Production season |
In Zimbabwe the crop can be grown all year round. |
Area to plant |
1ha/10 000m2 (100mx100m) |
1000m2 (20mx50m) |
100m2 (10mx10m) |
Seed required |
2– 4 kg |
200-400g |
20-40g |
Plant population |
1 000 000-2 000 000 |
100 000-200 000 |
10 000-20 000 |
Plant spacing in row |
5cm-8cm |
Spacing between rows |
30cm-50cm |
Compound D Fertilizer kg/ha |
100-200 |
10-20 |
1.0-2.0 |
Top dressing NOT necessary |
100 kg |
10 kg |
1.0 kg |
Manure kg/ha |
10 000-20 000 |
1 000-2 000 |
100-200 |
Days to Harvest |
70 to 120 days depending on the variety |
Harvest duration |
20 days |
See leaf vegetable common pests and diseases and their control for chemical options. |
Irrigation |
Overhead, Pivot, Micro-jet and Drip systems are all suitable methods. Ensure the soil is moist at all times. |
Post-harvest handling |
Roots are lifted by hand or a garden fork is used to harvest when they are about 2cm in diameter. |
Normal packaging |
Pockets |
Pockets |
Pockets |
Estimated Yield (kg/ha) |
25 000-50 000 |
2 500-5 000 |
250-500 |