Everything you need to learn about the growing and harvesting of Beal organically. Learn about:- 1. Introduction to Beal 2. Climate and Soil Required for Harvesting Beal 3. Propagation 4. Cultivation 5. Organic Nutrient Management 6. Harvesting and Yield 7. Organic Management of Insect Pests and Diseases.
Contents:
- Introduction to Beal
- Climate and Soil Required for Harvesting Beal
- Propagation of Beal
- Cultivation of Beal
- Organic Nutrient Management of Beal
- Harvesting and Yield of Beal
- Organic Management of Insect Pests and Diseases of Beal
1. Introduction to Beal:
Bael (Aegle marmelos L. Correa.), is native to India and is known for its rich nutrient value in terms of protein, fat, minerals (Ca and Fe) and vitamins (riboflavin, β carotene and vitamin C). Each and every part of bael viz, leaves, roots, bark, fruits, seeds etc. are used in preparation of various Ayurvedic medicines.
Bael fruits are used to improve the digestive system and to cure stomach diseases. Fruits can be processed into various beverages and preserves. In spite of its Indian origin and high medicinal and nutritional values, it is mainly grown in wild and semi-wild conditions throughout India. Besides, it is also grown in the homestead gardens, backyards, religious places and farmer’s fields.
Main growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Bael is best suited to waste and underutilized lands, since it has the ability of thriving where other fruit trees cannot survive. No authentic data is available on area under this crop. The area under bael is estimated at 4000 to 5000 hectares in U.P.
2. Climate and Soil Required for Harvesting Beal:
Due to hardy nature, bael tree has a wide adaptability and can tolerate adverse soil and climatic conditions. It requires subtropical climate where summer is hot and dry, and winter is mild. Plants can be grown even up to an elevation of 1,200 m above mean sea level. There is no damage by temperature up to as low as 0°C. Plants have capacity to tolerate high temperatures and semi-arid climate. This plant can withstand extreme temperatures by shedding its leaves during May-June months.
A well-drained, sandy loam soil is most suitable. It can thrive even on poor, clay and stony soils. It can tolerate sodicity up to 30 ESP and salinity up to 9 ds/m EC. Thus it can be grown in waste, gravelly and usar lands.
Varieties Recommended – Narendra Bael 5, 7 and 9, Pant Shivani, Pant Aparna, Pant Urvashi, Pant Sujata, CISH Bael-1, CISH Bael -2 and Goma Yashi.
3. Propagation of Beal:
Bael is usually propagated by seed. However, it is not recommended, as plants raised by seed are not true to type. Soft wood grafting is becoming quite popular now days. It is important to raise seedlings for using as rootstock. The seeds do not have dormancy; hence fresh seeds are sown in June in a well- prepared bed mixed with decomposed farmyard manure and sand. Polybags of the size 25-30 cm long and 15-18 cm width can also be used.
Seeds germinate within 3 weeks. The seedlings become ready for transplanting 7 weeks after sowing. These seedlings are ready for grafting/budding after a year. The scion shoots should be selected from mother plants, which are prolific bearer. Soft wood grafting is ideal method with 90% success rate. June-July is ideal time for propagation.
4. Cultivation of Beal:
Planting:
Bael plants are usually planted at a distance of 8 m x 8 m (grafted plants) or 10 m x 10 m (seedlings). Pits of 90 cm x 90 cm x 90 cm size are dug and filled with a mixture of topsoil + 25 kg farm yard manure and 50 g Beauveria bassiana for termite control. Irrigate the pits to settle down the soil. February-March or July-August is the right time for planting.
Training, Pruning and Canopy Management:
Young plants are trained with the help of stakes so that they can grow straight. To provide good framework of the individual tree, the tip of main stem is removed at a height of about lm. Only 4-6 well-spaced branches are retained. Keep the tree trunk clean, i.e. without shoots upto 60-70 cm.
Primary branches mature in 6-7 months. After attaining the maturity prune these primary branches to their 50% length. This induces new shoot growth in primary branches. Retain only 2-3 secondary branches per primary.
Pruning in bael is normally not advocated. Dead, diseased, weak and crisscrossing branches and water sprouts are eliminated every year. However, if there is congestion in plants then canopy of plants must be opened for better circulation of air and penetration of light.
Aftercare:
Bael plants are most susceptible to water logging, care should be taken to avoid such conditions. Suckers appearing from rootstock should be removed periodically. Keep the plantation weed free. Legume crops can be taken as intercrops in bael plantation during the rabi/rainy season.
Irrigation:
Plants need to be cared up to 3 years after plantation. Basin system of irrigation is recommended for efficient irrigation in young plants. Irrigation to young plantation should be given at the interval of 20 days during February to May. Bearing trees do not require irrigation during summer as they shed their leaves and resist hot dry summer. For higher yields, if required 2-3 irrigations can be given at the time of new leaf emergence.
5. Organic Nutrient Management of Beal:
Although, very little or no systematic work has been done on its nutritional requirement but intercropping with legume and recycling of biomass is the main nutrient management strategy under organic management approach. Entire nutrients are to be applied in 1-1.5 meter wide ring around the tree, about 1 m away from trunk (the main feeding zone) and kept covered with biomass such as fallen leaves, twigs, crop residue etc.
Legume crops such as green gram, black gram, cowpea etc. can be grown during rainy season while fodder clover, lentil or Sesbania can be grown during winter. Appropriate nutrient and pests and disease management of intercrops must be taken care of. After harvesting of pods entire legume biomass is used for mulching along with some other crop residue in a ratio of 1:2. Green leafy vegetables can also be grown during winter with adequate manuring, if irrigation is available.
As far as application of additional manure is concerned, application of 10kg farm yard manure/year of age up to 10 years is beneficial. For increased nutrient availability neem cake, concentrated chicken manure/poultry manure and wood ash (as potash source) can also be applied and mixed with FYM. Manure mixture need to be applied 4-6 inches deep in round trench about 1-1.5 meter away from tree trunk and covered with the soil. Mulch the manure ring with biomass and drench with Jivamrit @ 1-2 lit per tree.
At an optimum productivity of 20-30 tons/ha the expected nutrient removal shall be around 75 kg each of N and K (as K2O) and about 30-35 kg of P (as P2O5) per hectare. Out of this 70% of N, 90% of P and 60% of K can be returned to the soil in the form of fallen leaves, pruning and intercrop biomass and remaining quantity is to be applied as added manures.
While calculating organic nutrient needs, recommendations under conventional management may also be kept in mind. Under conventional management usually one year old plants are applied with 5-10 kg FYM, 50 g N, 25g P as P2O5 and 50 g K as K2O. Entire quantity of P and 50% dose of N and K is applied after mixing with FYM before sprouting and flowering while remaining dose of N and K is recommended at the time of fruit set.
6. Harvesting and Yield of Beal:
Fruits become fully mature in 10 – 11 months after fruit set. At this stage fruit shell (peel) changes from deep green to light green and flesh (pulp) from light yellow to deep yellow. Ripe fruits are mostly used for beverage making hence they should be harvested at full maturity stage.
Leaf fall occurs during May and trees become leaf less at the time of fruit maturity. Fruits should be harvested individually along with a portion of stalk. During harvesting fruits should not fall on the ground as the fruits are heavy and get damaged due to cracks in shell. On an average fully grown tree after five years yields 100-200 fruits and 20-30 tons per hectare.
7. Organic Management of Insect Pests and Diseases of Beal:
Bael plants are very hardy and are not attacked by many insect pests. However at post-harvest stage many fruits are spoiled due to post harvest diseases like anthracnose and fruit rot. To minimize the spoilage appropriate spray of Bordeaux mixture (1%) or copper oxychloride (0.3%) is recommended at pre-harvest stage. Maintenance of appropriate hygienic conditions in pack houses is also important and must be taken care of to avoid post-harvest diseases.
Fruit cracking is fast emerging as a serious problem in systematic plantation in Uttar Pradesh due to deficiency of boron. Therefore under cultivated conditions soil application of 100 g borax is recommended at the time of manure application to minimize the problem.