Bhindi (Okra)
Abelmoschus esculentus
A quick warm-season vegetable picked every two or three days for two to three months — grown in summer (February–March sowing) and the rains (June–July) across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh — where the one thing that decides the crop is yellow vein mosaic virus, spread by whitefly, so choosing a resistant variety and stopping whitefly early matters more than any amount of fertiliser.
Quick Summary
The key points from this page in about two minutes — read it or have it read aloud.
Quick Summary
Okra (bhindi) is a fast, warm-season vegetable. It reaches the first pick in about six to eight weeks and then keeps yielding for two to three months if it is picked every second or third day. India grows it mainly in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, in two main seasons — a summer crop sown February–March and a rainy-season crop sown June–July.
The single biggest problem is yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV). The leaves turn a bright network of yellow veins, the plant stunts, and the pods come out pale, hard and unsellable. The virus is carried by whitefly, so it cannot be sprayed away once the plant has it. The whole crop hinges on two decisions: planting a resistant or tolerant variety (Arka Anamika, Arka Abhay, Parbhani Kranti, Kashi Kranti, Hisar Unnat, or a modern resistant hybrid) and knocking down whitefly from the seedling stage. A newer disease, enation leaf curl virus, is now spreading and can hit even older YVMV-resistant varieties, so variety choice needs a local check.
After the virus, the shoot and fruit borer is the main pest — its caterpillars bore into the growing tip and into the pods, and the only real defence is regular scouting, clipping bored shoots and pods, and well-timed sprays. Jassids cause leaf-edge browning ("hopper burn") in the dry season.
Okra is otherwise an easy, forgiving crop: it grows on most well-drained soils, needs only moderate water (though the summer crop must be irrigated every few days), and gives a steady cash income from a small area because it is picked and sold continuously rather than in one harvest.
- Crop type
- Warm-season annual vegetable (tender pods)
- Season
- Summer (Feb–Mar sowing) and rainy season (Jun–Jul)
- Suitable states
- Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh
- Time to first pick
- 45–60 days; picking continues 2–3 months
- Water requirement
- Moderate; summer crop needs watering every 4–7 days
- Temperature
- Warm, 25–35°C; frost-tender, poor set below 20°C or above 42°C
- Soil type
- Well-drained sandy loam to loam, pH 6.0–7.5
- Difficulty level
- Easy (yellow vein mosaic virus, shoot and fruit borer)
- Expected yield
- 10–15 t/ha (open-pollinated); 15–22 t/ha (hybrids)
- Key risk
- Yellow vein mosaic virus — plant a resistant variety, control whitefly early
Overview
Okra, or bhindi (Abelmoschus esculentus), is a quick warm-season vegetable grown for its tender green pods. It reaches the first pick in about 45–60 days and then keeps producing for two to three months as long as it is picked frequently. India is the world's largest producer, with the crop concentrated in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Haryana.
There are two main planting seasons: a summer crop sown in February–March for pods from April onward, and a longer rainy-season (kharif) crop sown in June–July. The plant is frost-tender and stops growing in the cold, so in the north it is a spring-to-monsoon crop only; parts of the south grow it almost year-round.
One disease decides more of an okra crop's outcome than anything else: yellow vein mosaic virus, a whitefly-borne begomovirus that yellows the leaf veins, stunts the plant and makes the pods pale, woody and worthless. Because it is insect-carried, it cannot be cured — so the crop depends on planting a resistant variety and controlling whitefly from the seedling stage. The shoot and fruit borer is the main insect pest, boring into growing tips and pods; jassids scorch the leaf edges in dry weather.
Crop timeline, sowing to harvest
A quick visual map of the season — jump to any section below for the detail behind each stage.
- Day 0
Sowing
Seed dibbled 2–3 cm deep directly in the field after soaking overnight; summer crop mid-February to March, rainy-season crop June to July.
- Day 4–8
Germination
Seedlings emerge in 4–8 days; germination is faster and more even from soaked seed and in warm soil above 20°C.
- Day 20–25
Early growth & first weeding
The plant builds its frame; a first weeding and gap-filling are done, and this is when early whitefly and jassid control matters most to keep virus out.
- Day 35–45
Flowering
Yellow flowers with a red centre open on the main stem; each flower sets one pod. Water stress now cuts pod set sharply.
- Day 45–60
First harvest
The first tender pods are ready 5–6 days after flowering; picking begins and, done every 2–3 days, keeps the plant flowering.
- Day 60–150
Continuous picking
Pods are picked every second or third day for two to three months; shoot and fruit borer and, in the dry season, red spider mite are the main threats through this stage.
Suitable states
States where this crop is grown at scale, highlighted below. Your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra is still the final word for your specific block.
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Himachal Pradesh
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- West Bengal
- Sikkim
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Manipur
- Mizoram
- Tripura
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Goa
- Telangana
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Puducherry
- Ladakh
- Chandigarh
- Lakshadweep
Grown here
Climate requirements
The crop's real weather risk is not heat or rain directly but the whitefly that thrives in warm, dry spells and carries yellow vein mosaic virus into the field — dry heat that suits the plant also suits its worst disease vector.
Ideal temperature
A warm-season crop that grows best between 25°C and 35°C. It is frost-tender and its growth stalls below about 20°C, so it cannot be grown in the northern winter. Flower and pod set drop off badly above about 42°C, which is why very late summer sowings in the north often fail in the pre-monsoon heat.
Rainfall
Moderate water need. The rainy-season crop runs largely on monsoon rain with occasional life-saving irrigation; the summer crop is fully irrigated and needs watering every 4–7 days. Waterlogging after heavy rain causes yellowing, root rot and flower drop.
Humidity
Moderate humidity suits it. Very humid, overcast weather in the rains favours powdery mildew, leaf spot and fruit rot, and a wet canopy makes borer-damaged pods rot faster.
Sunlight
Full sun. Okra shaded by a taller crop or planted too close grows tall and leggy with few pods.
Soil requirements
A light, free-draining soil with plenty of compost is worth more to an okra crop than a heavy fertiliser dose — the crop pods continuously for months and needs a steady, unblocked root zone the whole time.
Suitable soil
Grows on almost any well-drained soil, but does best on light, friable sandy loam to loam rich in organic matter. Heavy clay that crusts and holds water gives poor germination and stunted, yellow plants.
pH range
Best at pH 6.0–6.8; tolerates up to about 7.5. Strongly acidic or saline-alkaline soils reduce germination and vigour.
Drainage
Free drainage is essential. Okra roots are shallow and sensitive to waterlogging — even a day of standing water after heavy rain yellows the crop and can kill young plants.
Organic matter
Responds strongly to organic matter. Working in 15–20 tonnes of well-rotted farmyard manure per hectare before sowing improves the light, moist, well-aerated root zone the crop needs for continuous podding.
Land preparation
Same four steps whichever region you are in — only the timing shifts with the sowing window.
- 1
Fine, deep tilth
Plough two or three times and harrow to a fine tilth; okra seed is medium-sized and germinates poorly in cloddy soil. Break any hardpan so the taproot can go down.
- 2
Work in organic manure
Spread and incorporate 15–20 tonnes of well-rotted farmyard manure or compost per hectare during the last ploughing.
- 3
Make ridges and furrows
Form ridges and furrows, or raised beds in the rainy season, so the crop sits above any standing water; sow on the shoulder of the ridge, not the bottom of the furrow.
Seed information
How the main varieties compare, so you can pick by duration, yield, disease pressure or what you are growing for.
| Variety | Duration | Yield | Disease resistance | Best state | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The classic IARI open-pollinated variety, still widely grown for its dark green, five-ridged, 10–12 cm pods and wide adaptability across the summer and rainy seasons. Note that it has largely lost its original YVMV resistance and now needs strong whitefly control. | First pick ~50 days | 10–15 t/ha | Originally YVMV-resistant; resistance has broken down in most areas | Grown across India | General fresh market, both seasons |
An IIHR (Bengaluru) open-pollinated variety and one of the most trusted YVMV-resistant types — spineless, tender, dark green pods that stay soft longer, on a tall plant that yields well in the rainy season. | First pick ~55 days | 12–18 t/ha | Resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus | Karnataka, Maharashtra, and rainy-season crops nationally | Kharif fresh market where virus pressure is high |
A newer IIHR release bred for combined resistance to yellow vein mosaic virus and enation leaf curl virus — the two viral diseases now hitting okra together — on a medium-tall plant with attractive green pods. | First pick ~50–55 days | 15–18 t/ha | Resistant to YVMV and to enation leaf curl virus | Areas with both viral diseases present | Fresh market where leaf curl has broken older resistant varieties |
A VNMKV (Parbhani) open-pollinated YVMV-resistant variety with dark green, medium-long, five-ridged pods, long a mainstay of the Maharashtra rainy-season crop. | First pick ~55 days | 9–12 t/ha | Resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh | Rainy-season fresh market |
An ICAR-IIVR (Varanasi) open-pollinated YVMV-resistant variety with straight, dark green, shiny pods and good yield in both seasons; widely recommended for the eastern and central plains. | First pick ~45–50 days | 15–18 t/ha | Resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh | Both seasons, eastern and central India |
An IARI open-pollinated variety with dark green, five-ridged, 12–15 cm pods that resist toughening, and field tolerance to yellow vein mosaic virus and shoot and fruit borer. | First pick ~45 days | 13–16 t/ha | Tolerant to YVMV; some field tolerance to shoot and fruit borer | North Indian plains | Summer and early rainy-season crop |
A CCS HAU (Hisar) open-pollinated YVMV-resistant variety suited to the hot, dry north-west, with dark green pods and steady yield under summer heat. | First pick ~50 days | 12–15 t/ha | Resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus | Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan | Hot, dry-season crop in the north-west |
Kashi Lalima (red okra) An ICAR-IIVR release with deep red-purple pods rich in anthocyanin, grown for a premium niche and city speciality market; the colour is lost on cooking but the fresh pod fetches a higher price. | First pick ~50–55 days | 10–14 t/ha | Moderate; check local virus pressure before large plantings | Peri-urban market gardens | Premium and speciality fresh market |
- Seed rate
- 8–10 kg/ha for the rainy-season crop at wider spacing; 15–20 kg/ha for the closely spaced summer crop. Hybrids need less, about 3–5 kg/ha. On an acre, roughly 3.5–8 kg depending on season and spacing.
- Certified seed
- Buy certified seed of a named YVMV-resistant variety, or a resistant hybrid, from a state seed corporation, an ICAR institute or a reputed company. Saved seed from an old crop, and older varieties whose resistance has broken down (like classic Pusa Sawani in many areas), leave the crop exposed to the virus that causes the largest single yield loss.
- Spacing
- Rainy season 45–60 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants; summer crop 30–45 cm × 20–30 cm. Closer spacing in summer compensates for the shorter, smaller plants that heat produces.
- Seed treatment
- Soak seed in water for 12–24 hours to speed and even out germination. Treat with a fungicide such as carbendazim or thiram against damping-off, and with imidacloprid seed dressing (where recommended) to hold back early whitefly and jassid, which is the first line of defence against yellow vein mosaic virus.
Sowing guide
Even, quick germination from soaked, treated seed gets the crop past the vulnerable seedling stage fast — the longer seedlings sit small, the more whitefly feeding they take and the more virus enters the field.
- Best time
- Summer crop: mid-February to March, once night temperatures are reliably above 18–20°C. Rainy-season crop: June to July with the monsoon. A late-March or April sowing in the north risks poor set in the pre-monsoon heat.
- Row spacing
- 45–60 cm (rainy season), 30–45 cm (summer)
- Plant spacing
- 30 cm (rainy season), 20–30 cm (summer)
- Sowing depth
- 2–3 cm; deeper in dry summer soil, shallower in wet rainy-season soil
- Method
- Dibble 2–3 soaked seeds per hill directly in the field on the ridge shoulder, then thin to one strong seedling per hill after 10–12 days. Okra does not transplant well, so it is almost always direct-sown.
Fertilizer schedule
A split dose beats one large dose applied at sowing — nitrogen especially is lost to the air and to leaching if it all goes in on day one.
- 1
Basal (at sowing)
Day 0
15–20 t/ha FYM plus about one-third of the nitrogen and the full phosphorus and potassium — a common dose is 40–50 kg N, 50–60 kg P₂O₅ and 50–60 kg K₂O per hectare as basal.
- 2
First top-dressing
25–30 days after sowing
About one-third of the nitrogen (roughly 40–50 kg N/ha) placed beside the rows and earthed up, as the plant starts to branch and flower.
- 3
Second top-dressing
45–50 days after sowing
The remaining nitrogen at the start of continuous picking to keep the plant flushing new flowers; a foliar spray of 19:19:19 or of potassium during peak picking helps pod size and colour on light soils.
Irrigation schedule
1. Germination
Day 0–8
A light irrigation right after sowing for the summer crop; the rainy-season crop relies on rain unless there is a dry spell at sowing.
2. Vegetative growth
Day 15–35
Water every 6–8 days in summer; keep the soil moist but never waterlogged.
3. Flowering and picking
Day 35 onward
The most critical stage — water every 4–7 days in summer so the plant does not check flowering; drought now causes flower drop and short, curved, fibrous pods. In the rains, drain excess water instead.
Critical stages
- Flowering
- Continuous pod development and picking
Water-saving tips
- Drip irrigation on ridges keeps water off the foliage, cuts disease, and holds steady moisture through the long picking period on a fraction of the water furrows use.
- A straw or residue mulch on the ridge conserves moisture and keeps the summer soil cool, extending the picking window.
- Skip irrigation for a day or two after good rain, but never let the summer crop go more than about a week without water once it is flowering.
Weed management
Common weeds
Organic control
- Two hand-weedings, at about 20 and 40 days, cover most of the crop's weed-sensitive period before the canopy closes.
- Mulching the ridges with straw or crop residue suppresses weeds and conserves moisture at the same time.
- A quick shallow hoeing after each heavy irrigation or rain, while weeds are small, keeps the inter-row clean with little effort.
Chemical control
- A pre-emergence herbicide cleared for okra (such as pendimethalin) applied right after sowing controls early grassy and broadleaf weeds; follow with one hand-weeding.
- Confirm the product, dose and pre-harvest interval with your local KVK, since okra is picked continuously and residue rules matter.
Nutrient deficiency identification
What a shortage of each nutrient actually looks like on the plant, so you can tell a deficiency apart from a disease before you spray the wrong thing.
Nitrogen
Visible symptom
Pale, small older leaves, slow branching and a thin flush of flowers — common on light soils if the top-dressings are skipped or delayed.
Potassium
Visible symptom
Scorched, brown leaf margins and small, poorly filled, dull pods; worst on sandy soils during heavy continuous picking.
Magnesium
Visible symptom
Yellowing between the veins of older leaves while the veins stay green, on acidic or intensively cropped sandy soils.
Diseases to watch for
Symptoms, likely cause and what actually treats it — not just a spray name.
Yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV)
- Symptoms
- A bright network of yellow veins on the leaves, followed by overall leaf yellowing, stunting, and pale, hard, small, deformed pods that cannot be sold.
- Cause
- A begomovirus carried from plant to plant by whitefly; it cannot spread on its own and cannot be cured once a plant is infected.
- Treatment
- There is no cure. Pull out and destroy infected plants early so they do not act as a virus source, and intensify whitefly control on the rest of the field.
- Prevention
- Plant a resistant variety (Arka Anamika, Arka Abhay, Parbhani Kranti, Kashi Kranti, Hisar Unnat), control whitefly from the seedling stage with seed treatment and early sprays, remove nearby weed hosts, and avoid sowing next to an old, infected okra crop.
Enation leaf curl virus
- Symptoms
- Leaves curl upward and inward, thicken, and grow small tooth-like outgrowths (enations) on the underside; the plant bunches up and pods are twisted and few.
- Cause
- A begomovirus, also whitefly-borne, increasingly common and able to infect several older YVMV-resistant varieties.
- Treatment
- No cure; rogue out affected plants and step up whitefly control.
- Prevention
- Where leaf curl is present, choose a variety bred for combined resistance to both viruses (such as Arka Abhay) rather than relying on YVMV resistance alone, and keep whitefly numbers low.
Powdery mildew
- Symptoms
- A white, powdery coating on the upper leaf surface that spreads to cover the leaf, which then yellows and dries; worst late in the crop and in the cool, dry end of the season.
- Cause
- Erysiphe / Podosphaera fungi, favoured by warm days, cool nights and moderate humidity without free leaf wetness.
- Treatment
- A wettable sulphur or a recommended fungicide at the first patches, repeated as needed, observing the pre-harvest interval since pods are picked continuously.
- Prevention
- Avoid over-dense stands, keep the crop well nourished but not lush with nitrogen, and remove severely infected lower leaves.
Cercospora and Alternaria leaf spot
- Symptoms
- Angular to round brown spots on the leaves, sometimes with a pale centre and dark border, merging and causing early leaf fall in a wet rainy-season crop.
- Cause
- Cercospora abelmoschi and Alternaria fungi, favoured by prolonged leaf wetness and dense canopies.
- Treatment
- A protective mancozeb or copper spray from the first spots limits spread; remove and destroy heavily spotted lower leaves.
- Prevention
- Wider spacing for airflow, ridge planting to keep foliage out of splash, and crop rotation away from last season's okra or other malvaceous crops.
Pests to watch for
What to look for before the damage is visible, and organic options before you reach for a chemical.
Shoot and fruit borer
- Identification
- Pinkish caterpillars (Earias vittella / Earias insulana) that bore into the growing tip — which then wilts and droops — and later into the pods, leaving an entry hole plugged with frass.
- Damage
- The key pest of okra: a bored shoot stops growing, and bored pods are hollowed, discoloured and unsellable; losses run high if it is not managed from early flowering.
- Organic control
- Scout twice a week, clip and destroy wilted shoots and bored pods with the larva inside, install pheromone traps to time sprays, and release Trichogramma egg parasitoids where available; neem sprays help early.
- Chemical control
- A CIB&RC-registered insecticide rotated between modes of action, starting at first flowering and timed by pheromone-trap catches; always observe the pre-harvest interval, as pods are picked every few days.
Jassids (leafhoppers)
- Identification
- Small, wedge-shaped green insects on the underside of leaves that hop sideways when disturbed; infested leaves cup downward and the margins turn yellow, then bronze ("hopper burn").
- Damage
- Sap-sucking and a toxin in the saliva scorch the leaf edges and stunt the plant, worst in the hot dry season and on non-hairy-leaved varieties.
- Organic control
- Yellow sticky traps, neem oil sprays, and preserving natural predators by avoiding routine broad-spectrum sprays; hairy-leaved varieties suffer far less.
- Chemical control
- A recommended systemic insecticide once leaf-edge yellowing appears and the count crosses the threshold.
Whitefly
- Identification
- Tiny white moth-like insects that rise in a cloud when the plant is shaken, feeding on the underside of leaves, with sticky honeydew and sooty mould following.
- Damage
- Direct sap loss is minor; the real damage is that whitefly carries yellow vein mosaic and enation leaf curl virus, so even a light infestation early can seed a heavy virus outbreak.
- Organic control
- Yellow sticky traps, neem or neem-plus-detergent sprays, a reflective (silver) plastic mulch to repel incoming adults, and removing weed hosts around the field.
- Chemical control
- A registered insecticide from the seedling stage where virus pressure is known to be high, rotated between groups to slow resistance; this is virus prevention, not just pest control.
Red spider mite
- Identification
- Tiny reddish mites on the underside of leaves with fine webbing; leaves develop a pale stippling, then turn yellow-bronze and dry from the base of the plant upward.
- Damage
- A hot-dry-season problem that can defoliate the lower plant and shorten the picking period; flares up fast under dusty conditions and after certain sprays.
- Organic control
- Strong water sprays to the leaf underside, sulphur dusting, and avoiding the broad-spectrum insecticides that kill the mite's natural predators.
- Chemical control
- A specific acaricide (not a general insecticide) where the mite is established, applied to thoroughly wet the leaf underside.
Common mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost growers the most, ranked by how often they show up in the field — not in the order you might expect.
- 1
Planting an old variety whose YVMV resistance has broken down.
Why it hurts
Classic Pusa Sawani and several older "resistant" varieties have lost their resistance in most areas — planted where whitefly and virus pressure is high, they can lose a large share of the crop to yellow vein mosaic, which no spray can reverse.
- 2
Ignoring whitefly at the seedling stage because "the plants look fine".
Why it hurts
Whitefly feeding on young seedlings is how the virus enters the field; by the time yellow veins show, the infection is already set. Early seed treatment and sprays are virus prevention, not cosmetic pest control.
- 3
Picking pods only twice a week or letting some pods mature on the plant.
Why it hurts
A pod left to grow big and fibrous signals the plant to stop flowering; frequent picking every 2–3 days, and removing any over-mature pods, is what keeps the plant producing for the full 2–3 months.
- 4
Letting the summer crop go dry at flowering.
Why it hurts
Water stress during flowering and podding causes heavy flower drop and short, curved, tough pods — the summer crop must be irrigated every 4–7 days once it starts to flower.
- 5
Sowing on flat land in the rainy season.
Why it hurts
Okra's shallow roots cannot take waterlogging; a single day of standing water after heavy rain yellows the crop and kills young plants. Ridges or raised beds are essential for the kharif crop.
- 6
Spraying the same insecticide again and again for borer.
Why it hurts
The shoot and fruit borer builds resistance quickly; using one product repeatedly stops working within a season. Sprays must be rotated between chemical groups and combined with clipping bored shoots and pheromone traps.
Harvesting
Pick pods while they are still tender — 5–7 days after flowering, at about 6–10 cm long, when the tip snaps off cleanly and the pod bends without splitting. Harvest every second or third day; in peak season, daily. A pod that has gone woody must still be removed from the plant to keep flowering going.
Signs it is ready
- Pod 6–10 cm long and still soft
- Tip snaps off cleanly when bent
- Ridges still tender, seeds inside small and soft
- Bright colour, no toughening at the base
Tools
- A sharp knife or secateurs to cut the pod stalk cleanly
- Gloves and long sleeves — the plant hairs and some varieties' pods irritate the skin
- Shallow crates that do not crush or heat the pods
- Shade for holding picked pods before grading
Expected yield
Roughly 10–15 t/ha from open-pollinated varieties and 15–22 t/ha from hybrids over the full picking period, spread across 20–40 pickings. On an acre this is about 40–90 quintals sold in small lots through the season rather than one harvest.
Post-harvest & storage
Storage
Okra pods are highly perishable and lose quality within a day at room temperature. Cool the picked pods in the shade at once, and hold at about 7–10°C with high humidity if a cold room is available — below 7°C the pods suffer chilling injury and blacken. Do not wash pods that will not be sold the same day.
Packaging
Grade by size and freshness, discard bent, spotted, borer-damaged or over-mature pods, and pack loosely in ventilated crates or perforated bags; tight packing heats and bruises the pods.
Transportation
Move to market the same day, in the cool of the morning or evening, protected from sun and wind. Okra bruises easily and marks show as black patches within hours.
Shelf life
2–3 days at room temperature; 7–10 days at 7–10°C and high humidity. There is effectively no long-term storage — okra is a sell-fresh, sell-fast crop.
Market prices
Today's mandi price near you, pulled live from the government's own Agmarknet data.
Live daily mandi prices from the government Agmarknet dataset.
Synced from data.gov.in (Agmarknet). Rates are ₹ per quintal.
Weather
Current conditions and a 5-day outlook for your selected location, with one line of stage-aware advice.
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Profit calculator
Your own cost sheet, expected yield and selling price — not ours.
Where the money goes
Share of the total cost per acre, using the calculator’s own default cost sheet below — adjust the numbers there to match your field and this picture will no longer apply to you exactly, but the ranking rarely changes.
- Labour38% (₹18,000)
- Land rent19% (₹9,000)
- Pesticide & weedicide13% (₹6,000)
- Fertiliser11% (₹5,000)
- Irrigation8% (₹4,000)
- Machinery4% (₹2,000)
- Interest4% (₹2,000)
- Seed3% (₹1,500)
Official downloads
Government and ICAR documents only — everything below is hosted on an official server.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest problem in growing okra?
Yellow vein mosaic virus. It yellows the leaf veins, stunts the plant and makes the pods pale and unsellable, and because whitefly carries it, no spray can cure an infected plant. The crop depends on planting a resistant variety and controlling whitefly from the seedling stage.
Which okra variety should I grow?
Choose a YVMV-resistant one: Arka Anamika and Parbhani Kranti for the rainy season, Kashi Kranti for the eastern and central plains, Hisar Unnat for the hot dry north-west, Pusa A-4 for summer. Where enation leaf curl virus is also present, use a variety bred for both, such as Arka Abhay. Confirm the local recommendation with your KVK.
How often should okra be picked?
Every second or third day, and daily in peak season. Pods are picked young and tender, 5–7 days after flowering; if pods are left to grow large and fibrous the plant slows down and stops flowering, so frequent picking is what keeps yield coming for the full 2–3 months.
Can okra be grown in winter?
Not in the north. The plant is frost-tender and its growth stalls below about 20°C, so it is a spring-to-monsoon crop there — sown February–March or June–July. Parts of south India with mild winters can grow it almost year-round.
Does okra have an MSP or a mandi price?
There is no MSP for okra. It is one of the most widely traded vegetables on Agmarknet, though, listed as "Bhindi (Ladies Finger)" with daily records from hundreds of APMC markets across the country. Price is highly seasonal, usually best for the early summer crop.
Why are my okra pods short, curved and tough?
Usually water stress at flowering and podding, sometimes with a potassium shortage or very high heat. Keep the summer crop watered every 4–7 days once it flowers, give the potassium top-dressing, and pick more frequently — pods left too long on a stressed plant come out fibrous.
Still have questions?
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything specific to your field and soil, your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the authoritative answer.