Guava Cultivation

In this Article we will discuss Guava Cultivation. How ever, if you want to know how Guava is a medicine for modern diseases, you can also plan to get the book from here

Guava (Psidium guajava), the apple of tropics, is one of the most common fruits in India. It is the fourth most important fruit in area and production after mango, banana and citrus. Being hardy, it gives an assured crop even with little care, and is good for rainfed areas also.

Ideal Climate and Soil for Guava Cultivation

Successful Guava cultivation is grown under tropical and sub-tropical climate. In areas with distinct winter season, the yield tends to increase and quality improves.

It can be grown up to an altitude of 1515 m above mean sea level. Older plants can tolerate drought. High temperature at the time of fruit development can cause fruit drop.

Guava trees are very hardy and can thrive on all types of soils, but are sensitive to water logging. The best soils for guava cultivation are deep, loamy and well drained.

Guava Planting

The guava planting should be done in pits of 1m x 1m x 1m size filled with mixture of FYM and soil during rainy season (July-August) or in spring (February-March) at a distance of 6 m x 6 m.

Propagation and Rootstock of Guava

Guava plants grown directly from seed give poor fruit yield and quality, and come into bearing late. Seeds should be used for rootstock raising. Subsequently, inarching or budding (patch or shield) can be done for propagation.

In recent times, stooling has been found cheapest and easiest method of propagation. As seeds loose viability after extraction, they should be sown immediately.

Soaking of seeds in water for 12 hours gives about 90 per cent germination. Time of guava propagation is Feb-March and July-August. Guava can also be successfully propagated by air layering.

Training and Pruning

The plant should be trained to a low-headed system of open centre or delayed open centre keeping scaffold limbs having wide crotch angles. Pruning is not generally required every year, however, terminal shoots may be headed back to stop overcrowding of trees.

Manuring and Fertilization

Although guava is grown without application of any manure and fertilizer, it responds well in their application by giving higher yield and better quality fruit.

Irrigation Guidance for Guava Cultivation

Guava is mostly grown under rainfed conditions and irrigation is generally not practiced but wherever the irrigation is available, it should be given in summer and October/Novermber as it enhances the yield of guava tree by increasing fruit set.

Intercropping of Guava

Guava orchards may be intercropped with short growing leguminous crops like mash, moong, guar and vegetables during pre-bearing period.

Aftercare of Guava

Pre-harvest spray of calcium nitrate (2%) two weeks before harvest improve quality at the time of harvest of guava, whereas, the spray of 150 ppm silver nitrate at 5 weeks before harvest and another spray at three weeks after first spray increases the shelf life of guava satisfactorily upto 6 days at room temperature.

GA, 90 ppm, sprayed 30 days before harvest improves the fruit quality at harvest and also increases the shelf life of guava.

Guava Harvesting and Yield

In guava cultivation, grafted plants come into bearing at the age of 3 years and peak harvesting periods are August-September for rainy season crop and Jan-Feb. for winter season crop.

Guava develops best flavour and aroma only when they ripe on tree. A ten year old guava tree gives a yield, up to 100 kg of fruit.

Crop regulation

 The guava fruits produced in the rainy season are not of high quality and have poor shelf life. Spray 10 per cent urea or 600 ppm NAA during April-May when maximum flowers have opened.

This eliminates rainy season crop so that winter guava crop is heavy and of superior quality. One leaf pair pruning of guava plants in the first week of may offers an effective method for avoiding rainy season crop, resulting into more yield and better quality in winter season crop.

source  :https://www.krishisandesh.com/guava-cultivation-guide/

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