent automobile
revolution further strengthened and maintained the commercial viability of
rubber plantations even against stiff competition from synthetic rubber
introduced during the second world war. Natural rubber still plays a
significant role as an important industrial raw material.
The original genetic material of Hevea introduced to South-East Asia in.1876 had only a yield
potential of about 200-300 kg per ha. By careful Ortet selection (selection of
high yielding mother trees) and cloning and at a later stage, through planned
hybridization and selection, commercial yield recorded steady increased over
the years. The present modem clones evolved and released by different Rubber
Research Institutes in various rubber growing countries can yield 2000 - 3000
kg/ha. The high yielding clones recommended by the Rubber Research Institute of
India (RRII) rank among the best clones in the world and these clones have
contributed to make India attain the first position in productivity.
The objectives of this block are:
To realize the full potential of any high
yielding clone, it is necessary to adopt scientific methods of agro -
management. Though rubber is predominantly a small farmer crop, most of the
small holdings maintain high standards of management. To ensure synergy between
scientific advances and good management practices, it is essential to develop
proper expertise in this field. In this block, we have four units.
The units under Block 3 "Production and
Management of Rubber" were designed with the above objective in mind.
Unit 8 discusses the Agro-climatic requirements for successful
establishment of rubber plantations. Besides describing the ideal climatic
requirements, this chapter also indicates the constraints in many
non-traditional belts in India where rubber is now cultivated.
Unit 9 describes 'the different-types of Nursery and planting materials. While this
chapter lucidly narrates the subject matter, a field visit to such nurseries
may be rewarding.
Unit 10 deals with all aspects of Planting and cultural operations. The
scientific basis of each and every agro operation is elucidated in this
chapter.
Unit 11 covers all aspects of Crop protection. This chapter contains
vivid description of disease and pest symptoms and appropriate control
measures. A brief account of the equipment normally used for plant protection is
also included.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. We have also provided check your progress questions for
self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do,
is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the space
provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list
of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
reading.
Book 4: Production and Management of Coffee
Coffee has a place of pride among the
plantation crops in India and is mainly cultivated in the traditional coffee
growing states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and to a lesser extent in
the non-traditional areas such as Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and seven North
Eastern States.
Economic cultivation of coffee is dependent on
suitable climatic conditions, edaphic factors supported by adequate elevation
and rainfall regime. Coffee being a perennial crop grown for its beans,
selection of high yielding, disease/ pest resistant material having wide
adaptability to a range of agro-climatic conditions prevailing in coffee tracts
is essential while starting the plantation. Besides, it is also important to
have a thorough knowledge on cultivation and adoption of improved crop
husbandry practices for obtaining economic returns from the plantations.
The Block 4 on Production
and Management of Coffee which largely covers all cultivation aspects of
coffee, has been divided into five Units covering from seed to harvest. Brief
details of the Units are as follows:
Unit 12 Agro-climatic
Conditions: Deals with-the requirements of ideal soil and climatic
conditions for successful cultivation of the two major species of coffee viz., Arabica and Robusta. Besides, the ill effects of
adverse weather conditions on performance of coffee are dealth with.
Unit 13 Nursery and
Planting Material: Deals with methods of propagation such as seed and
clonal progagation and requirements for the proper maintenance of seedling and
clonal nurseries. In addition, this unit also describes the approaches adopted
in India for development of planting materials and characteristic features of
some of the important coffee varieties.
Unit 14 Planting and
Cultural Operation: This Unit covers all the important crop husbandry
practices such as establishment and aftercare of new plantations and different
cultural practices to be adopted periodically in an established plantation for
obtaining desirable yields.
Unit 15 Crop
Protection: This Unit deals with pests and diseases of coffee in
India and their effective management for minimizing crop losses.
Unit 16 Organic
Coffee: Deals with the requirements for establishment of new organic plantations
and also conversion of existing plantation for organic coffee production as per
the National Regulations. Besides, the Unit also describes the procedure to be
adopted for obtaining of certification of organic coffee that would ensure
premium price in the market.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. Vie have also provided check your progress questions
for self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps YQU ought to
do, is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the
space provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A
list of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
detailed reading.
Book 5: Production and Management of Other Plantation Crops-Coconut and
Cashew
Though Plantation crops constitute only about
two per cent of the total cropped area in the country, they generate
considerable foreign exchange earnings by way of export. Large scale
plantations of tea, coffee and rubber were started only after the arrival of
the Europeans but coconut and spices were under cultivation from the very early
days. The very name 'Kerala' meaning land of coconut, speaks about its
antiquity. Cashew indigenous to South America, was introduced into India by the
Portuguese in the 16th century to the West Coast as a soil binding
crop. In order to ensure good yields, it is essential that high yielding
varieties are used as planting materials. Such varieties should be planted in
favorable locations having fertile and deep soil. The after care of the plants
by proper manuring, inter cultivation and irrigation should be systematically
attended to for obtaining good establishment, growth and yield. Inter and mixed
cropping with compatible crops would enhance the income from unit area of the
plantation. The crops also need to be protected from pests and diseases to
prevent the death of plants and loss of yield.
The present block deals with various aspects of
crop production and protection of coconut and cashew. The topics have been dealt
in such a way that it gives the reader a cohesive picture of the various facets
of crop varieties, crop production technologies, crop protection and attainable
yields. These are covered in three units; the details are as follows.
A general idea about the crop, its origin,
distribution, botany and varieties under cultivation has been presented in Unit 17. To obtain
good field establishment and growth of plants, details regarding nursery
techniques to produce quality seedlings, field preparation and planting,
manuring and irrigation etc., have been described. Inter and mixed cropping as
a farming system to increase income, is then discussed.
The Unit 18 deals with soil and
climatic requirements of cashew to start with. Varieties to be used and
production of planting material have been dealt with in detail. Field
preparation and planting, cultural practices to be adopted, fertilizer
scheduling, organic nutrition and management of senile plantations are the
other sections covered in the unit.
The Unit 19 describes about the
pests and diseases affecting coconut and cashew. Details regarding insects and
pathogens that attack the crops, symptoms of the malady and control measures to
be adopted have been given adequately so as to help the reader study the damages
and to take appropriate control measures.
The material provided in this block is supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process simple and interesting. We have also provided check your progress questions for self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do, is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the space provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further detailed reading.
Contents
|
Block 1 production and management of spices |
|
UNIT 1 |
Cultural Practices |
7 |
UNIT 2 |
Integrated Nutrients, Pests and Diseases Management |
33 |
UNIT 3 |
Organic Spices and Good Agricultural Practices |
54 |
|
Block 2 Production And Management of Tea |
|
UNIT 4 |
Cultural Practices |
5 |
UNIT5 |
Nutrient Management |
24 |
UNIT 6 |
Plant Protection Measures |
41 |
UNIT7 |
Organic Tea |
57 |
|
Block 3 Production And Management of Rubber |
|
UNIT 8 |
Agro-cimatic Requirements |
5 |
UNIT 9 |
Nursery and Planting Materials |
14 |
UNIT 10 |
Planting and Cultural Operations |
29 |
UNIT 11 |
Crop Protection |
47 |
|
Block 4 Production And Management of Coffee |
|
UNIT 12 |
Agro-climatic Conditions |
5 |
UNIT 13 |
Nursery and Planting Materials |
15 |
UNIT 14 |
Planting and Cultural Operations |
26 |
UNIT 15 |
Crop Protection |
48 |
UNIT 16 |
Organic Coffee |
72 |
|
Block 5 Production And Management of Other Plantation Crops - Coconut And
cashew |
|
UNIT 17 |
Cultural Practices and Nutrient Management of Coconut |
5 |
UNIT 18 |
Cultural Practices and Nutrient Management of Cashew |
22 |
UNIT 19 |
Plant Protection of Coconut and Cashew |
40 |
About the Book
Book 1: Production and
Management of Spices
Book 2: Production and
Management of Tea
Book 3: Production and
Management of Rubber
Book 4:
Production and Management of Coffee
Book 5: Production
and Management of Other Plantation Crops-Coconut and Cashew
Book 1: Production and Management of Spices
Spices impart colour, flavour and fragrance to
food. As a preservative, spices played an important role in preservation of
physical bodies of Royalty in Egypt. India is the world leader in production,
marketing and domestic uses of spices. Among spices, cardamom, black pepper,
ginger, turmeric and tree spices are grown along the length and breadth of
India. Cardamom, the Queen of Spices, originated in the Western Ghats of India
and spread to other countries including Guatemala. Tree spices are clove,
nutmeg, allspice, tamarind and garcenia. Cloves are grown for its immature
unopened flower bud. Nutmeg is a three-in-one spice, all three parts of it are
spicy. Allspice flavours like cardamom, cinnamon and clove.
India grants over 50 spices of which black
pepper is most important in production and export. Vietnam is competing with
India in Global market. Guatemala is overtaking India in cardamom. India is the
world leader in production of large cardamom. During 2007-08 India exported
spices worth US$ I billion; the target for export by 2015 is US $ 10 billion.
The Spice Board of India has the mandate on production and export of cardamom
and export of other spices. Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India takes
care of all the spices other than cardamom. Productivity of many of our spices
are to be boosted up by practicing high production technologies considering the
increase in domestic consumption greater demand for Indian spices in the world
market as well as the threats to exports from other producing countries. Good
agricultural practices to produce clean spices is gaining significance.
Pertinent information on ago climatic-soil-water requirements, establishment of
plantations, integrated management practices for nutrition, pests and diseases
and salient features relating to organic spice producers are presented in this
Block of three units.
Unit 1 In
Cultural practices of spices are elaborated. Spacing, time of planting, soils
and water requirement are dealt with. Pests and diseases affecting black
pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric and tree spices are indicated along with
their control measures. Weed management to minimize nutrient and water losses
is important in .spices cultivation. List of important varieties grown provides
Indias strength in the productive genotypes.
Unit 2
discusses Integrated Nutrierts, Pests and Diseases Management. Integrated
Nutrient Management deals with the optimization of nutrient use to maximize
productivity of spices. IPM deals with Integrated Pest Management to control
important pests of spices so that minimum insecticide residues are recovered on
analysis. Integrated Disease Management (IDM) takes care of management of
diseases through bio control tools, avoidance of preferred hosts and also
intercropping with non-preferred crops. Parasites, predators and parasitoids
are used in one way or other in pest management.
The significance and scope of organic spices
following good agricultural practices have been dealth with in Unit 3. Standards and principles for
efficient and economic spice production, products for plant protection for more
nutritive and socially acceptable spices etc., have been discussed. Procedures
for organic spice -production and citification in respect of the two prominent
spices viz., pepper and
cardamom are also explained at length in this unit.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. We have also provided check your progress questions for
self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do, is
to go through units and jot down important points as you read, in the space
provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list
of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
detailed reading.
Book 2: Production and Management of Tea
Do you know that tea, India's number one
beverage, is obtained from the plantations distributed along the mountain
terrains of North-East India and the Western Ghats of South India. India has
the second largest area under tea in the world after China, and is second in
terms of total production too. Darjeeling Tea which fetches premium price in
export market, is from the Himalayan Hills of North-East India. This block on Production and Management of Tea gives
you adequate details on better nursery materials and management practices for
high and sustainable tea production.
Promising tea varieties have been developed and
approved for cultivation by tea research institutions in India. Tea being a
self-sterile plant, shows variability in seedling populations hence,
vegetatively propagated superior clones are widely used. Establishment of new
plantations, maintenance of field planted estates, cultural practices including
fertilizer application, regulation of shade, drainage, provision of need based
irrigation etc., should be properly undertaken. Similarly, management of pests
and diseases through timely application of chemicals is the last but the most
important factor for maximum production. At the end comes harvesting (plucking)
of tea leaves which also demands scientific approaches as far as tea quality i concerned.
In addition, procedures for scientific 'organic tea' production, are also
elaborated and presented in this Block.
Unit 4 gives you
information on distribution, area and production of tea, production of
plant.ing materials for commercial tea growing, management practices for
plantlets and grown up tea bushes both in the nursery as well as in established
areas, and on different soil and water copservation measures. The importance of
shade management, pruning of tea bushes for shape and production and their
maintenance and methods of harvesting tea are also dealt with in the unit.
Unit 5 Nutrient
Management - This unit describes soil types found in tea growing areas, method
of collection of representative soil samples for fertility evaluation,
importance and principles of manuring, types of plant nutrients and fertilizers and
symptoms of nutrient deficiency. Various climatic, soil and plant factors
affecting utilization of nutrients and the use of plant growth regulators for
increasing crop production are also discussed in Unit 5.
Unit 6 on 'Plant
Protection Measures' deals with different types of pests, diseases and weeds
that affect tea and which bring about on an average 15-20 per cent reduction in
yield due to loss of crop and sometimes even the death of tea bushes. Besides
crop loss, there is also deterioration in quality of made tea. This unit also
describes different types of pests, diseases and weeds commonly found in tea
growing areas, the nature of damage caused by them and their control through
chemical, cultural and other means.
Production of 'organic tea' without using any
kind of synthesized chemicals like pesticides, fungicides, herbicides,
concentrated fertilizers and plant growth regulators is given in Unit 7 on 'Organic Tea'. A brief
description is given on the selection of site and planting materials for
organic conversion of existing tea growing estates into organic areas and their
maintenance. Details of different methods of crop protection measures to
control/manage pests, diseases and weeds in organic tea growing areas are also
discussed in this unit.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. We have also provided check you progress questions for
self.test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do,
is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the space
provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list
of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
detailed reading.
Book 3: Production and Management of Rubber
The words of Professor Richard Evans Schutes,
"No single species of plant has in the short span of 100 years so utterly
altered life style around the globe as Hevea brasiliensis", truly describe the prominent position the
rubber tree enjoys I as an important industrial plantation crop.
Introduction of Hevea brasilensis as a plantation crop in South and South-East
Asia in the last quarter of the 19th century paved way for
systematic studies on, plant productivity technologies and processing of the
crop. The discovery of pneumatic tyres and the. subsequent automobile
revolution further strengthened and maintained the commercial viability of
rubber plantations even against stiff competition from synthetic rubber
introduced during the second world war. Natural rubber still plays a
significant role as an important industrial raw material.
The original genetic material of Hevea introduced to South-East Asia in.1876 had only a yield
potential of about 200-300 kg per ha. By careful Ortet selection (selection of
high yielding mother trees) and cloning and at a later stage, through planned
hybridization and selection, commercial yield recorded steady increased over
the years. The present modem clones evolved and released by different Rubber
Research Institutes in various rubber growing countries can yield 2000 - 3000
kg/ha. The high yielding clones recommended by the Rubber Research Institute of
India (RRII) rank among the best clones in the world and these clones have
contributed to make India attain the first position in productivity.
The objectives of this block are:
To realize the full potential of any high
yielding clone, it is necessary to adopt scientific methods of agro -
management. Though rubber is predominantly a small farmer crop, most of the
small holdings maintain high standards of management. To ensure synergy between
scientific advances and good management practices, it is essential to develop
proper expertise in this field. In this block, we have four units.
The units under Block 3 "Production and
Management of Rubber" were designed with the above objective in mind.
Unit 8 discusses the Agro-climatic requirements for successful
establishment of rubber plantations. Besides describing the ideal climatic
requirements, this chapter also indicates the constraints in many
non-traditional belts in India where rubber is now cultivated.
Unit 9 describes 'the different-types of Nursery and planting materials. While this
chapter lucidly narrates the subject matter, a field visit to such nurseries
may be rewarding.
Unit 10 deals with all aspects of Planting and cultural operations. The
scientific basis of each and every agro operation is elucidated in this
chapter.
Unit 11 covers all aspects of Crop protection. This chapter contains
vivid description of disease and pest symptoms and appropriate control
measures. A brief account of the equipment normally used for plant protection is
also included.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. We have also provided check your progress questions for
self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do,
is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the space
provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list
of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
reading.
Book 4: Production and Management of Coffee
Coffee has a place of pride among the
plantation crops in India and is mainly cultivated in the traditional coffee
growing states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and to a lesser extent in
the non-traditional areas such as Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and seven North
Eastern States.
Economic cultivation of coffee is dependent on
suitable climatic conditions, edaphic factors supported by adequate elevation
and rainfall regime. Coffee being a perennial crop grown for its beans,
selection of high yielding, disease/ pest resistant material having wide
adaptability to a range of agro-climatic conditions prevailing in coffee tracts
is essential while starting the plantation. Besides, it is also important to
have a thorough knowledge on cultivation and adoption of improved crop
husbandry practices for obtaining economic returns from the plantations.
The Block 4 on Production
and Management of Coffee which largely covers all cultivation aspects of
coffee, has been divided into five Units covering from seed to harvest. Brief
details of the Units are as follows:
Unit 12 Agro-climatic
Conditions: Deals with-the requirements of ideal soil and climatic
conditions for successful cultivation of the two major species of coffee viz., Arabica and Robusta. Besides, the ill effects of
adverse weather conditions on performance of coffee are dealth with.
Unit 13 Nursery and
Planting Material: Deals with methods of propagation such as seed and
clonal progagation and requirements for the proper maintenance of seedling and
clonal nurseries. In addition, this unit also describes the approaches adopted
in India for development of planting materials and characteristic features of
some of the important coffee varieties.
Unit 14 Planting and
Cultural Operation: This Unit covers all the important crop husbandry
practices such as establishment and aftercare of new plantations and different
cultural practices to be adopted periodically in an established plantation for
obtaining desirable yields.
Unit 15 Crop
Protection: This Unit deals with pests and diseases of coffee in
India and their effective management for minimizing crop losses.
Unit 16 Organic
Coffee: Deals with the requirements for establishment of new organic plantations
and also conversion of existing plantation for organic coffee production as per
the National Regulations. Besides, the Unit also describes the procedure to be
adopted for obtaining of certification of organic coffee that would ensure
premium price in the market.
The material provided in this block is
supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process
simple and interesting. Vie have also provided check your progress questions
for self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible
answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps YQU ought to
do, is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the
space provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A
list of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further
detailed reading.
Book 5: Production and Management of Other Plantation Crops-Coconut and
Cashew
Though Plantation crops constitute only about
two per cent of the total cropped area in the country, they generate
considerable foreign exchange earnings by way of export. Large scale
plantations of tea, coffee and rubber were started only after the arrival of
the Europeans but coconut and spices were under cultivation from the very early
days. The very name 'Kerala' meaning land of coconut, speaks about its
antiquity. Cashew indigenous to South America, was introduced into India by the
Portuguese in the 16th century to the West Coast as a soil binding
crop. In order to ensure good yields, it is essential that high yielding
varieties are used as planting materials. Such varieties should be planted in
favorable locations having fertile and deep soil. The after care of the plants
by proper manuring, inter cultivation and irrigation should be systematically
attended to for obtaining good establishment, growth and yield. Inter and mixed
cropping with compatible crops would enhance the income from unit area of the
plantation. The crops also need to be protected from pests and diseases to
prevent the death of plants and loss of yield.
The present block deals with various aspects of
crop production and protection of coconut and cashew. The topics have been dealt
in such a way that it gives the reader a cohesive picture of the various facets
of crop varieties, crop production technologies, crop protection and attainable
yields. These are covered in three units; the details are as follows.
A general idea about the crop, its origin,
distribution, botany and varieties under cultivation has been presented in Unit 17. To obtain
good field establishment and growth of plants, details regarding nursery
techniques to produce quality seedlings, field preparation and planting,
manuring and irrigation etc., have been described. Inter and mixed cropping as
a farming system to increase income, is then discussed.
The Unit 18 deals with soil and
climatic requirements of cashew to start with. Varieties to be used and
production of planting material have been dealt with in detail. Field
preparation and planting, cultural practices to be adopted, fertilizer
scheduling, organic nutrition and management of senile plantations are the
other sections covered in the unit.
The Unit 19 describes about the
pests and diseases affecting coconut and cashew. Details regarding insects and
pathogens that attack the crops, symptoms of the malady and control measures to
be adopted have been given adequately so as to help the reader study the damages
and to take appropriate control measures.
The material provided in this block is supplemented with examples and activities which will make the learning process simple and interesting. We have also provided check your progress questions for self test at a few places of these units which invariably lead to possible answers to the questions set in those exercises. What perhaps you ought to do, is to go through units and jot down important points as you read in the space provided in the margin. This will help you in assimilating the content. A list of reference books has been provided at the end of each unit for further detailed reading.
Contents
|
Block 1 production and management of spices |
|
UNIT 1 |
Cultural Practices |
7 |
UNIT 2 |
Integrated Nutrients, Pests and Diseases Management |
33 |
UNIT 3 |
Organic Spices and Good Agricultural Practices |
54 |
|
Block 2 Production And Management of Tea |
|
UNIT 4 |
Cultural Practices |
5 |
UNIT5 |
Nutrient Management |
24 |
UNIT 6 |
Plant Protection Measures |
41 |
UNIT7 |
Organic Tea |
57 |
|
Block 3 Production And Management of Rubber |
|
UNIT 8 |
Agro-cimatic Requirements |
5 |
UNIT 9 |
Nursery and Planting Materials |
14 |
UNIT 10 |
Planting and Cultural Operations |
29 |
UNIT 11 |
Crop Protection |
47 |
|
Block 4 Production And Management of Coffee |
|
UNIT 12 |
Agro-climatic Conditions |
5 |
UNIT 13 |
Nursery and Planting Materials |
15 |
UNIT 14 |
Planting and Cultural Operations |
26 |
UNIT 15 |
Crop Protection |
48 |
UNIT 16 |
Organic Coffee |
72 |
|
Block 5 Production And Management of Other Plantation Crops - Coconut And
cashew |
|
UNIT 17 |
Cultural Practices and Nutrient Management of Coconut |
5 |
UNIT 18 |
Cultural Practices and Nutrient Management of Cashew |
22 |
UNIT 19 |
Plant Protection of Coconut and Cashew |
40 |