Organic production of black seeded grapes and cucumber
Organic production of black seeded grapes and cucumber & their benefits
Black seeded grapes
Some facts about grapes Grapes are woody perennial vines. Plant in full sun to provide the heat required to ripen the fruit. Each vine needs about 6 feet of space. Flowers and fruit develop on new shoots called canes. It is possible to get fruit one year after planting. Flowers are pollinated by wind and insects. Vines can be trained to many decorative forms. Annual pruning is very important to keep growth healthy each year. Prune in spring before leaves emerge.
Benefits Help the heart fight against diseases like high blood pressure, high blood sugar level. Improve eyesight as it contain carotenoids Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Fight against cancer of all types including breast cancer because of anti-mutagenic and anti oxidant properties of the black grapes. Black grapes have certain elements which have capability to kill the cancer originating cells.
Benefits Improves brain function as riboflavin present in it. Decrease the risk of diabetes due to the presence of low glycemic index. Black grapes are helpful in healthy hair as the oil of black grapes contain antioxidants and vitamin E
Benefits Immunity is increased by the ingestion of black grapes due to presence of vitamin C, K, A along with flavonoids and minerals. Improve digestion, relieving constipation and help curing kidney problems. Help repairment of skin cells because of Vitamin C content of these grapes and ensures rejuvenation of skin cells there also pro-anthocyanidins and resveratrol that provides protection against harmful ultraviolet rays.
Production plan As we are growing inside our residence so we wouldn’t use the conventional methods of growing rather we would use following methods
Before planting bare root vines • Soak the roots in water for 3 -4 hours. Soak • At planting, remove all canes except the most vigorous one. Remove • Plant vines with the lowest bud on the cane just above the soil surface. Plant • Trim off any broken or excessively long roots. Trim off • Dig a hole large enough to you can spread the root system out. Dig Cover
After planting vine irrigation is done as per requirement. Grapevines need some type of support or they will trail along the ground. The support can be an arbor covering a patio for shade. Grapevines can also be grown along an existing fence. Virtually any type of support structure will do, provided it is sturdy. Grape vines grow quickly and get quite heavy. Grapevines can be trained and pruned to just about any form and shape. Some ideas are given below Irrigation and Support
Support against Wall
Wooden made structures
Plastic made bins On small scale production
Home lawn ideas
Temperature/Light requirement The optimum temperature required for these plants is 15 to 40˚C and average rainfall should be around 50 to 60 cm. Very little rain is expected during the ripening season, which prevents various diseases from occurring. Overall weather for a grape vine should be like warm day, cool night and low humidity. Winter is good for the plants, but frost is dangerous for the young buds.
Irrigation in grapes is done by following methods Young vines need regular irrigation to grow well; minimum 20 litres of water per vine should be supplied each week in two or three irrigation cycles. Mature grape vines need a minimum of 100 to 300 litres of water each week. Irrigation can be given either by surface method or drip method. On average farms need 12 to 15 irrigation cycles in a season. Excessive irrigation should be avoided during flower initiation and berry development stages.
Fertilizer The first two or three years, each early spring, apply compost around the base of the vines. Grape vines grow vigorously and might need a nutrient boost each year. You may not have to do this as the vines mature; it all depends on what you observe. Do the vines look vigorous and healthy? Maybe you don't need any fertilizer.
Pruning grapes depends on how you decide to grow them in your garden and how much space you have. Pruning 1 st year • For the first year, pruning is the same no matter how you plan to train your vine. The key is to develop a strong root system and straight trunk. • Encourage straight growth-remove an inch or two of terminal growth to force the vine to branch. • Train two branches, one in each direction left and right. • Remove any buds that start to grow lower on the trunk.
After 1 st year Pruning Our desired level has been reached by single trunk and lateral branches have raised pruning is done Heavy pruning provides the best fruit. Light pruning results in large yields of poor-quality fruit. Very heavy pruning produces too much leafy growth and very little or no fruit. Wine varieties should have only 20 to 30 buds per vine after pruning. Prune old, neglected vines
Insect/pest control Pests • Flea • Beetles • Thrips • Mealybugs • Leaf hoppers Diseases • Powdery mildew • Downy mildew • Anthracnose These pests and diseases can be controlled by using some organic measures like the decoction of the acacia leaves etc.
Harvesting Clip full clusters off the vine with pruning shears or heavy scissors. Handle clusters carefully. Remove any discolored, injured, or undesirable berries. Cool them as soon as they are picked
20 -25 tons per hectare on average in case of seeded varieties. Yield It depends on conditions also as the conditions are favorable it may increase up to 30 -35 tons per hectare.
Cucumber
Benefits These are highly nutritious and contain carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. These contain Antioxidants Increase hydration as cucumbers contain 96% water
Benefits Helps in weight loss Lower blood sugar level Promote regularity and easy to add to your diet
Production Cucumbers are often eaten as a vegetable but they are scientifically considered a fruit as they contain enclosed seeds and develop from a flower. They are vine crops and can be grown on the ground or on poles or trellises to suspend the fruits. Each plant is provided 5 -7 square feet of space and is always grown on a trellis. Cucumbers require close monitoring of nutrients to maintain good health and productivity. Cucumbers can be planted on a wide variety of soil types; however, deep, fertile soils that are well drained with a p. H between 6 -6. 5 are ideal.
Mulching For • • • Controlling weeds Protecting from insects Modifying soil temperature Conserving water Controlling erosion. Mulches include peat moss or other organic material. Many commercial operations use plastic covering as a mulch to protect crops.
Sowing methods/techniques Following are the growing methods of cucumber inside one’s residence first we would grow seeds in trays in any growing media mostly peat moss and then transplanted to desired place
Seed starter trays
Transplanting Be very careful when transplanting – cucumbers can be a little temperamental about this. First, make sure to harden off your seedlings. When transplanting them, be very delicate as they don't like their roots messed with too much. You should plan on one or two cucumber plants per square foot of potting soil.
Trellising Reasons • Most varieties of cucumber will sprawl like crazy • The cucumbers get dirty and often get chomped on by critters • Plants are on a trellis can give leaves more exposure to the sun • Make sure you have a sturdy trellis. Remember that once the trellis is covered with cucumber vines, it has a lot of wind resistance
Trellising
Temperature /light requirement Cucumbers are warm season plants and grow best between 65° to 75°F. The plants do not tolerate prolonged exposure to temperatures below 55° or above 90°F. Wind, combined with low air temperatures (32° to 50°F), can severely damage vine crops, retarding maturity and reducing yields. Soil temperatures below 50°F also slow growth and impair water uptake by roots.
. Irrigation is accomplished either through shower or direct drip lines laid along the planted rows. Cucumbers require frequent irrigation during the growing period. Too little moisture will affect fruit shape whereas water-soaked fields can lead to mildew and other disease problems
Fertilizer As organic crop is desired no inorganic fertilizer is used so mulches are used and organic matter is well incorporated into the soil. A well decomposed organic matter is used to enhance the growth of plants.
Weed/disease control Weed control in cucumber production is accomplished through a variety of methods including use of mulches, cultivation and hand weeding. For susceptibility to a variety of insect, bacterial, fungal, and nematode infections. Early identification of such infections or infestations is key to appropriate and rapid control methods. Disease prevention strategies include careful field selection, sanitation, soil treatments, and appropriate seed selections.
After harvest, cucumbers are chilled as quickly as possible to remove field heat. Methods for cooling are: - Holding I. Hydrocooling with chilled water II. Forced-air cooling III. Drenching of fruit with cold well-water is also used
Yield 1 -3 pound/plant per week 20 -25 pond per plant total
References. Dohadwala MM, Vita, JA. Grapes and cardiovascular disease. J Nutr. 2009; 139: 1788– 93. Pezzuto JM. Grapes and human health: a perspective. J Agric Food Chem. 2008; 56: 6777– 84 Kaur M, Agarwal C, Agarwal R. Anticancer and cancer chemopreventive potential of grape seed extract and other grape-based products. J Nutr. 2009; 139: 1806– 12. https: //www. healthline. com/nutrition/7 -health-benefits-of-cucumber Watson, Molly. “Cool Cucumbers: 6 Varieties and How to Use Them. ” About. com Food. About. com, n. d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015
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