Everything you need to learn about cultivating guava organically. Learn about:- 1. Introduction to Guava Fruit 2. Climate and Soil Required for Guava Cultivation 3. Propagation 4. Planting Techniques 5. Training and Pruning 6. Canopy Management 7. Organic Nutrient Management 8. Flowering and Crop Regulation 9. Interculture and Intercropping 10. Rejuvenation Technique 11. Harvesting and Yield and Few Others.
Contents:
- Introduction to Guava Fruit
- Climate and Soil Required for Guava Cultivation
- Propagation of Guava
- Planting Techniques of Guava
- Training and Pruning of Guava
- Canopy Management of Guava
- Organic Nutrient Management of Guava
- Flowering and Crop Regulation of Guava
- Interculture and Intercropping of Guava
- Rejuvenation Technique of Guava
- Harvesting and Yield of Guava
- Organic Management of Insect Pests and Disease of Guava
- Varieties of Guava
1. Introduction to Guava Fruit:
Guava (Psidium guajava) belongs to family Myrtaceae. It is one of the most common and major fruits of India and is considered the fourth most important fruit in area and production after mango, banana, and citrus. It is a hardy, prolific bearer, gives an assured crop even with very little care and highly remunerative fruit. Guava is the rich source of vitamin C, and a fair source of vitamin A and B2 and minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron.
Besides its high nutritive value, it bears heavy crop every year. Guava is cultivated in India in an area of 236 thousand ha and the production is around 3,198 thousand tons (2012-13). The main guava producing states in India as per 2012-13 data are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
2. Climate and Soil Required for Guava Cultivation:
Guava cultivation can be extended to varying agro-climatic regions owing to its wider adaptability. It can be successfully cultivated both under tropical and subtropical conditions. It does well up to an altitude of 1,000-1,500 meters. It grows best with an annual rainfall below 100 cm restricted between June-September. Places having more than 250 cm rainfall are not suitable for guava. Optimum temperature required during flowering and fruiting is 23-28°C. The rains during harvesting period deteriorate the quality of fruits.
Guava adapts well to a wide range of soils. Well drained, light sandy loams to clay soils are good. Since it is a hardy fruit crop, it can be grown on alkaline soils and wastelands. Nevertheless, very good quality guavas are produced in river basins. It is sensitive to waterlogged conditions. It tolerates a wide range of pH from 4.5 to 9.5. If the soils are having a pH of 7.5 and above there are more chances of getting guava wilt.
3. Propagation of Guava:
Guava is propagated both by seeds and vegetative methods. However, propagation through seeds should not be preferred because seedlings have long juvenile phase, occupy large space and bear poor quality fruits. The most common methods of vegetative propagation are: stooling, air layering, patch budding and wedge grafting.
In stooling, the plants are cut down at ground level. New shoots emerge on the beheaded stumps, a 3.0 cm wide ring of bark is removed from the base of each shoot and covered with a soil to from a mound. After 2-3 months the shoots are detached and planted in the nursery. Similarly air layers are also prepared. This method is followed in southern and western India. However, only limited number of plants can be prepared by this method.
For budding or wedge grafting a rootstock is used. Mostly any seedling is used as rootstock, however for controlling wilt in wilt affected areas, seedling rootstock of hybrid (Psidium molle x Psidium guajava) or Sardar (Lucknow- 49) or Pusa Srijan (aneuploid) should be used as these are tolerant to wilt.
Seeds from ripe fruits are kept in water overnight, then treated with Bijamrit or Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 2-5 gm per 100 g seed and then sown either in seed trays or polybags and are kept in polyhouse for quick germination. One year old seedlings are used for preparing budded plants or grafts using patch budding and wedge grafting method respectively.
4. Planting Techniques of Guava:
Land Preparation:
The land is prepared by usual ploughing, harrowing and levelling. A gentle slope is provided to facilitate proper irrigation and prompt drainage to avoid the harmful effects of water stagnation.
Spacing and Planting Density:
Planting density is the single most important factor, which determines the yield of an orchard for the first 5 years. The exact planting distance is however, decided according to variety, soil fertility and availability of irrigation facilities.
Usually guava is planted at a spacing of 6 m x 6 m to 7m x 7m, with the result the land in between the plants remains unutilized for first few years. The most common spacing has been 6 m x 6 m accommodating almost 270 plants/ha. The latest trend is to plant with lesser spacing in between the plants and rows and accommodating more number of plants per hectare.
Since guava responds very well to pruning, several planting densities have been suggested such as 6 m x 3 m (555 plants/ha), 3 m x 3 m (1111 plants/ha) and 3 m x 1.5 m (2222 plants/ha). Out of these, the spacing of 6 m x 3 m has been found most economical for obtaining high yields.
Although, the advantages of high density planting are distinct as it fetches more income to the farmers and spraying and harvesting are easy, but high density planting or meadow orcharding is not suitable under organic management.
Plant spacings of 6m x 6m or 6m x 5 m are ideal for organic management as these leave adequate space for growing intercrops in between the two rows. Planting densities of 270 to 330 plants/ha are most ideal for organic orchards when adopted along with canopy management for controlling size and shape of plants.
Pit Digging and Filling:
The pits of about 75x75x75 cm or 50x50x50 cm or 40x40x40 cm are dug as per layout plan. Place the dugout top soil to the right side of the pit and bottom soil to the left side of the pit. Allow the pit to expose to sun at least for two weeks before filling the pits to control soil borne pests and diseases. Fill the pits with top soil mixed with 30-40 kg of farm yard manure (FYM) + 1 kg neem cake per pit.
Planting:
Take out plant with intact earth ball from the soil in the nursery or polythene bag. Planting is done during the month of July-October. Soil is scooped out in the centre of the pit and the plant is placed straight in this pit and small basin is made around the plant for regular watering. It is desirable to stake the plant to avoid breakage especially at the graft joint.
5. Training and Pruning of Guava:
Within the first 3 to 4 months after field planting, the guava plant needs to be pruned and trained to allow maximum production of fruits. In the initial years plants are allowed to grow in a single upright stem up to the height of 90 cm to 1.0 m and then allowed to branch.
Training of plants in young stage to build strong framework and to avoid weak crotches is necessary, whereas fruiting trees should be pruned to check overcrowding in the orchard. The plants should be trained as low-headed trees to facilitate multiple hand pickings. The open centre or delayed open centre system may be adopted.
Guava trees are pruned to increase yield and to reduce the total cost of field operations by eliminating obstacles and branch hazards, allowing easier movement around the trees. Except for tree training to a single trunk and canopy development, pruning thereafter is done only in conjunction with crop cycling.
6. Canopy Management of Guava:
Guava responds well to canopy management by pruning as it bears fruits on current season’s growth. Thus most critical aspect in guava is canopy management. As usual at initial planting phase the plants are topped at a height of 80-90 cm from ground level after 2-3 months of planting. After this new shoots will emerge below the cut point. At this stage 3-4 well-spaced shoots are retained. Again after 3-4 months, new shoots will emerge, cut back 50% of their total length. This process of cutting back 50% of their length will continue up to two years.
After second year, prune the shoots (50% of their length) in May-June to get fruiting in December-January period. This system of canopy management will be helpful in maintaining the shape and size of plants. The size control of plants also helps in providing additional space for growing intercrops, which is an important component under organic management for biological nitrogen fixation and for keeping soil biologically active.
7. Organic Nutrient Management of Guava:
Under organic management cover cropping and legume intercropping followed by mowing of their biomass and returning the entire orchard’s waste biomass in the form of fallen leaves, fruits, twigs, pruning’s etc. is the primary source of nutrients and the external inputs such as composts/FYM, concentrated manures and minerals etc. are applied to compensate the gap between the requirement, removal and biomass recycled.
Also as organic farming systems are based on multi-cropping systems, high- density plantations and sole guava orchard with little interspaces are not sustainable. Therefore keeping plant-to-plant distance in such a way that adequate space is available for intercrops and cover crops is most essential and is the key to the success.
Planting of guava interspersed with other fruit trees or keeping one row of Aonla or any other climate suitable fruit tree between every two rows of guava or cultivating guava under silvi-pastoral system are typical examples of diversified systems.
For harvesting biologically fixed nitrogen and to keep the soil microbially active planting of nitrogen fixing trees such as Gliricidia and Leucaena on borders and frequent mowing of their lopping in soil along with one cycle of green manure crop (sunhemp, mung bean, moth, cowpea or Sesbania) and cover crops (clover and Trigonella) is important. Such green manure and cover crops when incorporated into the soil add about 50-80 kg nitrogen per ha during early years of planting while in later years it may add only about 30-40 kg of nitrogen.
Keeping the soil covered with green cover from July till February-March and frequent drenching of biomass with Jivamrit can ensure sustained biological activity in the soil. In rainfed areas where irrigation facilities are not available and taking intercrops during winter is difficult, ensure that soil remains covered with biomass mulch for moisture conservation, sustained microbial activity in the soil for adequate nutrient recycling and for effective weed control.
As major flowering and fruiting season in guava is from July to February, nutrient requirement is high during flowering and fruit setting just after the onset of monsoon, and after the harvest. Therefore keeping all these situations in mind and keeping the likely nutrient release pattern from recycled biomass from green manures, cover crops and biomass mulch two different nutrient management protocols are proposed, one for rainfed dry areas, and second for irrigated humid areas.
Recommendations of fertilizers under conventional management systems at 600g N, 300g P2O5 and 300-400g K2O per plant for fully grown plants (10 years old and above) is also taken into account for calculating the need for nutrients through organic sources.
As application of organic manures in multiple split doses is difficult, nutrient requirement is met partly through FYM/compost and concentrated manure as soil application and partly through foliar feeding in the form of sprays. For soil application FYM/compost is generally provided once and concentrated manure mixture is provided twice. Treating FYM/compost with cow urine can further enrich their nutrient status.
Methods for preparation of enriched FYM/compost, concentrated manure mixture and foliar feeding solutions are as follow:
i. Making Cattle Urine Enriched FYM/Compost:
Spread the FYM/compost on the floor on bright sunny day and allow it to dry in sun for 6-8 hrs. In the evening spray 50 lit cattle urine per ton of compost and mix thoroughly. If available 1-2 kg of cow pat pit (CPP) per ton of compost may also be mixed with enriched FYM/compost.
ii. Concentrated Manure Mixture:
Mix 84 kg vermicompost/biodynamic compost with 5 kg neem cake and 10 kg of concentrated chicken manure. In areas of phosphorus deficiency 1 kg of rock phosphate or bone meal may also be added to this mixture. Add 200 gm each of Azotobacter, PSB and KMB bio-fertilizers and 500 gm each of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens in 5 lit of water and mix with the above manure mixture. Keep the manure mixture covered in a heap for 48 hrs for incubation and use for soil application. Using this mixture within 5-8 days of preparation gives best results.
iii. Foliar Feed Solution:
Feeding plants through leaves are an important strategy in organic farming. Vermiwash (5%), Panchagavya (3%) and farm made protein hydrolysate (4-5 ml/lit of water) are ideal inputs. Any one or combination of two or all can be used depending upon the requirement.
Recommended doses of manures duly incubated with bio-fertilizers for 2 days should be applied in the basins of the plants and 1.0 to 1.5m away from trunk. After applying, FYM/compost and concentrated manure mixture should be incorporated thoroughly in the soil, care should be taken not to damage the roots. The fallen leaves in the orchard should be used as mulch over the manure application area.
Guava requires less irrigation than many other fruit crop. It thrives well in dry period and over a wide range of rainfall. Adequate moisture is required during vegetative growth and for optimum flowering and fruit development. To promote the development of fruiting twigs, irrigate every 10-15 days in summer and about 25 days in winter. During the rainy season plants hardly require any irrigation.
Drip Irrigation:
Drip irrigation is useful in replenishing daily water loss. This method can deliver sufficient water on daily basis and helps to supply the amount of water needed by the plant within a limited volume of soil rather than flooding, as often as needed.
8. Flowering and Crop Regulation of Guava:
Under north Indian conditions guava plants flower twice a year, however in west and south India, it may flower thrice a year. The details of flowering and fruiting season and type of guava crop produced in each season is given in Table 39 below.
The poor quality crop in rainy season is of no value to the farmers as it does not fetch good price and therefore it needs to be eliminated by crop regulation etc.
Following methods can be used to regulate the crop:
1. Restricting Irrigation:
Irrigation is withheld from March to middle of June. This results in the shedding of leaves and the tree goes to rest. The basins of the tree are dug up, manured and irrigated in June. After about 20-25 days the trees put forth profuse flowering and fruits mature in winter.
In heavy soils, the upper soil around the trunk is carefully removed (about 45-60 cm. radius) after the harvest of the crop so that the roots are exposed to sun resulting in shedding of leaves. The tree goes to rest. After about 3-4 weeks the roots are covered with soil. Manuring and watering is followed in June-July. This results in profuse flowering and fruiting.
De-blossoming is done manually. By de-blossoming or thinning the Ambia Bahar flowers, the trees produce profuse flowering in June-July.
4. Pruning:
Studies at Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow have shown that pruning branches of their half-length (50%) on the entire tree in May month results for higher yield of quality fruits in winter.
9. Interculture and Intercropping of Guava:
Interculture:
Regular intercultural practices improve the physical condition of soil, ensure aeration by breaking soil surface crust and remove weeds, which compete for soil moisture and nutrients. In bearing orchards, one ploughing should be done during June and second during November. The first ploughing helps in checking the run off losses and facilitates maximum intake of water into the soil. The second ploughing checks the weed growth and induces vegetative shoots.
In young guava orchards intercrops may be raised for utilizing the vacant interspaces profitably. The intercrop should not be too tall or spreading type and should not require too much of water and nutrients so as to adversely affect the guava plants. Vegetables, leguminous and green manure crops can easily be taken in the early stages of establishment of guava orchard.
In well grown guava orchards green legume intercrops such as French bean, broad bean and cowpea can be grown profitably. After the harvest of green pods their biomass needs to be either incorporated in the soil or used as mulch. Cover crops play important role in organic orchard floor management and not only contribute to biologically fixed nitrogen but also help in managing the weed menace. One to two cycles (depending upon the moisture availability) of cover crops can add to 35-50 kg of nitrogen to the orchard floor.
However when intercrops or cover crops are cultivated their nutritional and pest control requirements must be taken care of. It has been observed that after 15-20 years of age, generally guava orchards begin to lose vigour and bearing potential.
A procedure to rejuvenate and restore the production potential of old unproductive and wilt affected orchards has been developed by Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow, which employs pruning of branches at different periodicities and in different severities.
10. Rejuvenation Technique of Guava:
The rejuvenation technology involves cutting of exhausted trees (showing marked decline in annual production) to the extent of 1.0 to 1.5 metre height above the ground level during December – January with the objective of facilitating new shoots. The newly emerging shoots are allowed to grow up to a length of about 40 to 50cm which could be attained in 4-5 months of pruning. These shoots are further pruned out to about 50 per cent of its total length in May-June to facilitate emergence of multiple shoots below the pruning point.
Profusely emerging shoots in the inner canopy are also pruned out to promote branching. The multiple shoots developed as a result of May pruning are capable of producing flower buds for the winter season crop. This procedure of sequential and periodic pruning is continued every year for proper shaping of tree canopy and to ensure enhanced production of quality fruits during winter season.
Organic nutrient management and control of pests and diseases with bio-pesticides, organic fungicides, etc. is required for success in rejuvenation process. Forty per cent increase in yield was observed in rejuvenated trees compared to un-rejuvenated plants.
11. Harvesting and Yield of Guava:
Maturity Indices:
Guava fruit is climacteric in nature and should be picked when it is mature and at the mature green stage (colour change from dark to light-green). The fruits are picked at the firm yellow stage for long distance transport or at the fully ripe (yellow and soft) stage for local markets.
1. Colour is a good indicator of ripeness stage.
2. Size and shape may be important in some markets.
3. Freedom from defects, insects, and decay.
4. Firmness and extent of gritty texture due to the presence of stone cells (scleroids).
5. Amount of seeds in the flesh (the fewer the better).
6. Aroma intensity.
7. Guava is one of the richest sources of vitamin C (200 to 400 mg per 100g fresh weight) and some cultivars are also rich in vitamin A.
Guavas are harvested throughout the year (except during May and June). However, peak harvesting periods in north India are August for rainy season crop, December-January for winter season crop and March-April for spring season crop.
In the mild climatic conditions of the other parts of the country, the peak harvesting periods are not so distinct. It is desirable to harvest the fruits with stalk along with 1-2 leaves and should be put in plastic crates/containers and kept in shade.
The yield of guava varies greatly due to variety and age of the plant, season of fruiting, management practices etc. A 10 year old plant yields about 100 kg of fruits every year.
Guava is highly perishable fruit and should be marketed immediately after harvest. Harvested fruits are cleaned, graded and packed. Immature, damaged, infected and diseased fruits should be discarded. The shelf life of guava fruits at room temperature is only for a few days.
Fruits are graded on the basis of their weight, size and colour. The fruits are packed in baskets made from locally available plant material. For distant markets, wooden or corrugated fibreboard boxes are used along with cushioning materials viz. paddy straw, dry grass, guava leaves or rough paper. Good ventilation is necessary to check buildup of heat. Guava is a delicate fruit requiring careful handling during harvesting and transportation.
The fresh fruit has a short shelf life and distant marketing can be done only if it is properly stored. The shelf life can be extended upto 2-3 weeks by keeping them at 8-10°C and 80-90% RH.
12. Organic Management of Insect Pests and Diseases of Guava:
Pest management in organic guava orchards is an integrated approach involving management and maintenance of diversified habitat, adequate manuring, keeping appropriate planting distances, allowing adequate aeration and sun shine as long term measure and adopting cultural, mechanical and biological strategies as medium term strategies. Botanical and organically acceptable chemicals are used only as short-term immediate strategies as last resort.
Diversity can be managed by planting nitrogen fixing trees like Gliricidia, Leucaena leucocephala, perennial pigeon pea etc. or some other fruit plants like custard apple or ber etc. on borders and pesticidal value plants such as Adathoda, Ipomea, Calotropis etc. randomly in between border plantation. Regular introduction of cover crops, intercrops, flowering plants and trap crops also adds to the diversity.
Some important physical, cultural and ecological strategies important in pest management include:
1. Planting of disease free and resistant cultivars.
2. Proper spacing, mulching and green manuring and adequate use of organic manures and proper irrigation. Do not adopt high density planting or meadow orcharding.
3. Frequent growing of legume cover crops and their mowing with soil.
4. Keeping soil covered with living vegetation and or crop residue.
5. Adequate use of organic manures followed by biomass mulching and drenching with fermented dung-urine slurry (such as Jivamrit).
6. Frequent application of bio-fertilizers especially the mycorrhiza and PGPRs.
7. Frequent drenching of tree basins (at least once a year) with Trichoderma viride, T. harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens.
8. Collect egg cards of beneficial insects for release such as Trichogramma, Chrysoperla, Telenomus etc. which are available from state Bio-control Labs.
9. Install 4-5 pheromone traps for monitoring and 10-12 traps for mass trapping of moths.
10. Set up yellow pan water trap/blue sticky traps 15 cm above the canopy for monitoring insect pests @ 10-15 traps/acre.
11. Set up light traps 1-2 trap/acre 15 cm above the crop canopy for monitoring and mass trapping insects. Light traps with exit option for natural enemies of smaller size should be installed and operate around the dusk time (6 pm to 10 pm).
12. Grow flowering plants along the orchard border by arranging small plants towards the crop and taller plants towards border. Important insectary plants that can be used as intercrops crops also include mustard, sunflower, alfalfa, marigold, carrot, French bean, cowpea, maize, spearmint, peppermint, coriander Ocimum etc. After flowering these plants can be used as green manure/mulch.
Keep on monitoring pest: defender ratio. If pest defender ratio is 2:1 then no need to worry. If it increases above 2:1 then adopt necessary curative and control protocols.
13. Varieties of Guava:
On the basis of seed content in guava there are two types- seedless and seeded varieties. Seedless guavas have irregular shape, low productivity and plants are very vigorous in growth and thus are unfit for commercial cultivation. Seeded guavas are more commercial, high yielders with excellent quality.