Winter Vegetables & how to combat pests and diseases
All India Kitchen Garden meet of Unit 7B was held on 25th Sept. 2024. Our Speaker Dr P.K. Pant is Founder and Chairman of Navratan Agro Organic Pvt. Ltd, a company committed to green farming. He gave names of different types of winter vegetables like carrot, radish, turnip, garlic, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Knol Khol, Beet root, Sarson, Lettuce, Spinach, Palak, Bathua, Methi, Coriander, Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant, Potato etc. He further explained that preferred temperatures for planting range from 2-16 degrees C and the season starts from 1st week of October to avoid bugs, disease, and heat.
Dr Pant described different common types of pests like Aphids, Whitefly, Jassid, Caterpillar and Mealybug. Regarding management, he explained that organic Neem Oil can be sprayed on vegetables, fruit trees and flowers (by mixing one spoon of neem oil with 4 litres of water and spraying all leaf surfaces).
Dr Pant gave an insight on Plant Diseases & their Management as follows-
i. Downy Mildew – Use Copper spray
ii. Early Blight – Apply Sulphur 2 grams per Litre and spray
iii. Leaf Curl – Apply sulphur or copper-based fungicide
iv. Powdery Mildew – Use Cow Milk sprays, made with 40% milk and 60% water
v. Mosaic Virus – Use Mild liquid Soap, Neem based pesticide
vi. Leaf Spot – Mix 1 Tbsp of baking soda, 212 tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 tsp of liquid soap in 3 litres of water or neem oil
The session saw good attendance from members and concluded with a nice cup of tea, kachoris’ and Jalebis’.
