Aloe Vera Plants
Associated Documents:
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Question:
I am the USDA PRT Agriculture Advisor in Laghman Province (East Afghanistan). The PRT location is Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan which is east of Kabul and north of Jalabad. The climate and soil conditions are somewhat similar to the area of Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. With irrigation the crop production is very good with a long growing season. My question concerns the feasibility of Aloe vera as an alternative cash crop. It is my understanding that their are new varieties that are very productive and grow on high variety of soils and weather conditions. With this Provinces talented farmers, irrigation, high labor availability, productive riverine loamy soils, and mild climate it seems the aloe vera plant could be an excellent cash crop. It is my understanding also, that there continues to be an international demand for Aloe vera products. The manufacturing of Aloe vera products from the plant could potentialy provide ample job oppurtuinities for the local people. Your response and input would be appreciated. Any knowledge base as to production ability, feasibility, manufacturing and etc. would be appreciated.
The best I can tell aloe vera is generally propagated by root suckers or rhizome cuttings directly into a well prepared seedbed from mid-December into around June 15th. It can also be propagated by sprouts with 2 to 3 buds in containers and then when conditions are right applied to the field. I would estimate that we would try to plant the rhizomes in a good window of between December 15th and April 15th. I want to do just a little more research as to a specific target planting date though, but the above date would be a window to shoot for. I found some information that recommended a spacing of 40 cm x 45 cm or 60 cm x 30 cm. This would be about 55,000 rhizomes or plants per hectare. My goal at this time is to plant about 2 to 3 hectares within the southern provence. Thus abut 165,000 rhizomes or plants would be needed. Here at the FOB we have cold storage on site and I could find out if space could or would be available if needed. I intend to meet with the Director of Agriculture tomorrow and discuss research plot locations. I hope this information will assist you. If something changes I will email ASAP.
Response:
I do not know what system you use there to prepare the fields. Here in the US, we used the standard 42"-wide rows. Growers plant the aloe pups (larger the better) at 60 cm spacing. One could use checkered double-plant rows in each bed. One acre may have 5,000-6,000 plants. This is equivalent to about 12,000-15,000 plants per hectare. If you plant the entire field in a 60 cm x 60 cm spacing, then you certainly can plant many more. However, consider the ease of frequent hoeing to remove weeds and hand harvesting. You need to have some space for trucks to access the fields to carry the harvested leaves out. Do not make the mistake of planting these large plants too densely.
In the past, aloe pups were planted on top of the rows. However, with machine cultivation and even hand hoeing, the furrows get narrower and narrower as time passes. This causes severe root exposure, restricts root growth and often damages the root system enough to make plants unhealthy and wobbly. For many years, I have recommended the aloe growers to plant in prepared flat land or to plant the pups in the furrow. By doing such, much extensive root systems can be maintained, resulting in better plant growth and much higher yields. This practice has now been adopted by many aloe farms.
Although aloe pups can stand 5 C for some time, there is no need to store them at low temperatures before planting.
After the first 1.5 years, you can expect to harvest 10-12 kg of leaves per plant per year. You may have seen the data in my paper that you could harvest 22-24 leaves per plant annually. If no fertilizer is applied, the lower, older leaves will have premature dessication and leaves must be harvested every two months. And, leaves will be small and brownish.
Aloe pups can be planted anytime of the year, but, avoid the cold months or weeks. Immediately after planting, the plants may turn brown and leaves flat, but this is OK. With some irrigation, they should start turning green in 2-3 months when roots have started to grow into the surrounding soil. There is no need to apply any fertilizer during the first 4 months following planting. Since aloe is a 6- to 8-year crop, build up organic matters in the soil as much as possible before planting is recommended. Apply about 50 kg of nitrogen per hectare four times a year (after each quarterly harvest). If the availability of fertilizer is a problem, then try to apply chemical fertilizer at least twice a year and use abundant manure if available. Remove the pups at least twice a year to maintain large mother plants for maximizing leaf size.
I have attached two pictures.
Follow up:
I really appreciate your aloe vera planting instructions with photograghs. You answered a big question I had and could not find readily and that was a specific planting date. I intend to work with the Provincial Director of Agriculture and Livestock through this next month to pin our planting sites down and develop a plan of action for the demonstration area's. We will then obtain our funding and locate vendors for quality aloe vera varities for purchase. Afghanistan is in dire need of jobs, alternative agriculture iniatives and sustainable oppurtunities. Aloe vera has promise. You have been of great assistance and I will stay in contact with you on our project. Thank you very much.