Fruit Crops
Guava
Guava is an important fruit crop of Punjab and ranks third after citrus and mango. It occupies an area of 8183 hectares with an annual production of 155526 tonnes. Guava grows well in almost all the districts of the State. It is highly nutritious fruit and contains vitamin C from 150-200 mg/100 g of pulp. Guava fruit contains antioxidant factors and is known to control the systolic blood pressure.
Climate and Soil Guava is successfully grown under tropical and sub-tropical climatic conditions owing to its wider adaptability. It is a hardy and prolific bearing fruit plant. It bears twice in a year i.e. during rainy season and winter season. However, the areas having distinct winter season are considered best for increasing yield and improving fruit quality. It can be grown in arid and rainfed areas like Kandi. Being a hardy fruit plant, it can be grown in poor, alkaline and ill drained soils. Preferably it should be grown on soils with pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.5, however, it can withstand soil pH upto 8.7. For successful cultivation, the soils for guava should be deep, well-drained, friable, sandy loam to clay loam. Guava is a shallow rooted plant, therefore, the surface soil should be rich.
Recommended Cultivars
Punjab Pink : It is a hybrid between Portugal x L 49 = F1 x Apple colour. The trees of this variety are vigorous with drooping branches. The fruit is medium to large in size with attractive red coloured skin sometimes in summer season and golden yellow in winter season. The flesh is red having pleasant flavour. TSS ranged from 10.5 to 12.0 per cent. It is a prolific bearer and the average yield is 53 kg per tree.
Sardar: It is a selection from Allahabad Sufeda. This cultivar is also known as L-49. The tree is dwarf with open rounded but flattened crown and spreading branches. The leaves are medium in size and the tree has a dense foliage. The fruit is large, with rough surface and ribs on shoulders, having creamy white, smooth juicy flesh with excellent taste, with 10-12 percent TSS. In full grown trees, the fruit yield may vary from 125 to 150 kg per tree.
Allahabad Sufeda: The trees of this variety are somewhat dwarf with compact sub-globose, round crown and spreading branches. The leaves are large in size and the tree has a less dense foliage than Sardar guava The fruit is round and smooth with white flesh having pleasant flavour and 10-12 per cent TSS. In full grown trees, the fruit yield may vary from 120 to 140 kg per tree.
Arka Amulya : It is a hybrid of Seedless x Allahabad Sufeda. The trees are some what dwarf with compact, round crown and drooping branches with dense foliage. The fruit is large, round, glossy with white flesh containing semi-soft seeds. The average yield of rainy and winter seasons crop is 144 kg per tree. The total soluble solids in fruit range from 9.3 to 10.1 per cent and acidity from 0.25 to 0.34 per cent.
Planting Guava may be planted in February-March or August-September with earthballs or bare rooted. In latter case the plants should be defoliated and the roots covered with some moist material. Guava plants can be planted at a spacing of 6x5m. With this planting plan, 132 plants can be accomodated in one acre.
Training and Pruning Training of guava trees improves fruit yield and quality. Modified leader system of training is generally followed. The main objective of training guava plants is to provide a strong framework and scaffold or branches suitable for bearing a heavy remunerative crop without breakage of the branches. The flowers and fruits in guava are borne on current season’s growth, hence, a light annual pruning upto 10 cm tip removal may prove useful to encourage new shoots after the harvest. Dead, diseased, intercrossing branches and suckers coming up from the base and sides of the framework should also be prunned back annually.
Weed Control Pre-emergence application of Hexuron 80 WP (diuron) @ 1.6 kg/acre can be made during first fortnight of March for rainy season crop and during first fortnight of September for winter season crop when field is free from weeds and stubbles. Glycel 41 SL (glyphosate) @ 1.6 litre/acre as post-emergence should be sprayed when the weeds are growing actively, preferably before weeds flower or attain a height of 15-20 cm i.e. during second fortnight of March for rainy season crop and during second fortnight of September for winter season crop. Dissolve the herbicides in 200 litres of water which is enough to give complete coverage on weeds in one acre. Spray Glycel during the calm day to avoid spray drift to the foliage of the trees.
Crop Regulation Guava gives two crops a year. Winter season crop is superior in quality than rainy season crop, which may get infested with fruit flies. In order to get only winter season crop, the following methods may be adopted. (i) Spray urea 10 per cent or naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) @ of 600 mg/litre during May, when maximum flowers have opened. Each tree needs about 10-12 litres of solution i.e. about 1000 litres per acre. For making this concentration of NAA, dissolve 600g of NAA in 1500-2000 ml alcohol, then make the volume of 1000 litres. (ii) Pruning of terminal portions of the shoots upto 20 or 30 cm between 20th to 30th April avoids completely the rainy season crop. (iii) Apply fertilizers during June to encourage growth in July- August for getting maximum flowering during August-September for winter season crop. (iv) Withhold irrigation during April-May.
Ber
The ber is one of the ancient and common fruit of Punjab. It ranks fourth in area after Kinnow, mango and guava. The total area under ber cultivation in Punjab is about 2673 hectares with an annual production of 44170 tonnes. The districts of Sangrur, Patiala, Mansa, Bathinda and Ferozepur are most famous for ber cultivation. Ber is one of the nutritious fruits. It is a rich source of vitamin C (120 mg/ 100g), protein (1.0%) and minerals like calcium (0.03%), phosphorus (0.036%) and iron (1.14%). Umran variety is most suitable for the preparation of candy, sundrying and dehydration. Fully mature unripe fruits of ber can be used for the preparation of murabba, pickle and chutney. The juicy varieties can be converted into pulp to serve as base material for squash, nectar and ready-to-serve (RTS) beverage. The fully mature fruits of ber can be canned in sugar syrup.
Climate and Soil The ber is a hardy fruit tree and can grow successfully even under unfavourable climatic conditions where most other fruit trees fail to grow. It can be grown in sub-tropical and tropical climate. Ber trees relish hot and dry climate for successful cultivation but need adequate watering during the fruiting season. Excessive atmospheric humidity is a limiting factor for satisfactory fruiting. It can withstand hot and dry weather during summer months of May and June as tree enters into dormancy by shedding its leaves. New growth starts in July with the advent of rains and growth period continues till the middle of November when it stops with the onset of cold weather. Although ber grows and yields the best on deep sandy loam soils with neutral or slightly alkaline reaction having good drainage, it can be grown on marginal lands or even those which are considered unsuitable for growing other crops. It develops a deep tap-root system and as such adapts itself to a wide variety of soils. It is known for its ability to thrive under adverse conditions of salinity, drought, alkalinity and water-logging. It can flourish even in soils with pH upto 9.2.
Recommended Cultivars
Umran : Tree spreading and vigorous. Fruit large, oval with a round apex. Skin smooth and glossy, golden yellow, turning to chocolate brown at maturity. Pulp sweet with a pleasant flavour and 19% TSS. Ripens from end-March to mid-April. Yield upto 150-200 kg of fruit per tree. Susceptible to powdery mildew disease.
Sanaur-2: Tree spreading and semi-vigorous. Fruit large, oblong, smooth and golden yellow. Pulp sweet with a typical flavour and 19% TSS. Ripens in the second fortnight of March. Average yield is 150 kg per tree. It is fairly resistant to powdery mildew disease. Most suitable for Kandi area.
Planting The budded plants are usually transplanted during February- March or August-September at 7.5 x 7.5 m in square system. Dig out the plants from the nursery with a good-sized earth ball so that minimum roots are lost. Pack the plants properly and carefully to keep earthball intact. The ber plants can also be transplanted barerooted with equal success. For this, lift the plants from nursery in usual manner from mid-January to mid-February. Defoliate the plants just before lifting them from the nursery. On sandy Tiba land, it is advisable to sow seeds and bud in situ as transplantation of budded plants has a poor success.
Training and Pruning The ber fruits are trained according to modified leader system. After transplanting head back the main stem at 75 cm from the ground level. Out of the new lateral growth produced on the main stem select four to five laterals which are most favourably located around the main stem. As the ber tree bears fruit on the current season’s growth, regular annual pruning is necessary. Prune the lower branches to prevent them from spreading on the ground. Also remove thin, dry, broken and diseased branches of the previous season. Pruning is done during second fortnight of May when the trees are dormant. Pruning in Sanaur-2 Cv. should be done during the thrid week of April. Pruning by heading back to 8 buds of previous year’s growth gives higher yield of better quality fruits. Severe pruning after four-five years is recommended.
Weed Control Pre-emergence application of Hexuron 80WP (diuron) at 1.2 kg/ acre should be made during the first fortnight of August when field is free from growing weeds and stubbles. Glycel 41 SL (glyphosate) at 1.2 litres/acre or Gramaxone 24 WSC (paraquat) at 1.2 litres/acre as post-emergence should be sprayed when the weeds are growing actively preferably before weeds flower or attain a height of 15-20 cm. Dissolve the herbicides in 200 litres of water which is sufficient to give complete coverage on weeds in one acre. Spray Glycel or Gramaxone during the calm day to avoid spray drift to the foliage of the fruit trees.
Uniform and Early Ripening : Ethephon 400 ppm at colour break stage (250 ml in 300 litres of water in first week of March) advances ripening by two weeks in Umran and produces attractive, uniform, better quality and deep golden yellow with chocolate tinge coloured fruit.