Third to Fourth week practices in carrot crop

Irrigate regularly for a good establishment of seedlings-

Wet soil will help boost the formation of roots and favor a good establishment of the seedlings.

Here are some recommendations-

• Irrigate crop substantially to secure a good establishment of the seedlings.
• Irrigate in the mornings so that crops have direct access to water and can dry during the day.
• Plan to irrigate at 10-15 and 25 days after sowing to strengthen plants.
• If you choose to harden your seedlings by reducing water, stop irrigating at this stage. Hardening your seedlings helps them get accustomed to the harsher weather conditions found in the open field.
• Make sure to irrigate again the day before transplanting to soften the soil around the roots.

Right time of transplanting seedlings-

• In cool climates or at high altitudes, only transplant after the last spring frost is behind you to avoid losses.
• Day and night temperatures should be above 12⁰C for a number of days.
• Seedlings must be of the right age and development. Seedlings that are too old may not grow well.
• Transplant in the evening hours or on a cloudy day to minimize shock.
• Transplant in small, flat beds or shallow furrow, depending upon the availability of the irrigation.

Weeding your crop for good growth-

Do frequent weeding, hoeing and earthing up and keep field weed free till 45 days. If weed left uncontrolled then it will reduce crop yield upto 70-90%. Two to three days of after transplantation take spray of Fluchloralin (Basalin) @ 800ml/200Ltr water as pre-emergence weedicide. If weed intensity is high, take post emergence spray of Sencor @ 300g/acre. Mulching is also an effective way to reduce soil temperature along with weed control.

Transplanting tomato seedlings-

Spacing–

Depending upon the variety and its growth habits use spacing of 60 x 30cm or 75 x 60cm or 75 x 75cm. In Punjab, for dwarf variety use spacing of 75cm x 30cm and for rainy season use spacing of 120-150 x 30cm.

• Irrigate the furrows in larger quantities of water 3-4 days prior to transplanting.
• Pull out seedlings from the seedbed soil carefully and collect them in a container.
• Make sure that the young plants have enough soil around the roots to start developing roots.
• If necessary, remove a few of the lower branches on transplants to clear the canopy.
• Plant deep enough so that the remaining leaves are just above the surface of the soil.
• Press the soil firmly around the roots to eliminate air pockets.

Irrigating the field-

Irrigation after the transplanting is important to soften the seedlings in the soil and reduces the shock to the roots. Some recommendations are given below-

• Irrigate the seedlings before transplanting to soften the soil around the roots.
• Irrigate again immediately after transplanting to fasten the soil around the plant and limit the osmotic shock.
• Two more irrigation events should be planned 5 and 10 days after transplanting.
• During summer, do not forget to irrigate with a greater frequency (5-6) days, or depending on the moisture.
• Avoid over-watering as excess moisture may favor fungal diseases and causes stress.

Use extra seedlings to carryout gap filling in the field-

• Carry out gap filling within 10 days of the first transplanting.
• Do it during the evening hours or on cloudy days to minimize shock to the plants.
• Use the seedlings you kept after thinning your nursery. They will come in handy.
• Do not forget to irrigate the newly transplanted plants.

Post-emergence weeding-

Post-emergence herbicides are used against weeds that have already grown in the field. They are sprayed onto the plants and are less effective if washed off the leaf surface by rainfall or irrigation.

Some recommendations are there-

• There are two types of post-emergence herbicides: contact and systemic.
• Contact herbicides affect only sprayed plant parts, i.e. spraying onto the weed must be thorough.
• Systemic herbicides affect the whole plant and are particularly effective against grass weeds or plants that grew from underground plant parts.
• Post-emergence herbicides can also be classified as selective (against a specific crop) or non-selective (broad weed control).
• Metribuzin (0.11-0.2 kg/acre), can be applied when the crop has 4-6 leaves to control certain broadleaf weeds and grassy weed species.