Crop Production environment
Requires fertile loamy soil with adequate moisture. Can grow in any part of the country during the rainy season. Production in swampy areas is very common in the dry season
Plants perform well when fully exposed and do not grow well in the shade
Always by direct sowing since transplanting is impossible because of taproots
Mix seed with sand and/ or ash at ratio of 1:2 (i.e. 1 cup of seed: 2 cups of sand) to facilitate even sowing of seeds
Make shallow drills in the soil surface at spacing of 30 cm (1 ft)
Sow seeds mixed with sand and cover slightly
Pure stand performs better
Manure/ Fertilizer
Nightshade responds very well to
farmyard manure
In absence of organic manure, NPK may
be used
Incorporate the manure in soil during land
Preparation
Early flowering maybe due to very low
level of organic matter or little moisture
Crop Management
Nightshade grows vigorously and requires
weeding only in space between the rows
Keep the field weed free
Thin out seedlings growing too closely in a
row when soil is moist to avoid disturbing
the rest of plants
Harvesting
Harvest at about 5 weeks from planting/ transplanting
Harvest according to market demand i.e.
- uproot whole plant
- pluck off the tender shoots
Sprinkle some water on the heaps of shots to keep them fresh
Insect pests/ diseases
Spider plants do not attract many pests but
when grown with other crops, pests from
neighbouring crops attack them.
Purple spider plant varieties are less
affected by insects but are susceptible to
diseases.
Spraying with any kind of pesticide is not
recommended. Sprinkling the affected
plants with ash helps to chase off the pests.
Nutrition
Has appreciable amount of methionine
60% of vitamins & other micronutrients
can be lost in the cooking process
(shorter cooking is required)
Contains calcium (Ca), magnesium
(Mg), and iron (Fe)
Other Uses
Spinach-like vegetables
Leaves may be dried for use in soups
during dry season
Preparation and Utilization
Ingredients:
- 2 handful black nightshade
- 1 onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 3 tbs. cooking oil
- ½ cup groundnut flour/paste
- 1 cup milk
- Salt
- 2 cups water
Procedure:
sort tender leaves of nightshade
wash and cut into small pieces
boil water, add salt & nightshade
then cover the pot till soft. Drain
wash, peel and slice tomato
clean, wash and slice onion
roast, remove the husks & grind the groundnuts finely
fry onions, add tomato and stir till soft
add boiled nightshade and stir well
mix groundnut flour with milk, add into the mixture & stir while simmering for 10 minutes
season to taste, serve while hot
