Organic Fertilizers & Soil

Brazilian Cashew Seedlings ? CASHEW VARIETIES There are three main varieties which are Brazilian cashew, Chinese cashew and Indian cashew. Brazilian cashew is mostly grown in Nigeria. Cashew is highly cross-pollinated and vegetative propagation is mainly recommended on a commercial scale to produce true to type planting materials. The nuts can be sowed 3 ? 4 per hole or raised in the nursery and transplanted in the field. After the establishment, the plants are thinned to one healthy and vigorous plant per stand. Cashew can be propagated by seedlings, air layers and softwood grafts. PROPAGATION BY SEEDLINGS Selection of mother trees Selected mother trees should be of good health, vigorous growth and intensive branching habit with panicles having high percentage of hermaphrodite flowers. The trees should bear nuts of medium size and weight (5-8 g/nut) with an average yield of 15 kg nuts per annum and 7-8 nuts per panicle. Raising seedlings Raise seedlings in polythene bags during May. Soak seed nuts in water for 18 to 24 hours to hasten germination. Sow the pre-soaked seed nuts in polythene bags filled with garden soil at a depth of 2-3 cm with the stalk end up. Seeds germinate in seven to ten days. Selection of seed nuts Fresh seed nuts should be collected during the peak period of harvest in February-March and sun-dried for 2-3 days. Medium-sized nuts of 7-9 g should be selected in order to get uniform and vigorously growing seedlings. The sun-dried, graded seeds should be treated with carbaryl (5g/Kg of seeds) before storing them in gunny bags or polythene bags. Preparation of potting mixture Prepare the potting mixture in the proportion of one part red soil, one part sand and one part compost in heavy rainfall areas and one part red soil, one part compost in low rainfall areas and mixed with little quantity of rock phosphate (10g/2Kg of potting mixture). Sowing of seeds The seednuts should be soaked in water for 12-24 hours before sowing in order to get good germination. At the time of sowing the soil should be moist and loosened in the polythene bag. Sow the seeds at a depth of not more than 2.5 cm and cover with little soil. Additional tips The seednuts usually germinate within 15-20 days after sowing. Seed bed may be mulched with paddy straw till germination takes place and partial shade may be provided during summer months. To control pests while seeds germinate, malathion 5% dust, or spraying of chloropyriphos (durmet 20 EC: 0.05%) should be applied. A fertilizer dose of 750 g N, 325 g P2O5 and 750 g K2O per plant is recommended for cashew. Apply 1/5th dose after the completion of first year, 2/5th dose during second year. Pineapple is the most profitable inter-crop in cashew plantation in the early stages of growth. A spacing of 7.5 m x 7.5 m has been recommended for poor soils, and for rich, deep and coastal sandy soils a wider spacing of 10 m x 10 m is prescribed. The fruits will be ready for harvest in about two months after fertilization of the flowers.

Caterpillar Force We offer Caterpillar Force which is a non-systemic insecticide for the control Lepidoptera pests on vegetables, beans, cowpea, soybean, cotton, fruits and other crops. Caterpillar Force is an Insect Growth Regulator which kills insects by stomach poisoning and contact poisoning. The product will have minimal effect on your crops as it is a non-systemic agricultural pesticide that penetrates leaf tissues by translaminar movement. It paralyzes the Lepidopteran insects, which stops feeding within hours of ingestion and die 2-4 days after treatment. Active Ingredient: Emamectin Benzoate 5 % WDG. Family: Avermectin. Packaging: 100 g / 100 pieces / carton. ? Lepidopteran Pests Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) are the second most diverse pest insects after beetles. There is hardly any cultivated plant that is not attacked by at least one lepidopteran pest. As pollinators of many plants, adult moths and butterflies are usually beneficial insects that feed on nectar using their siphoning proboscis. The caterpillar, however, almost always has chewing mouthparts that are suitable for feeding on various parts of a plant causing production losses. Most caterpillars are defoliators or miners of succulent plant tissues. Some (for example wood moths) can cause gum pockets and introduce rot resulting in timber degrade. They bore large holes in stems which can leave smaller trees susceptible to wind damage. They can be severe pests of seedlings in the nursery (for instance cutworms or armyworms) which can cause partial to complete defoliation and bending of the seedlings. Many species of lepidopteran pests can cause outbreaks in certain plants, causing a significant drop in yield and economic losses. ? Importance of insecticides in crop production Insecticides are chemicals that destroy or inhibit specific developmental stages of insects. They play a vital role in an Integrated Pest Management plan. Food crops must compete with up to 3,000 species of worms and 10,000 species of plant-eating insects. The threats by these pests do not stop when crops leave fields because they can still cause great nuisance and damage in storage. This shows the pertinent need for specific chemicals that can deal with these pests while prolonging the life of crops and preventing post-harvest losses. Insecticides help farmers grow more food on less land by protecting crops from insects and their developmental stages. Use of insecticides will serve to increase the productivity per hectare. They enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. They also help farmers to provide an abundance of nutritious, all-year-round food which is necessary for human health. Insecticides decrease exposure to food contaminated with harmful micro-organisms and naturally occurring toxins, preventing food-related diseases.

DD Force Insecticide DD Force insecticide is an organophosphate chemical compound with considerably strong acaricidal actions against aphids, sucking and chewing insects, spider mites, caterpillars, thrips, and whiteflies. The product is an agricultural insecticide that is highly recommended for application to a wide range of crops including fruit trees, vegetables, rice, wheat, cassava, sugarcane, yam, maize, cotton, cocoa. The product is highly poisonous to agricultural pests and it acts via the stomach, contact, and respiratory poisoning. Our premium product is non-phytotoxic when used as directed and we will highly recommend strict adherence to the label instructions. Active Ingredient: DDVP 1000EC. ? Application of DD Force Insecticide Crop Rate of Use Tea, coffee, cocoa 1-4 l/hectare Cotton, groundnut, cowpea 1-2 l/hectare Maize, wheat, rice, sorghum 2 l/hectare Vegetable 1 l/hectare Note:?The volume of water to cover one hectare is 400 liters of clean water. The sprayer should be well-calibrated to assure uniform coverage. ? Importance of insecticides in crop production Insecticides are chemicals that destroy or inhibit specific developmental stages of insects. They play a vital role in an Integrated Pest Management plan. Food crops must compete with up to 3,000 species of worms and 10,000 species of plant-eating insects. The threats by these pests do not stop when crops leave fields because they can still cause great nuisance and damage in storage. This shows the pertinent need for specific chemicals that can deal with these pests while prolonging the life of crops and preventing post-harvest losses. Insecticides help farmers grow more food on less land by protecting crops from insects and their developmental stages. The use of insecticides will serve to increase the productivity per hectare. They enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. They also help farmers to provide an abundance of nutritious, all-year-round food which is necessary for human health. Insecticides decrease exposure to food contaminated with harmful micro-organisms and naturally occurring toxins, preventing food-related diseases. ? Precautions to take!!! Application and timing are important to maximize the effectiveness of insecticides and to reduce the impact on non-target organisms. Numerous pesticides are registered for use by crop farmers and it should be noted that an insecticide cannot be legally used for any purpose other than the purpose shown on the approved label. Specific safety precautions should also be taken particularly when transporting, mixing, and applying insecticides.