Detailed Explanation of Field Management Techniques for Okra

1. Intertillage, weeding and hilling: After the seedlings emerge or are transplanted, when the temperature is relatively low, intertillage should be carried out 2 times in succession to raise the soil temperature and promote seedling recovery. Before the first flower opens, intertillage should be intensified so as to appropriately restrain seedling growth and benefit root development. After flowering and fruiting, the plants grow faster, and intertillage should be carried out after each watering and topdressing. Before the rows close, intertill and hill the soil to prevent the plants from lodging. In areas with heavy summer rainstorms and wind, it is best to insert bamboo poles about 1 m long, or branches, near the plants to prevent lodging.

2. Thinning: The first thinning is done when the heart leaf breaks, removing weak and residual seedlings. The second thinning is done at 2 to 3 true leaves, selecting and keeping strong seedlings. Final thinning is done at 3 to 4 true leaves, keeping 1 plant per hole.

3. Watering and fertilizing

4. Watering: During the growth period, okra requires relatively high air and soil humidity. If there is a water shortage within 20 days after sowing, manual sprinkler irrigation should be done in the morning and evening. After the seedlings are somewhat larger, mechanical sprinkler irrigation or furrow irrigation can be used. The hot summer season is exactly the peak harvest period for okra, when water demand is high and surface temperature is high, so watering should be done before 9 a.m. and after sunset in the afternoon, avoiding watering under high temperatures, which can damage the roots. Pay attention to drainage during the rainy season to prevent seedling death. Throughout the entire growth period, the goal is to keep the soil moist.

5. Topdressing: On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, topdressing should be done appropriately, and nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied alone. The first is the full-stand fertilizer, applied after emergence, with 90 to 120 kg of urea per hectare. The second is the seedling-promoting fertilizer, broadcast in furrows after final thinning or transplanting, with 225 to 300 kg of compound fertilizer per hectare. During the flowering and fruiting period, apply a heavy fertilization once, with 30000 to 45000 kg of diluted human manure, or 300 to 450 kg of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer. In the middle and late growth stages, apply multiple light topdressings as appropriate to prevent premature aging of the plants.