Sown in rows, pui shak (Malabar spinach) needs 8-10 grams of seed per decimal; broadcast sowing needs more. Seed needs a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees Celsius to be sown, so it is better to sow in winter when temperatures are low; at the same time, the crop usually does well in the summer rainy season. Soak the seed in water for 24 hours before sowing in the field. Sometimes seedlings are raised in beds: from February to March, seed is sown in beds or polybags, and at two weeks old the seedlings can be lifted and planted in the main field or used to fill gaps. In rows, 8-10 grams of seed per decimal or 1.5-2.5 kg per hectare is needed.

After clearing weeds, prepare the soil well with 5 to 6 ploughings and ladderings. Seedlings 15-20 days old can be planted. Plant pui shak seedlings 1 metre between rows and 50 cm apart within each row.

Apply all fertilisers except urea during land preparation. Urea is top-dressed in three instalments: the text gives the first at 30-40 days (it also refers to seedlings aged 10-12 days), and the remaining two after the first harvest. Apply half the cow dung and TSP during land preparation and the other half in the planting holes at transplanting. Doses per decimal are cow dung 60 kg, mustard oil cake 500 g, urea 800 g, TSP 400 g and MoP 400 g.

Irrigation is usually not needed in the rainy season, but if the soil is dry it must be irrigated. Loosen the soil often.

Keep the field free of weeds. For higher yields, provide supports for the vines. Never let water stand at the base of the plants, or the base may rot. Heavy rain can wash away the soil at the base, so press soil around the base after rain. When seedlings are 25-30 cm tall, cut the tips so the plants become bushy.

Apart from the leaf beetle or flea beetle, no insect does much harm to pui shak. This beetle makes small holes in the leaves. Cercospora leaf spot is a serious disease of the crop, and several other diseases can also appear; they can be controlled by spraying fungicide. Cut the shoot tips from time to time: they can be eaten, and the plant puts out new shoots.

Pui shak yields 200 to 280 kg per decimal, or 50 to 70 tonnes per hectare.

Source: Staff Correspondent. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.