Production of nightshade

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