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About the Crop
Coleus (Solenostemon rotundifolius) also known as Chinese potato, frafra
potato and Hausa potato is among the lesser-known and underexploited tuber crop
from the Western Africa. Although it has been cultivated and maintained by traditional
farmers, there are no records indicating when it was first brought under cultivation;
and also, it has not received sufficient attention from the scientific community
in the past. The crop belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is a small herbaceous
annual crop with prostrate or ascending succulent stem and branches. The crop usually
grows up to 20–30 cm in height. The tips of the adventitious roots modify into small
round tubers. Unlike other tuber crops, this is a transplanted vegetable. The tubers
contain 20-24 % starch.
Climate and Soil
Coleus thrives well in tropical and subtropical regions. The optimum temperature
for growth and development ranges from 25-300C. A well-drained medium
fertile soil with a pH range of 5.5-7.0 is suitable for its cultivation.
Cultivation
Coleus is usually cultivated as a monocrop but may sometimes be intercropped with
yam, okra, maize, rice, sorghum, cowpea and groundnut. It is usually grown on ridges
and sometimes on mounds but not on the flat. Tubers are mostly used for propagation
but softwood stem cuttings can also be used. Plant the cuttings in the main field
between July and October.
Varieties:
Nidhi :variety released from RARS Pattambi,
Sree Dhara : first variety in Chinese potato with good cooking quality and 5 month duration
and
Suphala : a tissue culture mutant derived by KAU from local cultivar suited for year
round cultivation with a duration of 120-140 days.
Nursery
Raise the nursery approximately one month before planting. An area of 500 to 600
m2 is sufficient to produce cuttings required for one ha of main field.
Apply 125 to 150 kg FYM in the nursery area. Plant the seed tubers at a spacing
of 15 cm on the ridges taken 30 cm apart. About 170 to 200 kg of tubers is required
to raise the nursery. Take the vine cutting to a length of 10-15 cm from the top
portion after three weeks from planting.
Planting
Plough or dig the land to a depth of 15-20 cm and form ridges at 30 cm apart or
raised beds of 60-90 cm width. Plant the vine cutting collected from the nursery
on ridges at a spacing of 30 cm or on raised beds at 30 x 15 cm spacing.
Intercultural operations
Manuring
Broadcast 10 tonnes of FYM and N:P2O5:K2O @ 30:60:50
kg per hectare and incorporate into the soil at the time of land preparation. Top
dress with N and K2O at the rate of 30 and 50 kg/ha respectively at 45
days after planting.
Aftercultivation
Give weeding and earthing up, at 45 days after planting along with topdressing.
Cover a portion of the vine with soil to promote tuber formation.
Plant protection
To control the root-knot nematode, plough the field deeply in summer, adopt crop
rotation and destroy root residues and other plant parts by burning. White flies
(Bemisia tabaci), leafhoppers, termites, grasshoppers/crickets and millipedes
are also associated with the crop.
Harvesting
Harvest the crop 5 months after planting. Drying up of entire plant indicates the
maturity of the tuber. The tuber yield ranges from 18-20 tonnes/ha.
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