Land Preparation, Raised Beds & Drip Setup
Soil Preparation: Deep plowing mixed with 25 tonnes well-decomposed FYM, 2 tonnes vermicompost, and neem cake @ 200 kg per 1000 sqm.
Raised Bed Geometry: Prepare beds 90 cm top width, 40 cm height, and 50 cm walking paths. Lay 2 lines of 16mm inline drip laterals with 30 cm emitter spacing (2 LPH discharge) per bed.
Mulching: Cover with 25-30 micron silver-black reflective mulch film to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and repel insect pests.
Fertigation Schedule by Crop Growth Stages
Soluble fertilizers (19:19:19, 12:61:00, 13:00:45, and Calcium Nitrate) must be injected every 2 to 3 days based on crop development:
| Crop Stage | Days After Transplanting | Primary NPK Ratio | Key Micronutrients Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetative & Rooting | 1 - 30 DAT | 1:2:1 (12:61:00 MAP focus) | Humic acid & Zinc chelate |
| Flowering & Branching | 31 - 60 DAT | 1:1:1 (19:19:19 balanced) | Boron (0.1%) for flower retention |
| Fruit Development | 61 - 120 DAT | 1:1:2 (13:00:45 Potassium focus) | Calcium Nitrate (prevents blossom end rot) |
| Peak Harvesting Cycles | 121 - 240 DAT | 1:0.5:2 (High K & Nitrate) | Magnesium Sulphate & Iron chelate |
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