The Wonders of Sumitomo Chemical's Progibb on Potatoes in Jalandhar

Do You Want to enhance your production of Table Crop Potato?

Do you wish to see clean, shiny and attractive potatoes?

Do you wish to have a healthy produce of potato?

Punjab is known to have two types of table crops:

1. August Sown crop
Ø Generally a 65-75 days crop. Ø Want to supply in the market as early as 
Ø Want a good and even size. Ø Potatoes come in the market 3rd week of ØVaries from 85-95 days crop. ØWant to supply in the market as per the rate . ØHarvesting depends upon the climatic conditions and market rate. 

2. February sown crop:Potatoes come in the market in May

#These blogs were written as a part of the internship program at Sumitomo Chemicals.

Use of Progibb in Potato Cultivation Area of Punjab

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are an important high-value commodity for producers in the Punjab Region. Intensive fertilizer management is necessary in loamy soils to ensure proper nutrient supplies to growing crops. Such soils generally have overall low organic matter, low cation exchange capacities, and low total nitrogen (N) in the upper horizon, which means that little N is mineralized from soil organic N sources and N must be applied with fertilizer to match crop uptake needs. Generally, only 1 to 3% of total organic N concentrations in the soil become available to a crop within the growing season. Nitrogen management is one of the most important aspects for potato production. Tuber deformity and secondary growth are historically correlated with moisture; however, other environmental factors that initiate and decrease growth, such as N fertility, may also be a cause.

Nitrogen application timing is one of the most important management techniques that producers can use to increase their fertilizer N use efficiency. Fertilizer should be split between at planting, at dragoff (approximately 30 days after planting when potato plants are beginning to emerge, are bedded during cultivation, and the bed height is reduced), and immediately prior to bloom. Split N applications are recommended to increase overall yield and fertilizer use efficiency. However, N applications too late in the growing season can significantly delay maturity and decrease tuber quality. Nutrient availability is not only important for overall yield in potato production, but is also important for disease management. Fertilizer applications can significantly impact both foliar and tuber disease. Growth regulators have been researched for decades to help producers manage tuber sugar content, maturity, and sprouting after harvest and during storage. However, results are mixed depending on the factors studied. In conclusion, N rate has the greatest impacts on deformity, tuber rots, and yields for potatoes. 

Gibberellic acid (GA) is applied to potato tubers cultivated from true seed (TPS) either by immersion of intact tubers in aqueous solutions, or by the excision of a small area of the tuber close to the point of detachment from the stolon and immersion of this region only in GA. Corresponding treatments with deionised water were used as controls. Tubers that had been treated with GA broke dormancy earlier than the controls, especially when the tubers were cut prior to treatment. Dormancy breakage correlated with higher weight loss and an increase in the rate of respiration of tubers following sprout emergence. The optimum time of immersion in GA to achieve dormancy breakage was 2 h, irrespective of GA concentration over the range tested (1–50 mg L⁻¹). The bisection of tubers at various times after GA application to the point of detachment from the stolon indicated that GA movement longitudinally within the tuber was necessary for it to have an effect on sprouting. GA did not affect the rate of ethylene production by the tubers, but increased starch breakdown and α-glucosidase activity in the bud, as well as the RNA content, especially at the sprout apex, prior to sprouting.

Sumitomo Chemical recommends the use of Progibb for the same !

#These blogs were written as a part of the internship program at Sumitomo Chemicals.

The Greatest of the Great Minds are Recommending Validacin!

#These blogs were written as a part of the internship program at Sumitomo Chemicals.

Sumitomo Chemical's Dantotsu is Doing Wonders on Pest of Potato!

Pests in Potato are no more a problem now! With Sumitomo Chemical's pesticide called DANTOTSU, the pests are no more a problem to the farmers.

Dantotsu was invented and developed by Sumitomo Chemical Takeda Agro Company Ltd. Japan and the chronology goes like this:

2001:  In Japan, Dantotsu was first registered as “Fullswing” for lawn grass in December 2001

2002:  Registered as DANTOTSU for food crop in Japan and Korea 

2003:  Taiwan, Ukraine, Romania (a.i. –registered in USA, Brazil, Canada, Australia)

2004:  Hungary, Poland, India, Mexico, Dominican Rep., Turkey, USA

2005:  Ecuador, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru (Italic :expectation) Many more countries till date.

Main Characteristics of Clothianidin:

> Unique mode of action

> Effective against strains resistant to other type of  insecticides

> Good systemic action

> Broad insecticidal spectrum

> High insecticidal activity with low dosage

> Long residual activity

> Low toxicity to mammals and the environment as well as low risk of phyto-toxicity to crops

Key Features of Dantotsu:

qVery strong root absorption

qTranslaminar action

qVery strong  and rapid translocation  in trees

qHigh insecticidal activity with low dosage

qStrong oral activity

qEffective against  all stage of insects

qRapid action as compared to other neonicotinoides

qLong residual activity as compared to other neonicotinoides

qGood rain fastness property

Method of Application

1st – Seed treatment @ 24 gm per acre (Spray on 1 acre seed along with the tank mix of Validacin for seed treatment)

2nd – Top dressing @ 40-50 gm per acre along with the fertilization. (Mix 40-50 gm of Dantotsu in 1 Ltr of Water and mix in 5 kg of Sand then mix with the fertilizer to be applied.

#These blogs were written as a part of the internship program at Sumitomo Chemicals.

Sumitomo Chemical Aims for a Pest Free Potato Production Area in Jalandhar

Sumitomo Chemical is creating awareness among the Potato cultivators of Punjab region in India so as to reduce the losses in the produce of this year. The major pests in potato are as follows:

Greasy Cutworm/ Black cut worm: Agrotis ipsilon

Potato tuber moth: Phthorimaea operculella

White grubs: Holotrichia sp.

Tobacco Caterpillar: Spodoptera litura

Green Leaf Hopper Empoasca kerri

Green peach aphid: Myzus persicae

Whitefly: Bemisia tabaci Greasy Cutworm/ Black cut worm: Agrotis ipsilon Symptoms of damage Young larvae feed on the epidermis of the leaves. Older larvae come out at night and feed young plants by cutting their stems They also damage the tubers by eating away part of them. Identification of pest Larva Adult Eggs Creamy white, dome-shaped eggs, laid singly on lower surface of the leaves Larvae Newly emerged young larva is yellow in colour The full-grown larva is dark or dark brown with a plump and greasy body. Pupa Dark brown pupae are found in earthen cells lying underground in the potato fields. Adult Moth Dark with some grayish patches on the back and dark streaks on the forewings. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Potato tuber moth: Phthorimaea operculella Symptoms of damage It is a pest of field and storage Larva tunnels into foliage, stem and tubers Galleries are formed near tuber eyes Potato tuber moth infested tuber Potato tuber moth infested tuber  Potato tuber moth Infested leaves Larvae Adult Identification of pest Egg - laid singly –the ventral surface of foliage and exposed tubers. Larva - Yellow coloured caterpillar with dark brown head. Pupa: Pupation occurs within a cocoon among the trash, clods of the earth in the field. Adult: Small narrow winged moth, greyish brown forewings and hind wings- dirty white. ___________________________________________________________________________________ White grubs: Holotrichia sp. Symptoms of damage Grubs feed on roots and tubers Identification of pest Larva:   ‘C’ shaped grub  Adult Brown beetle with pale prothorax ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tobacco Caterpillar: Spodoptera litura Symptoms of damage The young larvae first feed gregariously and scrape the leaves. Older larvae spread out and may completely devour the leaves resulting in poor growth of plants. Larva Adult Identification of pest Egg: -masses appear golden brown Larva: - pale greenish with dark markings Gregarious in the early stages Adult Forewings – brown colour with wavy white marking Hind wings-  white colour with a brown patch along the margin ____________________________________________________________________________________ Green Leaf Hopper Empoasca kerri Symptoms of damage Tips of affected leaves become brown, turn upwards and get dried up Identification of pest Egg - elongated yellow-white egg is deposited in leaf vein. Nymph - Pale – green, wedge shaped Winged pads extend up to the fifth abdominal segment. Adult It is a wedge shaped and pale green insect ____________________________________________________________________________________ Green peach aphid: Myzus persicae Symptoms of damage Aphids suck sap of plants, as a result of which leaves turn pale and dry up. This pest also transmits various viral to potato plants. Identification of pest It resembles wingless adult but the size is small. __________________________________________________________________________________ Whitefly: Bemisia tabaci Symptoms of damage Nymphs suck sap from the leaves and lower their vitality. Yellowing and curling of leaf Sooty mould develops on affected leaves Identification of pest Egg It is smooth, sub elliptical, stalked at broader basal end. Its colour is light yellow, when freshly laid, turn dark brown later on. Nymph Pale-yellow in colour Adult It is small winged insect having light yellow Wings are pure white and has prominent long legs. ________________________________________________________________________________ #These blogs were written as a part of the internship program at Sumitomo Chemicals.