Radish 
        Raphanus  sativus L 
        Brassicaceae 
        
          
            Varieties 
              Hills 
                              White  Icicle, Scarlet globe, Rapid Red White Tipped 
              Plains  
                              Co 1, Pusa Rashmi, Pusa Chetki, Pusa Desi, Japanese  White and Arka Nishant are popular varieties. 
              Soil  
                              Sandy loam soils with high organic matter content are  highly suited for radish cultivation. The highest yield can be obtained at a  soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8. Roots of best size, flavour and texture are developed at  about 15°C. 
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        Season  of sowing  
June –July in hills and September in plains are  best suied. 
        Seed  rate  
          About 10 kg/ha seeds are required. 
        Preparation  of field  
          The land should be prepared to fine tilth and  levelled. 
        Spacing  
          15 x 10 cm spacing is normally adopted. 
        Irrigation 
          Plains  
          Irrigation is done once in a week 
        Drip irrigation  
          Install the drip system with main  and sub-main pipes and place the inline lateral tubes at an interval of 1.5.  Place the dripper in lateral tubes at an interval of 60cm and 50cm spacing with  4LPH and 3.5 LPH capacities respectively. Form the raised beds at 120 cm width  at an interval of 30cm and place the laterals at the centre of each bed. 
Application  of fertilizers 
          Plains  
        Apply FYM at 25 t/ha and 25 kg N, 100 kg P and 50  kg K/ha as basal dressing and 25 kg N/ha after 30 days. 
Fertigation 
  Fertigation  requirement :50:100:50kg of NPK / ha. Apply once in three days  
  Spacing :  30x15x10 cm in paired row system. A total of 10 rows is accommodated in one  bed. 
Fertigation  schedule  
  Recommended Dose: 50:100:50 kg/ha                     100% of TRD: 50: 25: 50 NPK  kg/ha 
  
    | Stage | 
    Crop stage | 
    Duration in days | 
    Fertilizer grade | 
    Total fertilizer (kg/ha) | 
    Nutrient supplied | 
    % requirement | 
   
  
    | N | 
    P | 
    K | 
    N | 
    P | 
    K | 
   
  
    | 1 | 
    Vegetative stage | 
    15 | 
    19:19:19 + MN  
      13-0-45  
      Urea (46% N) | 
    40      5.5  
        4.0 | 
    7.5      0.7  
        1.8 | 
    7.5      -  
        - | 
    7.5      2.5  
        - | 
    20 | 
    7.50 | 
    20 | 
   
  
    | Subtotal | 
      | 
    10 | 
    7.5 | 
    10 | 
      | 
      | 
      | 
   
  
    | 2 | 
    Early root development stage | 
    20 | 
    19:19:19 + MN  
      13-0-45  
      Urea (46% N)  | 
    66      28  
        20 | 
    12.5      3.6  
        8.9  | 
    12.5      -  
        - | 
    12.5      12.5  
        - | 
    50 | 
    12.50 | 
    50 | 
   
  
    | Subtotal | 
      | 
    25 | 
    12.5 | 
    25 | 
      | 
      | 
      | 
   
  
    | 3 | 
    Root maturity stage | 
    10 | 
    19:19:19 + MN  
      13-0-45  
      Urea (46% N) | 
    26      22  
        16 | 
    5.0      2.9  
        7.1 | 
    5.0      -  
        - | 
    5.0      10.0  
        - | 
    30 | 
    5.0 | 
    30 | 
   
  
    | Subtotal | 
      | 
    15 | 
    5 | 
    15 | 
      | 
      | 
      | 
   
  
    |   | 
    Total duration | 
    45 | 
      | 
      | 
    50 | 
    25 | 
    50 | 
    100 | 
    25 | 
    100 | 
   
 
75% RD of  Phosphorous applied as super phosphate = 500kg /ha.  
    1. 19:19:19 = 125 kg / ha  
    2. 13:0:45 = 50 kg / ha  
    3. Urea = 50 kg / ha 
After  cultivation  
        Weeding and hoeing can be done as and when  necessary. At the second weeding, thinning of densely sown plants should be  done. 
        Plant protection 
          Pests 
          Aphids, flea beetles and  mustard saw fly  
        Aphids,  flea beetles and mustard saw fly can be controlled by spraying Malathion 50 EC  1 ml/lit twice or thrice at 10 days intervals. 
        Diseases 
          White rust  
        White  rust can be controlled by spraying Mancozeb 2 g/lit or Copper oxychloride 2  g/lit. 
        Yield 
        About 20 – 30 t/ha in 45 – 60 days can be  obtained. 
        Market Information 
        
          
            |               Crop Growing districts  | 
            :  | 
            Vellore, Dindigul, Thanjavur, Nilgris  | 
           
          
            Major markets in Tamil Nadu  | 
            :  | 
            Mettupalayam, Dindigul, Coimbatore and Chennai  | 
           
          
            Grade Specification  | 
            :  | 
            Size, Shape  | 
           
         
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