A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT OKRA
Okra is an African vegetable. It originated in the Abyssinian center, which is what is now Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the highlands of Sudan. From there, okra spread as a crop to Egypt, probably in the seventh century, and on to countries with tropical climates around the world.
Okra is now cultivated around the globe in the warm and tempered belt. In 2022 11.2 million tons were produced, an enormous growth from the 1.9 million tons produced in 1973. India accounts for about 60% of the world’s production with approximately 6 million tons, followed by Nigeria with 2.1 million tons and Mali with 0.76 million tons.
Okra is cultivated for its immature seed pods, which can be consumed raw, pickled, fried, roasted, grilled, or cooked in an infinite number of different ways. Besides consuming the okra as a vegetable, the okra is also used to thicken soups and stews because of the mucilage in it. To avoid okra becoming gummy or slimy when heated up, you can cook okra at high temperature in an open pan or pot.
The plant is perennial, but often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates. It grows up to about two meters tall with a strong taproot that penetrates almost vertically downward, to about 40 cm.
But how do we grow okra?
1. First you must select the variety that fits your climate and the soil where you are going to plant it. The ideal temperature for okra is between 26 and 32 degrees Celsius, but some varieties thrive in temperatures outside of this range.
Soil pH is important and the optimal conditions for okra are in soil with a pH of 6.0 – 6.8, but as with the temperature, okra can adapt to a wide variety of conditions.
Therefore, it is important to consult what are the optimal varieties of okra for your location.
2. Select a location with direct full sunlight. Thoroughly plow the land to a depth of 15-20 cm. After plowing, carefully harrow to level the field. Create furrows with 1 m spacing. It is a good practice to work in about 10 cm of compost or fertilizer, evenly distributed over the field.
You will need 5 kg. of seeds per hectare and soak the seeds in water the night before planting for uniform germination. You will then plant 2-3 seeds together at a distance of 30 cm, and 2-5 cm deep.
3. Use furrow irrigation, when possible, every one or two weeks, depending on climate and soil type. The soil should be moist but not water clogged.
When the seedlings have grown to about 7-8 cm., thin out the smaller and weaker seedlings, leaving two seedlings per hole 30 – 60 cm apart. The rows are 1 meter apart as mentioned earlier.
4. Carefully eliminate all weeds from the okra beds when the okra is still young. Then cover the area with a thick layer of mulch to prevent weeds from taking over the beds.
You should continue applying fertilizer and/or compost throughout the growth period. You can side-dress them after thinning out the seedlings, then for the second time when the pods start to grow, and finally about halfway through the growing season.
5. From day one, you must be on the lookout for pests and diseases. Any diseased plant should be removed, and at the first suspicion of a pest attacking the crop, action should be taken. You should consult locally for information on pests and diseases common to okra in your region.
6. When pods have grown to over 5 cm. long, you may start harvesting, depending on variety (some varieties have longer pods). You should not pull the pods off since that may damage the plant but cut with pruners where the stems meet the branches of the plant.
A new pod will appear in the same spot so you can harvest the okra from about eight weeks after planting until the plant stops producing pods.
7. Okra will start turning soft and mushy in two to three days. To extend the shelf life you can put it into the refrigerator. This will preserve it for up to a week. Don’t wash the okra when you place it in the refrigerator, but only just before consuming it.
For longer-term storage, you may freeze the okra, and keep it up to nine months. To freeze the okra, you should blanch it for 3 minutes, that is, submerge it in boiling water, then plunge it in ice water for a minute to stop it from overcooking. Then place the okra, whole or cut on a tray, place the tray in the freezer until the okra is firm, and finally put it in freezer bags for long-term storage.
You may also pickle or can the okra.
The yield and how to improve it.
If you have decided to cultivate okra, you may expect a yield of about 3,600 – 4,500 kg. per acre. The yield can be higher with the optimal condition or up to 5,400 kg per acre.
If you find your yield is too low, you may review the way your crop cycle processes. Every step mentioned above is important but look carefully at your seed selection, soil quality, and water and nutritional condition. Spacing, when planting, also greatly influences the yield. If the plants have too much space the land will be underutilized, if the space is too little, each plant will not have enough space to develop.
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