Coriander generally known as “Dhania”
(Coriandrum sativum) belongs to Apiaceae.
It is cultivated in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, U.P., etc. Mainly used as a condiment
for its medicinal properties as well as for culinary purposes as spice. Green leaves of coriander
are also extensively used for culinary purposes
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| Coriander requires
cool climate during growth stage and warm dry climate
at maturity. It can be cultivated in all most all
types of soils but well drained loamy soil suits
well. It is observed that quality of seed is superior
& essential oil content is more when the crop
is grown in colder regions & at high altitudes. |
| Land should be
ploughed 2-3 times followed by planking, to bring
the soil to fine tilth. Clods should be broken and
stubbles of previous crop should be removed. Before
land preparation, pre-sowing irrigation should be
given, if optimum moisture for seed germination
is not available in the soil. |
| Improved varieties
like Guj.Coriander-1, Guj.Coriander-2, RCr-41, UD-20,
Rajendra Swati (RD-44), CS-287, CO-1, CO-2, CO-3,
Sadhana, Swati and Sindhu may be cultivated to get
high yield. |
| 15 to 20 Kg of
seed is required for sowing of one hectare area.
Usually coriander is cultivated during Rabi season.
The best time for sowing of coriander is 15th October
to 15th November. Seed should be rubbed to split
into two halves before sowing. While rubbing care
should be taken to save the sprouting portion. Timely
sowing is beneficial as in early sowing germination
is affected on account of excess sun shine and late
sowing leads to paltry growth of plants and development
of various diseases. Sowing time may be adjusted
in frost prone areas so that the frost incidence
can be avoided during flowering stage. Sowing should
be done in rows at a spacing of 30 cm apart. |
| 15 to 20 MT FYM
per hectare should be incorporated in soil at the
time of land preparation. Apart from FYM 20 Kg Nitrogen
30 Kg Phosphorous and 20 Kg Potash per hectare should
also be applied in the soil as basal dose, in case
of rain fed crop. For irrigated crop; 20 MT FYM,
60 Kg of Nitrogen, 30 Kg Phosphorous and 20 Kg
Potash per hectare is recommended. Full dose of
FYM should be mixed in soil at the time of land
preparation and one third dose of Nitrogen (20
Kg), full dose of Phosphorous and Potash should
be applied as basal dose and remaining 40 kg Nitrogen
should be top dressed in two equal split doses
at the time of first irrigation and at flowering
stage. |
| Generally, 4-6
irrigations are given depending on type of soil
and climate. First irrigation should be given within
30-35 days from the date of sowing, second after
50-60 days, third after 70-80 days, fourth after
90-100 days, fifth after 105-110 days and sixth
after 115-125 days. |
| During early stages
of growth, coriander plants grow very slow, hence
weeding during this period is very essential to
save the plants from weed competition. In rain fed
crop, first weeding should be done at about 25-30
days after sowing and in irrigated crop about 40-45
days after sowing. Thinning of plants should be
done before first irrigation to maintain a spacing
of 5 to 10 cm between plants. Second weeding should
be done 50-60 days after sowing, in rainfed crop. |
| PEST |
| Aphid |
| Aphid infestation
occurs at the time of flowering or after flowering
in coriander crop. It sucks the sap from tender
parts of the plants resulting in heavy loss. Spraying
of 0.3% solution of Malathion or 0.1% solution of
Dimethoate should be done to control this insect.
Sowing during last week of October to first week
of November can minimize the damage caused by aphid. |
| Cutworm |
| It is a caterpillar,
brownish in colour, which cuts the plants from ground
level and make them to fall down. Infestation of
this pest starts at the initial stage of plants
resulting in heavy loss to the crop.
Drenching of Chlorpyriphos before last ploughing
is also recommended. |
| Wilt disease |
| The fungus which
causes wilt affects root system of the plants. To
prevent the crop from infection of the fungus, deep
ploughing should be done during summer season. Crop
rotation may also be followed. In those plots, where
effect of this disease has been noticed, coriander
crop should not be taken for 2-3 years. Sowing should
be done after seed treatment with Bavistin @ 1.5
gm per kg seed or Thiram 1.5 gm per Kg seed. |
| Powdery
Mildew |
| Attack of this
disease is seen during cloudy weather condition.
White powdery growth appears on the leaves and buds
during its primary stage. Seed formation may not
take place in affected plants due to this disease.
To control this disease, dusting of Sulphur dust
@ 20-25 Kg per hectare should be done. Spraying
of wettable sulphur or Kerathane can also control
this disease. |
| Blight |
| In this disease
dark brown spots appears on the stem and leaves
of infected plants. Spraying of 0.2% solution of
Mancozeb should be used to control this disease. |
| Stem gall |
| Galls appear on
the leaves and stems of the plants affected by this
disease. Shape of coriander seeds change due to
effect of the disease. Increasing level of humidity,
intensifies the effect of this disease on crop.
To control the disease, sowing may be done only
after treating the seeds with 1.5 g Thiram and 1.5
g Bavistin (1:1) / Kg. seeds. Spray 0.1% solution
of Bavistin when the symptoms start appearing and
repeat the spraying at an interval of 20 days till
the disease is completely controlled. |
| Harvesting
|
| This crop matures
in about 110 to 140 days. At maturity, seeds turn
to yellowish green colour. On pressing, mature seeds
are medium-hard. After harvest, the crop should
be dried under partial shade to retain the green
colour and its aroma. When the plants are completely
dried, the seeds should be separated by thrashing.
Seeds should be cleaned by winnowing or with the
help of sieve or by vibrator and graded. |
| Yield |
| About 500 to 800
Kg coriander/ ha from rain fed crop and 1200 to
2000 Kg from irrigated crop can be obtained. |
