HORDI Crop – Leeks

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Leeks

Allium ampeloprasum

Leeks is belong to the onion family (Alliaceae). But leeks do not form bub.

Released Varieties

Climatic requirements/ Areas suitable for cultivation

Leeks grow well in cool climatic condition of up country areas: Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. Stem thickness is reduced under high temperature condition. 

Soil

Well drain soil with high organic matter is good for leeks cultivation. Best pH range is 5-6.

Seed requirement

3750 g/ha

Nursery Management

It is required about 200-225, 3 x 1 m size nursery beds to produce plants for one hectare. Seeds are established 15 cm apart rows and cover seeds by small amount of soil.

Land preparation

Plough up to 40 cm depth. Add well decomposed organic manure to the soil. Prepare 1.2 x 3 m size raised bed.

Planting

Irrigate daily for 4 days after established seedling. It is important to light irrigation in morning to avoid leaf scorching.

Spacing

15 x 10 cm

Fertilizer

Organic manure 10 t/ha

Times for apply

Urea  kg/ha

TSP kg/ha

MOP kg/ha

Basal fertilizer

85

270

50

Top dressing (1 &3 months after planting)

85

Top dressing (2 &4 months after planting)

85

50

Water supply

Irrigate daily for 4 days after established seedling. It is important to light irrigation in morning to avoid leaf scorching.

Weed Control

Weeds are control with the intercultural operation. Manually remove weeds before fertilizer application.

Pest Management

80-90% distribution occurs with transportation of organic matter and larvae feed on the developing shoot and young roots of the developing seedling

Damage symptoms

  • Wilting leaves and plants shrivel.
  • Pull up the damage plants; you will see the tiny root maggots on the roots

Management

  • Regular field monitoring
  • Crop rotation
  • Place yellow sticky traps around the field edges just above the growing leeks
  • Remove and burn infected plants
  • Plough the soil to bring the pupa to the surface of the soil
  • Application of properly decomposed FYM(Farm Yard Manure)/compost

Chemical control

  • Fipronil 50 SC

Damage symptoms

Habitually they are nocturnal. Early instars make round holes in leaves. Later, the shoots are damaged close to the ground, often cut the whole plant at the base. Cut several plants in a single night and pulling the plant stem belowground.  Cut plants show wilting during day time.

Management

  • Regular monitoring
  • Hand collecting and destroying
  • Weed management
  • Proper field sanitation
  • Plough the soil deeply to bring the larvae and pupa to the surface of the soil
  • Encourage predatory birds to preying the worms during tillage operation

Chemical control

  • Profenophos 500 g/l EC at the rate of 32 ml per 16 l of water
  • Etofenprox 100g/l EC at the rate of 24 ml per 16 l of water

Disease Management

  • Field sanitation
  • Recommended fungicides – Maneb, Mancozeb, Propineb, Tebuconazole
  • Recommended fungicides- chlorothalonil

Harvesting

Crop cab be harvest about 4 ½ months after transplanting.

Yield

20-30 t/ha