Agronomic behavior of the okra cultivation (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) at the Sapecho Experimental Station, Alto Beni

Misael Cuata Natte; Fernando Manzaneda Delgado

Abstract

The okra is not cultivated and grows as a weed in the tropical region of the department of La Paz, the producers do not know it, but older adults use the seed as a substitute for the coffee bean and in a pod state it is prepared in salads and stews for its pleasant flavor. The research work aims to provide information by evaluating the agronomic behavior of the okra crop. The study was carried out at the Sapecho Experimental Station under the Faculty of Agronomy of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, the seed was collected from the Colorado town of the department of Cochabamba. The answer variables evaluated were the viability percentage, days after emergence, first pair of leaves; days to flowering, fruiting and harvesting; height of the plant, diameter of the main stem, number of branches and capsules per plant, weight of the capsule per plant; diameter and length of the capsule, number of seeds per capsule, weight of the seed per plant, diameter of the seed and identification of pests and diseases, the statistical evaluation was descriptive, calculating the average, maximum, minimum, standard deviation and coefficient of variation . The results show that the viability of the seed was 92%, average of emergence of 7 days, first leaves at 17 days, flowering at 103 days, fruiting at 105 days and harvest at 173 days from its storage. The crop reached 243.98 cm in height, with a diameter of 5.14 cm in the main stem with five branches on average. The number of capsules per plant; weight, diameter, length and number of seeds per capsule was higher in the second harvest. The presence of the insect of the Diabrotica genus was observed but it did not affect the production, there were no diseases that cause damage to the crop, concluding that this crop has a productive potential and can be widely disseminated in the tropical region.