1. What are the mango varieties suitable for processing?
Alphonso, Banganapalli, Totapuri
2. Name some mango varieties suited for export?
Alphonso, Banganapalli, Sendura
3. Can I use mango seedlings for commercial planting?
No. Grafts should be used for commercial planting.
4. How can I induce flowering in mango?
During February 0.5% Urea (5 g/lit.) or 1% Potassium Nitrate (10g/lit.) may be sprayed to induce flowering in mango.
5. Suggest some alternate methods for biennial bearing.
i.Plant regular bearing varieties like Banglora, PKM 1, PKM 2.
ii.Follow regular cultural practices like manuring, pruning, watering and plant protection measures.
6. What are the culinary varieties in Banana?
Monthan, Nendran, Vayal vazhai, Ash Monthan and Chakkia.
7. Name some banana varieties suitable for hilly areas.
Virupakshi, Sirumalai and Namaran, Red Banana, Manoranjitham (Santhana vazhai) and Ladan.
8. What is meant by sucker treatment in banana?
Select sword suckers of 1.5 to 2.0 kg weight, free from diseases and nematodes. Trim the roots and decayed portion of the corm, cut the pseudostem leaving 20 cm from the corm and grade the suckers to size. To avoid wilt disease, infected portions of the corn may be pared, dipped for 5 minutes in 0.1% Emisan solution (1 g in 1 lit of water) in Rasthali, Monthan, Neyvannan, Virupakshi and other wilt susceptible varieties. Pralinage with 40 g of Carbofuran 3 G granules per sucker. (Dip the corm in slurry solution of 4 parts clay plus 5 parts water and sprinkle Carbofuran to control nematodes). Alternatively, dip the corm with 0.75% Monocrotophos, shade dry for atleast 24 hours and plant.
9. What is the use of bunch covering in banana?
Uniform bunch maturity, free from pest and disease infection, bruises and black spots.
10. What is meant by kottavazhai in banana and which variety is more susceptible for that disease?
Kottavazhai is seediness in banana especially in poovan varieties. This is can be controlled by spraying 2,4 – D at the rate of 25 ppm within 20 days after opening of last hand (1 g/40 lit/200 bunches) or 1.2 g of Sodium salt of 2,4 – D dissolved in 40 lit of water for 200 bunches.
11. How can I get more yield in acid lime?
Fruit set in acid lime can be increased by 2,4,D @ 20 ppm during flowering. Similarly the fruit retention can be achieved by spraying 2,4,D @ 20 ppm / NAA 30 ppm after fruit set (marble size).
12. What is the method of training adopted for growing grapes?
Pandal system
13. Suggest some of the methods to increase grape yield and quality.
Dip the clusters in solution containing Brassinosteroid 0.5 ppm and GA3 25 ppm at 10 -12 days after fruit set.
14. How can I increase the berry size in grapes?
Dip the clusters of Thomson seedless and other seedless varieties at calyptra fall with 25 ppm GA (25 mg/lit) and repeat again at pepper stage to increase the size of berries.
15. How to prepare Bordeaux mixture?
A quantity of 400 g of Copper sulphate should be dissolved in 20 lit of water and 400 g of lime in another 20 lit of water separately. The copper sulphate solution should be added to the lime solution constantly stirring the mixture. Earthern or wooden vessels and plastic containers alone should be used and metallic containers should not be used. To find out whether the mixture is in correct proportion, a polished knife should be dipped in the mixture for one minute and taken out. If there is reddish brown deposit of copper, additional quantity of lime should be added till there is no deposit in the knife.