The prolonged COVID-19 lockdown period has dealt a heavy blow on cultivators of tuberose as there are hurdles in transporting the produce.
To stabilise the standing crop, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ariyalur, has advised farmers to cut the flower stalk at the base of the plants.
Tuberose is cultivated on 100 hectares in Ariyalur district and about 500 farmers are dependent on the crop. While a section of farmers have harvested the tuberose and were selling the produce at low price, many have chosen not to harvest the flowers due to non availability of marketing facility and transportation hurdles. However, scientists have cautioned that leaving well-grown tuberose unharvested is detrimental to the health of the plants.
G. Alagukannan, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK, Ariyalur, who visited various fields along with Horticulture Scientist Y. Raja Joslin, have suggested that the blooming stalks, which bear the flowers, could be removed by gently cutting the base of flower stalk to block wastage of nutrients. This would help the tuberose plants to grow healthy and reach the flowering stage again in a month. This practice could be followed instead of harvesting the flowers and marketing them at throwaway prices. The tuberose stalks could be used as a cattle feed after chopping.
He said that same approach could be followed in drumstick farms. In Ariyalur district, drumstick was being raised on 800 hectares and harvest was expected from the month of June. The farmers too expect to face some hurdles in marketing the produce.
Hence, the farmers have been advised to delay the harvest for some time by pinching the existing flower buds and terminal shoots. It would help to save the stored food material inside the plant system and leading to blooming of buds after one month. If they followed the practice, they could harvest the pods from August to September so as to fetch a good price. Besides, the farmers could use the waste decompose for enriching the soil health and plant health during the lockdown period, the officials said.