ICAR Rabi season Agro Advisory for Arunachal Pradesh

Field crops

Rabi Maize

• Sowing of rabi maize at lower elevated areas should be done in September and completed preferably by mid-October and not delayed further as it may reduce the yield.
• High yielding hybrids (F1 hybrids) like HQPM-1, C-1415, PAC705 etc and composite varieties like Vijay, VL Makka-88, etc are recommended for rabi season.
• Seed treatment with Bavistin + Captan in 1:1 ratio @ 2g/kg seed is recommended at a spacing of 60cm row to row and 20 cm plant to plant.
• FYM @10 q/ha along with seed treatment with Azotobacter and PSB are also recommended for organic rabi maize.
• Intercropping of rabi maize with winter vegetables like cole crops, carrot, pea, potato, local beans etc may be practiced for increasing productivity.
• Two weeding at 30 -60 DAS are recommended to avoid any kind of water and nutrient stress for maize in rabi season.
• Cobs should be harvested when moisture is not more than 20% in grains. Harvested cobs should be sun dried properly before shelling.
• For control of the Fall Army worm in rabi maize, Seed treatment with Cyantraniliprole 19.8% + Thiomethoxam 19.8% @ 4 ml kg-1 of seed. At seedling stage spray 5% neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) or Azadirachtin 1500 ppm @ 5 ml l-1 of water to kill eggs and neonate larvae may be applied. In mid-whorl stage, spray Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @ 0.4 ml l-1 or Spinetoram 11.7% SC @ 0.5 ml l-1 of water. In late whorl stage, spray Emamectin benzoate 5% SG @ 0.4 ml l-1 or Thiamethoxam 12.6% + lambda cyhalothrin 9.5% @ 0.25 ml l-1 of water.

Rabi Paddy

• Complete harvesting of early and medium duration paddy varieties within second fortnight of November when 80% of grains in panicle are mature.
• Harvesting should be done on bright sunny days and sundry of harvested paddy to bring down moisture level at 12%.
• If sufficient moisture available in the paddy fields at harvesting time, farmers may go for relay cropping of pea with paddy crop. For this purpose, pea seeds may be sown at the base of the standing hills before 15 days of harvesting.
• If sufficient residual moisture is available in paddy field, farmers should try to sow rapeseed/mustard or any other pulses by following zero or minimum tillage.

Rapeseed/mustard

• In India rapeseed and mustard is grown during winter season. The crop needs about 18°C - 25°C temperature. The crop prefers low humidity. There should not be any rainfall especially at the time of flowering. Rainfall, high humidity and cloudy weather are not good for the crop during winter as it invites aphids, and the crop gets spoilt completely. Under Rainfed, conditions as in most areas of Arunachal Pradesh 1 - 2 pre-flowering rains help in boosting the grain yield. Excessive cold and frost are harmful to the crop. Mustard thrives best in medium or heavy loam soils. Heavy soils subjected to water logging should be avoided, as the crop cannot tolerate such conditions. Very light soils usually cause a serious moisture stress. Saline and alkaline soils are often not fit for the crop though it has good tolerance to such conditions.
• Zero tillage or minimum tillage is recommended for sowing rapeseed/mustard when grown under rainfed condition during rabi season. Practicing zero tillage helps in utilizing the residual moisture in the field after kharif paddy besides allowing to sow the seeds in time it also reduces the cost of cultivation and improves the soil condition by addition of organic matter over time.
• Ploughing of fields for the Toria/Mustard to be completed by first fortnight of October
• Sowing of Toria /Mustard seed to be completed by second fortnight of October. Timely sowing ensures the optimum crop growth and less infestation of Mustard aphid.
• Seed treatment should be done for rapseed/mustard with Trichoderma viridae @ 5g/kg of seed.
• Suitable variety for Toria is TS-36 & TS-38 recommended for cultivation under Papum Pare district. They are highly adapted under agro-climatic condition of Papum Pare.
• Sowing of Toria may be extended up to 15th of November in case of available moisture in the soil.
• Intercultural operation like hand weeding to be carried out at 30, 60 and 90 Days after Sowing.
• Harvesting of silique to be done at between 120-150 DAS
• To control mustard aphid spraying of 5% neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) or Azadiractin 1500 ppm @ 5ml/litre of water.

Potato

• The soil should be friable, porous, and well drained. The optimum pH range is 4.8 to 5.4. It is a cool weather crop. Potato is mostly grown as a rainfed crop. It is cultivated in regions receiving a rainfall of 1200 – 2000 mm per annum.
• Ploughing of fields for the Potato to be completed by second fortnight of October till 15thof November with ridge and furrow methods of planting.
• Select the certified and disease-free seed potato tuber for planting.
• Potato tuber may be treated with Azotobacter and Phosphobacteria each @ 2gm/kg of tuber before planting. The treated tuber may be shade dry for half an hour and planting to be completed by first fortnight of November. Timely sowing ensures the optimum crop growth.
• For planting in one ha of area, 22-25 q/ha tubers require with 2-3 eyes and 25-45 gm weight of each tuber by maintaining planting distance of 60 x 20 cm.
• Suitable variety for Potato is Kufri Pokhraj, Khufri Bahar, Khufri Alankar, K. Jyoti, K. Kanchan (red-skinned) recommended for cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh.
• First irrigation to be given at 10-12 days or after germination, second at tuberisation at 25 days after planting, 3rd at initiation of tuber at 40 DAP and 4th at development of Tuber at 50-70 DAP.
• For early blight of potato spraying with mancozeb @ 2.5g/litre of water at 15 days interval for 3 times.
• Intercultural operation like hand weeding to be carried out at 30, 60 and 90 Days after Sowing.
• Two earthing up operation may be done at 30-35 DAP and second at 25-30 DAP of first earthing up followed by light irrigation
• Irrigation should be stopped at least 10 days before haulm cutting and harvesting of Potato to be completed by mid-February on a sunny day to avoid rotting of tubers due to high temperature.
• Dehaulming (removal of foliage and stem portions) should be done 10-15 days before harvesting which will allow hardening of tuber skin. This practice is highly recommended for production of tubers meant to be kept for seed purpose.
• Late Blight: For management of dreaded late blight in potato ensure early sowing (Mid October) of the seeds. When crop is full grown keep vigilance for weather condition. If cloudy, foggy, or rainy weather is forecasted then a prophylactic spray Ridomil @ 2.5g/liter of water at 15 days interval for 3 times. 

Buckwheat

• Optimum time of sowing is September-October for high altitude areas of Tawang, West Kameng and Lower Subansiri districts as relay crop after maize and October-Mid November for low altitude areas like Dibang and Lohit valleys.
• Seed rate is 20 kg/ha and spacing of 30 cm between rows is recommended.

Foxtail millet

• Optimum time of sowing is middle of January to middle of February (the best time is last week of January).
• Seed rate is 8-10 kg/ha, which may be increased to 15 kg/ha under broadcast sowing.
• Spacing should be 25 cm between rows.

Horticultural Crops

Nursery Preparation for winter vegetables

• Nursery should be prepared for the crops like Brinjal, Chilli, Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, knolkhol etc.
• Site: Nursery area should be well fenced to protect it from pet and wild animals. The area should be near the water source. The area should be free from waterlogging. Nursery should be situated near the main field for transplanting. Nursery area should receive sunlight right from south-west aspect is most suitable. Proper drainage must be provided. Raising of seedling require fertile and healthy soil.The soil should be loam to sandy loam. Soil should have good organic matter and aerated. Soil texture should be neither too coarse nor too fine. Soil pH should be of 6 to 7 approx. Soil should normally be rich in all essential nutrient elements. 
• Soil Preparation: It needs a deep cultivation of the nursery land either by soil turning plough or by spade and subsequent 2-3 hoeing to get a fine tilth.  Mix 2 Kg well rotten and farmyard manure\ compost or leaf compost or 500g vermicompost per square meter and mix in the soil. If the soil is heavy mix2-3 kg sand per square meter so that the seed emergence may not be hampered. 
• Soil Treatment: For raising the healthy seedlings, soil must be treated to make it pathogen and pest free. We can use soil solarization methods or formalin solution. This should be done 10-15 days before seed sowing. Prepare formalin solution (1.5 to 2%) in one container and drench the soil @ 4-5 litre of water per square meter soil surface to saturate it up to depth of 15-20cm. Cover the drench area with polythene sheet. Hot steam can be used to treat the soil against harmful insect pest. Soil treatment using Captan or Thiram which kill the soil borne pathogens. 
• Bed preparation: Beds should be prepared according to the season and the crop. The breadth of the beds should be not more than 1.00 m. The beds should be 15-20 cm raised from the ground surface. The standard size of nursery bed is 3m × 1m ×15 cm. A space between beds should be 30-45 cm. Add 20-25 kg well rotten farmyard manure in each standard size nursery bed. The number of nursery beds depends on the crop, season and growing area for transplanting. The beds should be prepared in the east and west direction and lines/rows for sowing of seeds should be made from north to south direction on the beds. 
• Seed should be treated with Trichoderma spp. @2g/100g and apply 10 - 25 g of Trichoderma spp. powder per 100 m² of nursery bed or treat with carbendazim 50% WP @ 2g/1kg seed.

Orange

• Keep the plantation clean and remove unwanted branches continuously.
• Regular scouting of the field or horticulture crops is recommended for disease and pest management.
• To control gummosis and collar rot disease of orange apply Bordeaux paste up to 1meter high in post monsoon.
• Harvesting of oranges may be done in 10-15 days interval. Care should be taken for not damaging the plant or fruits during harvesting.
• During the month of September second dose of Citrus mixture @ 1kg per plant should be applied for old plants. 

Pea

• For  pea cultivation, temperature range should be between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. Optimum rainfall range is between 400 to 500 mm. While harvesting, the temperature should range between 15 to 20 degree Celsius and sowing temperature should range between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.
• Soil: Well drained loamy soil with optimum pH range of 6-7.5 is suitable. Thrives best in cool weather. This crop withstands low temperature at the seedling stage.
• Sowing time: For rabi crop planting is done from October to November. 
• Seed rate: 50 to 60 kg of seeds is required for a hectare.
• Seed treatment: Treat the seeds with  Trichoderma  4 g/kg or Thiram or Captan at 2 g/kg of seed to avoid seed borne diseases. Treat the seeds with Rhizobium culture at the rate of 2 kg and apply 2 kg Phosphobacterium as soil application just before sowing.
• Preparation of field: The field should be deep ploughed and prepare the land to fine tilth.
• Spacing: Sowing of seeds should be done at 45 x 10 cm in line
• Irrigation: Pea is an Irrigation responsive crop. So, iirrigation is done immediately after sowing and another on 3rd day after sowing. Thereafter irrigation is done once in a week if possible. In water scarcity area irrigation should be managed at least at flowering and pod formation stage. During snow fall irrigation is necessarily given to plants.
• Manuring: Apply FYM at 20 t/ha and 60 kg N, 80 kg P and 70 kg K/ha as basal and 60 kg N/ha on 30 days after sowing. While Rhizobium inoculated, the N fertilizer may be reduced to 50%
• Weeding should be done 15 days after sowing. Subsequent weeding should be done as and when necessary. Stake the plants on 30th day of sowing.
• Plant protection: Pod borer can be managed by Spray of Nuvan at 0.5% concentration thrice at fortnightly intervals for Aphids and leaf miner malathion 50EC may be applied. For management of Powdery mildew, spray Wettable sulphur 2.5 g/lit in three rounds at 15 days interval.
• Harvest: First picking can be done on 75 days after sowing for most varieties. High temperature during harvest affects the quality of peas.

Plant protection for winter vegetables

• For lepidopteron defoliator like diamond black moth, cabbage butterfly etc. farmers may use BT products and for the soil borne insects metarhizium products may be used at 7 days intervals for winter vegetables.
• Nursery bed treated with Trichoderma spp. For control of damping off disease.
• Use BT for management of caterpillar management at 7 days interval.
• Use soil solarisation technique for control of soil pest and weed.
• Spray Copper oxychloride@300gm + streptomycine @6 gm/150 lit of water for management of black rot.
• To control leaf spot and blight infection spray of Mancozeb @400 gm/ 150 litres of water at 15 days interval
• To control Broccoli white mold spray Metalaxyl + Mencozeb@2gm/ ltr of water @ 10 days interval.
• For specific pest and disease incidence farmers need to be vigilant frequently and consult with the concerned departments and KVK. 

Livestock

Poultry

• Provide sufficient bedding materials to keep them warm.
• Provide adequate clean drinking water +electrolyte
• Vaccination as per the schedule with proper consultation with vet.
• Provide anti-coccidial drugs. Make control of coccidiosis in poultry by treated with coccinil plus vet (Amprolium HCL, Ethopabate, sulphat quinoxaline & pyrimethamine promix.,B,P, Vet) the dose rate of 30g dissolved in 50 liters of drinking water for 7 days.
• Make sure for deworming of poultry chickens with albendazole at the dose rate of 20mg/kg orally. 30-40ml/100 birds in drinking water. Repeat after 21 days.
• Remove wet litter/provide artificial heating and light 

Piggery

• Provide proper bedding materials for newly born piglets to protect them from cold
• Ensure vaccination of pig against swine fever at the age of 3 months old pig and repeat annually
• Deworm at regular interval.
• During scarcity of fodder provide hay/silage/feed blocks.

Cattle

• Protect the newborn from cold.
• Make sure deworming of calves with albendazole 5mg/kg body weight repeat deworming once in 3-4 months.
• Store freshly cut paddy straw (To use as feed during lean months).
• Avoid dampness and keep dry all the cow shed area.
• Vaccination as per the schedule with proper consultation with vet.

Goats

• Ensure deworming of goats (Albendazole @ 7.5 mg/kg body weight) especially young kids before the start of rainy season.

Fisheries

• Don’t allow runoff water into the pond, it contains dust, microbes, sand, derbies, which will pollute the water and cause disease outbreak.
• Sundry the pond bottom and plough thoroughly, then add limestone powder @ 60 kg/acre to maintain soil PH and release of gases as pre stocking management.
• In heavy rainy area, go for vegetable cultivation on pond dykes to avoid soil erosion.
• Fish farmers need to take some special care of their fishponds during rainy season to protect their stock from sudden changes in water quality and prevent physical damages to the pond due to erosion of dikes.
• In case, during rainy season, cloudy condition persists during the daytime, stop feeding the fish and resume feeding on the next sunny day.
• If EUS (Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome) disease outbreaks in monsoon season, then apply CIFAX @ 1 lit. /ha of water body

Mushroom cultivation

• Oyster mushroom may be cultivated in almost all the rice growing areas in Arunachal Pradesh. It may be started immediately after harvesting of paddy crop. The required spawns (Mushroom seeds) may be collected from reliable sources. Proper training is essential for cultivation of this crop. Interested farmers are suggested to contact nearest KVK for cultivation of oyster mushroom Mushroom house is fully clean, dark, ventilated and must be dust free.
• Use fresh paddy straw or paddy husk for mushroom cultivation. Paddy straw are to be chopped into 3-5 cm pieces and soaked in fresh water for 8-16 hours in formalin solution or boil them for at least half an hour. Drain the water completely. It is ready for bagging. 14 x 22-inch PP polybag may be used. 4 to 5 layers of straw may be inserted with some spawn placed on each layer towards the sides of the bag. Finally, the bag is be tied tightly and make 30-40 holes with a sterilized knife. Keep the bags in mushroom house hanging one after another. Keep on watering the bags once daily. After 22 days all the bags will turn whitish and in such condition the poly bags need to be removed. Keep on watering twice a day when temperature is above 28^oC and when temperature is below 20⁰C spray water once only. Growing mushrooms will be visible from around 28 – 30 days. 

Community Science

Brining of Rabi vegetables from surplus production

• Boil the brine by adding 1/4 cup of salt in 1 lit of water and then let the brine cool.
• Wash and prepare the vegetables (cut in same size if necessary).
• Blanch the vegetable for 2 min.
• Place them in a jar and cover with brine solution
• Finish with a capful of refine oil and close the jar.
• Leafy vegetables are not suitable for brining.

Pickling of Rabi Vegetables

• Wash and cut the vegetables and steam it.
• Roast the mustard seed, fenugreek seed, jeera and pound them separately
• Warm oil in a vessel. Remove half the quantity of oil.
• Then add vegetables, turmeric powder, slit garlic and all other roasted ingredients.
• Remove from flame after 1 minute add remaining oil as well as 50ml of vinegar.
• Bottle it and serve it after 15-20 days.

Source : ICAR Rabi Agro-Advisory for farmers