Celery

Celery

Celery (Apium graveolens L) is a biennial plant, native to northern Europe and belonging to the botanical family Umbelliferae (Apiaceae or). Celery grown are from fragrant Ache encountered in marshy areas of Europe, in the Mediterranean countries, Asia, etc. . The consumed part is the rod, the side (or petiole developed certain varieties) and the sheet. In Morocco, celery is grown everywhere in small areas, such as lettuce, parsley, cilantro and radish.
Soil and climatic requirements:
This culture is very demanding in a cool and humid climate all its vegetation. Regions with late autumns are perfect him. The plant is cold season. Climate preferences are 8- 24 ° C for growth. Ribbed celery requires fresh soil loosened, deep and regularly irrigated. The sand-clay soils rich in organic matter best suited to celery. The soil pH is between 6.4 sought and 6.8.
  Varieties, sowing, planting and soil work:
Two forms of celery are grown: (1) The ribbed celery (Apium graveolens var Dulce DC.) Grown for its white ribs. This is the case of Plein Blanc and Pascal Dore Alley. (2) The smallage (Ordinary cutting curly Nain). Sowing is carried out from January to May, which allows for the production of June to the end of winter. Sowing of January-February are favored by the climate of coastal areas while those from March to May met in the interior plains of Morocco. Celery seeds germinate slowly, at least 15 to 20 days after sowing. If the seeding is performed at a temperature of 20 to 25 ° C; germination starts after 10 to 12 days. In adverse conditions (low temperature, irregular and insufficient soil moisture), germination is delayed up to a month or more. Planting should be done in lines spaced 5 cm. The seeds are covered and lightly packed. It takes 300-400 grams of seed to plant a hectare. An audit of germination of seeds is always necessary before starting sowing. It is preferable for early production, making transplanting nursery at a distance of 6 to 8 cm in all directions. Planting is in simple lines or paired-row, with a distance of 40 to 60 cm between rows. The twin lines are separated by an interval of 80 cm, which is reserved to the removal of land for ridging and coastal laundering. Whatever the mode of planting, the distance between plants in the row is 40 cm. Plants should be transplanted without burying their collar. Planting is done by hand, by machine or planter. Transplants should be well watered and bounded.
  Irrigation and tending:
  Celery requires regular and copious irrigation throughout its vegetation until harvest. When fully grown celery plants, one proceeds to money, to make the most tender ribs, etiolated and tasty. The ribbed celery bleaching is done in different ways; the most accessible are: (1) It is related to the height leaves limbo with a strand of raffia; we made a start with the earth mounding to interline third of the height of the plants. A week later, we made a second hilling until the second third of the plants. (2) It crosses the field at 25- 30 cm deep, with 50-60 cm between rows; then transplanted plants at the bottom of the grooves; hilling is done using the earth teens and line spacing around the plants. (3) They pluck the celery with their roots and put them in a dark room, roots covered with earth.
Fertilization:
It is recommended to bring 25-50 tons of manure per hectare. The amount of nitrogen is from 200 to 400 kg / ha, split into 2 to 4 times between planting and harvest. Phosphorus must be brought to 100 to 160 kg / ha. The amount of potassium is recommended from 200 to 300 units per hectare.
Pest control:

Symptôms	Origin	Treatment
•  The leaves are blistered, shrivel and die. •  The Stems are "eaten", the plant withers and dies. • Traces of drool around plants • The leaves are covered with brown spots. • The leaves turn yellow, turn brown and dry up. • Young plants die, the roots may discolor and become brown rougâtres. • The celery heart turns brown, becomes sticky and rots. • The plant shrivels, the leaves become twisted and become covered with brown spots.	- Fly Celery - Larvae of carrot fly - Slugs and snails - Rust - Mildew - Damping - Celery heart rot - Virus Arabis mosaic	- Malathion - Chlorfenthion or arlorfenvinphos - metaldehyde - Thiram (seeds) or warm water - Copper Product or avoid overwatering. - Thiram, Captan or Zineb - metaldehyde - Avoid infested land

  Harvest and storage:
  Harvesting ribbed celery starts three weeks after the start the design laundering. Celery, sown in January-February can be harvested from June to September, while those, sown from March to May, give them harvest from July until the end of winter. Were harvested celery ribs by cutting the roots of some plants above the soil surface, using long blade knives. Harvesting smallage can be executed from the time when the leaves reach a length of 25- 30 cm. One can gather about twice a month. Yields are of the order of 60 tons / ha for ribbed celery and about 40-45 t / ha for smallage. Conservation does not exceed 4-8 days in optimal conditions (0 ° C and 95% RH).

Agronomic and Veterinary Institute Hassan II