ABSTRACT
The importance of organic manures and fertilizers in okra production has been reported (65). The most common recommendation consists of 20 cartloads of farmyard manure (FYM), 45 kg of nitrogen, and 22.5 kg each of phosphorus and potash per hectare for production of 2725 kg of green fruits. Thakur and Arora (66) have compiled data on fertilizer requirements of okra in different types of soils in India. The entire dose of FYM is applied at the time of land preparation, whereas phosphatic and potassic fertilizers are applied in shallow furrows before sowing. Nitrogen is given in two equal split doses applied 1 and 2 months after sowing, respectively. The deficiency symptoms of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen in okra have been described (67). Several other deficiency disorders-for zinc, vanadium, and boron-have been reported (68-71). 3. Irrigation The first irrigation, which is given immediately after sowing, is followed by regular irrigations depending on the requirements. Generally, irrigating fields every third or fourth day in summer and once every 8-10 days during winter provides adequate soil moisture for optimum growth and productivity . Sivanappan et al. (72) recommended drip irrigation system in place of the conventional furrow system for economy of water utilization (84.7%) without any loss of yield.
