Production and Technology of Radish

1. RADISH
• Botanical Name: Raphanus Sativus L.
• Family: Cruciferae/Brassicaceae
• Chromosome No. :2n=2x=18
• Origin: Europe and Asia. (Mediterranean)
• Pungency : Isothiocyanates
The edible portion of radish develops from the primary root and hypocotyl.

3. • Radish, edible root vegetable belongs to family of
"Cruciferae" and its origin is in Mediterranean. It is
crop of tropical and temperate region. It is a quick
growing annual or biannual herb. Its edible roots are
having different color from white to red. West Bengal,
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Assam are
major radish growing states. Radish is good source of
vitamin B6, Calcium, copper, magnesium and
riboflavin. Also it is rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid and
potassium.
•

6. Nutrient Content

7. Distribution
• West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka,
Punjab and Assam are major radish growing
states.

8. Soil
• It can be grown on all type of soils but give best
result when grown on light friable, sandy loam
soil.
• Sandy loam soil with high organic matter content
are highly situated for radish cultivation.
• Avoid heavy or compact soils as it produce rough,
malformed roots.
• Ideal pH of soil for good growth is 5.5 to 6.8

9. Climate
• Radish is best adopted in cool & moderate climate
• It is crop of tropical and temperate region.
• Radish is best adapted to cool or moderate climate.
• Tropical varieties can adopt high temperature but to
develop good flavor texture lower temperature
between 15- 25 ° C is required initially 20 and 23 ° C
temperature is required.
• During hot weather the toots become tough and
plough and pungent before reaching edible size.
However, pungency is also a varietal character.

10. Variety
• Japanese white:
• Pusa chetki:
• Pusa Himani:
• Punjab Pasand:
• Pusa Deshi:
• Pusa Reshmi:
• Arka Nishant:
• Rapid Red White Tipped:

11. • Japanese white: Optimum time for sowing is from
November-December. It is introduced in India from Japan. In
northern plains it is recommended for late sowing and in
hilly areas recommended for cultivation in July-September.
Roots are cylindrical and having pure white color. Gives
average yield of 160qtl/acre.
Pusa chetki: Optimum time for sowing is from April-August.
Early maturing variety suitable for seed production for
Punjab region. Its roots are smooth, snow white color and
medium long. It gives average yield of 105qtl/acre and seed
yield of 4.5qtl/acre.

12. • Pusa Himani: Suitable for sowing in fortnight of
January-February. Its root are white with green
shoulders. Ready to harvest in 60-65days after sowing.
Gives average yield of 160qtl/acre.
Punjab Pasand: Optimum time for sowing is from
second fortnight of March. It is early maturing variety,
ready to harvest in 45days after sowing. Roots are long,
white and free from hair. Suitable for sowing in main
season as well as for off season. In main season, gives
average yield of 215qtl/acre where as in off season
gives average yield of 140qtl/acre.

13. Other state varieties:
•
Pusa Deshi: Suitable for sowing in northern plains.
Roots are of pure white color. Ready to harvest in 50-
55days after sowing.
Pusa Reshmi: Variety is suitable for early sowing. Ready
to harvest in 50 to 60days.
Arka Nishant: Long and pink root variety. Ready to
harvest in 50-55days.
Rapid Red White Tipped: Very early maturing European
table type variety. Ready to harvest in 25-30days. Roots
are small and bright red colored with pure white flesh
color

17. Land Preparation
• Plough land thoroughly and make land weed
and clods free. Add well decomposed cow
dung of 5-10ton/acre and mix well in soils at
time of land preparation. Avoid use of un-
decomposed or free cowdung as it will leads
to forking of fleshy roots.
• It is sown on ridge for proper root
development

18. Seed Rate
• For sowing of one hectare land seed rate of
10-12.50kg is sufficient.

19. Sowing and Seed Treatment:
• The radish crop can be sown on ridges and furrows or on flat beds
too.
• The distance between ridges and furrows or on flat beds depends
upon variety.
The temperate varieties and early varieties are sown at a closer
spacing.
• Radish can be sown from July- January.
• During hot weather or in rainy season tropical varieties can be
grown.
• The tropical varieties sown after November wilt bolt. Radish is sown
on ridges and furrows opened at 45 cm distance and seeds dibbled
at 8 to 10 cm in row. Surface sowing or sowing at depth of 2- 3 cm is
advisable for proper germination.
• On flat beds sowing at 15 X 15 cm can be followed. 8 -10 kg of seed
required for one hectare area.
• Seed is mixed with sand or soil in the ratio of 1:4 and placed in a
row by hand, over the ridges and then covered with Soil.
The radishes are also sown in Kharif season but the root gives good is inferior.

20. Manures and Fertilizers
FYM Nitrogen Phosphorus Potash
Quintal/ha Kg/ha Kg/ha Kg/ha
250-300 70 50 60
Well rotted ammonium
sulphate
Superphasphate Murate of Potash
The complete doses of potassic phosphatic and one half dose of
nitrogenous fertilizers can be applied in the rows before sowing. The
remaining half dose of nitrogenous fertilizers should be applied as a
top dressing along with irrigation when the plants start growing
vigrously.

21. Manures and Fertilizers
• Radish is a quick growing crop, hence the soil should be
highly rich in plant nutrients. Add farmyard manure 25-40
tonnes, nitrogcn 18-50 kg in the form of ammonium
sulphate, phosphorus 50 kg in the form of superphosphate
and potash 50 kg in the form of muriate of potash for one
hectare of the field.
• The farmyard manure should be mixed up thoroughly at
the time of field preparation, whereas the complete doses
of potassic phosphatic and one half dose of nitrogenous
fertilizers can be applied in the rows before sowing. The
remaining half dose of nitrogenous fertilizers should be
applied as a top dressing along with irrigation when the
plants start growing vigrously.

22. Weeding
• Take interculture
operation like weeding
and hoeing to keep
check on weed growth
also to provide soil
aeration. Take one
weeding operation,
two to three weeks
after sowing. After
weeding, carryout
earthing operation.

23. Irrigation
• After sowing, apply first irrigation, it will help
in good germination. Depending upon soil
type and climate, apply remaining irrigations
at interval of 6-7days in summer and 10-12
days interval in winter month. Overall radish
required five to six irrigations. Avoid excessive
irrigation as it will leads misshape of roots and
numerous hair growth. In summer season,
provide pre-harvest light irrigation. It will keep
root fresh and reduce pungency.

24. Interculture:
• As it is sown at closer spacing, weeding is
difficult hence soil should be well prepared.
After sowing regular stage of crop growth is
essential. In radish roots there is tendency to
bulge out of the soil therefore cover roots by
earthling up.

25. Harvesting:
• Depending upon varieties roots become ready for
harvesting in 40- 45 days after sowing. Early rapid
maturing varieties become ready for harvesting
even at 25- 30 days of sowing. Harvesting radish
at proper stage of maturity. Delay in harvesting
result in pithiness and bitterness in radish roots.
• Given light irrigation before harvesting to
facilitate easy pulling of roots, the roots along
with leaves easy pulling of roots. The roots along
with leaves are washed cleaned and tied in
bunches.

27. Yield:
• Average yield of radish varies from 100 to 180
quintals per hectare. However, some cultivars
also yield. 400- 500 quintal per hectare. Yield
of temperature varieties is less.

28. Insect
Aphids
• Aphids are the most serious pests of radish. They attack
both seedlings and mature crops. Cloudy humid weather
conditions favours the spread of their infestation. In case of
heavy infestation the plants are completely devitalized,
leaves and shoots curl up, become yellowish and finally die.
Control
• Spraying Chloropyriphos 50% in the ratio of one litre in
1000 litres of water gives sufficient high percentage of kill
with a residual effect of 2- 3 weeks. Nicotin sulphate one
litre in 800 litres of water is also effective at higher
temperature of about 210 C. Spraying Nuvacron (1.25ml) or
Metasystox (2ml) per litre of water is also recommended.

29. Mustard saw-fly
• This is a common pest of radish and turnip. In radish, it
appears when the crop is in flowering and at vegetative
stage. The damage is done by the group by biting holes
in the leaves and fruits.
Control
• Mustard saw-fly can be controlled by dusting 10% BHC
at the rate of 15-20 kg per hectare at the vegetative
growth of the infested crop and 35-40 kg per hectare at
the seed formation stage. Spraying of 4 gm Sevin 50
W.P. per litre of water at weekly interval can also
control this pest.

30. Flee beetle
• In some areas, it becomes a serious pest on
the vegetative parts of the plants which are
eaten by this pest.
Control
• It can be controlled by spraying with
Chloropyriphos (0.15%) or Sevin (0.4%) at 10
to 15 days interval.

31. Diseases
1. Alternaria blight
• This disease is caused by Alternaria raphonic. Symptoms usually first appear on the
leaves in the form of yellowish, slightly raised I spots or Iesions. These lesions enlarge
many times on seed pods. Infection spreads rapidly during rainy weather, and the entire
food may be so infected that the styler end becomes black and shriveled. The fungus
penetrates the pod tissues ultimately infecting the seeds. The infected seeds may lose
their viability.
Control
• Use of disease free seeds is the prime requirement. Spraying of the crop with fungicides
is recommended if seeds are being produced or if the vegetable crop is of high value. In
the latter case spraying should be done only in the early stages of plant growth. Copper
oxychloride (0.5 to 0.75%), Maneb (0.2%), or Zineb (0.25%) or Blitox 50 can be used as
spray. Two to three sprayings will be sufficient.
2. White rust
• White rust of radish is caused by Albugo candida. In some areas, the disease assumes a
serious problem of radish. It produces a white powdery substance in patches on the
under surface of the leaves. It mainly appears on the leaves and flowering shoots which
get deformed and bear only malformed flowers.
Control
• Destruction of diseased crop debris helps in reducing the inoculum. Weed control and
other sanitary precautions are also essential. Among fungicides 0.8% Bordaux mixture or
Dithane Z- 78 (0.3%) can be sprayed for the effective control of the disease.

33. 3. Downy mildew
• This disease is caused by the fungus Peronospora parasitico . In addition to radish, the
fungus also attacks cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, etc. The disease is characterized by the
appearance of the purplish brown spots on the under surface of the leaves. These spots
may remain small or enlarge considerably. The upper surface of the leaf above the
lesion is tan to yellow. Downy growth usually appears on the under surface of these
lesions.
Control
• Crop rotation, clean seed beds, destruction of weed and other sanitary measures are
important to check the spread of the disease. Intensity of the disease can be reduced
by spraying 0.2% Maneb, 2-3 times at 10 days interval after the disease has been
noticed in the field.
4. Black rot
• This disease is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas compestris. It effects almost all
the cruciferous plants all over the world. It is a seed-borne disease. The plant may be
affected at any time during its growth from the youngest seedling until it matures. On
young seedlings, the cotylcdons are affected at the margins which show blackening and
such cotyledons die. Later, infection of leaves occurs through water pores at the
margins. The infected tissues I turn yellow and the chlorosis occurs. The veins show a
brown or black discolouration.
Control
• The pathogen lives only for one year in the field, hence two years crop-rotation is
sufficient to check the soil borne infection. For seed treatment a number of antibiotics
such as Agromycin (0.01 %), Streptocycline (0.01%), Agromycin, ete. are available. One
of the recommendation is to give hot water treatment at 520 C for 30 minutes.
Application of 10-12 kg stable bleaching powder per hectare as soil drench is also
effective.

36. • 5. Radish mosaic
• It is a viral disease. The symptoms first appear as small, circular to
irregular chlorotic lesion in between and adjacent to the veins.
Little or no leaf distortion is noticed, and stunting or abnormal leaf
formation rarely occurs. Severe yield loss in susceptible cultivars of
radish is caused due to this viral disease.
Control
• The disease can effectively be checked by controlling aphids with
insecticides and weed hosts by spraying weedicides.
6. Radish phyllody
• It is a disease of radish seed crop which appears at the time of
flowering. The sepals, petals and carpels of the affected flower
show the phyllody condition and stamens become sepaloid. The
degree of phyllody increascs in the direction of carpels.
• So far no suitable control measures have been evolved for this
discase.