Homa Organic Farming Reduces Pest and Disease Infestations in Okra and Improves its Quality and Yield
Rajeev Kumar, Pushpa Singh, RK Rai, Mala Kumari, Adyant Kumar, AD Pathak, Nagaratna S Olekar
Homa organic farming (HOF) holds significance for preventing pest and diseases in crops. A field experiment was conducted to study the impact of HOF practices on quality attributes, disease and pest incidence and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in 2012. Five organic manures were assessed under soil, foliar and soil + foliar application. Results indicated a significant increase in dry matter production with homa organic manures at homa site. Maximum increase in dry matter production was obtained with soil and foliar application of Gloria Biosol (31.65%) followed by Agnihotra homa ash (27.74%, P =.0.05). The increase in dry matter content at harvest is explained to be due to a significant reduction in diseases and pest incidence and increase in ascorbic and phenol contents at the initial growth stage of the crop growth cycle (60 DAS). The finding is crucial for enhancing crop yields through eco-friendly management in the present climate scenario.
Rajeev Kumar, Pushpa Singh, RK Rai, Mala Kumari, Adyant Kumar, AD Pathak, Nagaratna S Olekar. Homa Organic Farming Reduces Pest and Disease Infestations in Okra and Improves its Quality and Yield. J Entomol Zool Stud 2018;6(6):211-218.