After-Cultivation process for Crop Production

After-Cultivation:

• The tillage operations that are carried out in the standing crop are called after tillage.

• Collectively, the cultivation practices taken up after sowing of crop is called inter-cultivation.

• It otherwise called as after operation or inter-culturing.

• It facilitates good aeration, and better development of root system.

Broadly, there are three Inter-cultivation practices: Thinning and gap filling, weeding and hoeing and earthing up.

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Thinning and Gap Filling:

• The objective of thinning and gap filling process is to maintain optimum plant population.

• Thinning is the removal of excess plants leaving healthy seedlings.

• Gap filling is done to fill the gaps by sowing of seeds or transplanting of seedlings in gap where early sown seed had not germinated.

• It is a simultaneous process.

• Normally, these are practiced a week after sowing to a maximum of 15 days. In dryland agriculture, gap filling is done first.

Weeding and Hoeing:

• Weeding is the process of eliminating competition of unwanted plants to the regular crop in respect to nutrition and moisture. So that https://sildenafilhealth.com crops can be grown profitably. It also facilitates other operations like irrigation and fertilizer application.

• Weeding and hoeing is simultaneous operation.

• Hoeing is disturbing the top soil by small hand tools which helps in aerating the soil.

Earthing-up:

• It is the process of putting the earth or soil just near the base for certain crops like Sugar cane, Cassava, Papaya, Potato, etc. to give support to the plants.

• Sugarcane, Papaya, Banana – To avoid lodging

• Cassava, Potato – To provide more soil volume for the growth of tubers. Vegetables – To facilitate irrigation.

• It is carried out in wide spaced and deep-rooted crops.

• It is done around 6-8 weeks after sowing / planting in sugarcane, tapioca, banana, etc.