Propagation of cashew nut - Interim care of cashew nut

Read this article carefully if you want to know detailed information about cashew nut propagation and cashew nut care.

In this article we are also discussing in which soil cashew nut is cultivated and in which month the cashew nut tree flowers and fruits. In addition, several other important topics have been discussed in detail, so please read the article if you want to know them.

Cashew nut is a foreign exchange earning fruit. It is a very popular and delicious delicacy these days. Native to South America. In the 16th century, the Portuguese first imported cashew nuts to India's Malabar Valley. First of all, these trees were planted to prevent soil erosion.

Cashew nuts gained recognition as a commercial crop in the 20th century. Cashew nut is currently getting much respect for its various qualities and for adapting the tree to the water and air conditions of this country. It is of considerable importance for India to earn increasing foreign exchange. About 90 percent of the world's demand is met from India.

However, India does not produce more than fifty percent of the total demand for cashews. India mainly imports raw cashews from East Africa and other countries and sells cashews made in foreign markets. Africa, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Malaya and Indonesia are notable in cashew production.

Its production in India is the highest in the world. West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu Odisha, Karnataka, Bombay, Andhra Pradesh etc. are the major cashew producing states of India. A small amount of cashew nut is grown in Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Birbhum districts of West Bengal. Among them, a lot of cashew nut trees are seen in thickets on the coast of Bay of Bengal in Medinipur district.

Every part of the cashew nut is useful for humans. Nuts or fruits have a lot of nutritional value. It contains a large amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats (unsaturated fats), minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, iron etc.) and dietary fiber. Cashew-Protein is a balanced food with all the amino acids. Soybean as protein and fish, meat and milk as protein products are considered equal.

Cashew nuts are strictly tropical trees. Humid and hot climate is suitable for cashew nut cultivation. Cashew nuts require 30 cm of annual rainfall. However, it can withstand rainfall up to 300-400 cm. Although this tree is 900 meters above sea level, lower land than 450 meters is considered more suitable.

Cashew tree is very hardy and drought resistant. So the plants are not particularly damaged even in dry summer weather. Cashew nut trees are very strong and are not damaged by storms. Therefore, cashew tree is also planted as a wind break tree. However, if the weather is dry and hot during the flowering season, it does not bear good fruit.

Cashew nuts can be grown in almost all types of soil, from loamy or sandy soil to clay. However, this plant grows well in deep loamy soil. Cashew nut can be cultivated in undeveloped, barren and fallow land. Cashews cannot tolerate standing water at the base. So land, especially clay soil, needs good drainage.

Cashew can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. Cashew nut seedlings are usually made from seeds. Seedlings should be collected by collecting seeds from vigorous and vigorous plants and plants that give good yield regularly. Generally: 15-25 years healthy and fresh tree seeds are best for making seedlings.

Each seed should weigh 6-8 grams. Generally, the matured seed of the new year is good for making seedlings. Seeds should be collected from the trees in the month of Baisakh-Jaishtha for planting in Ashad month. Collect the seeds and throw them in the bucket of water and select the nutritious seeds. The seeds that sink into the bucket are the best seeds and suitable for planting.

Cashew nut seeds should be sown directly in the original soil. Because seedlings made in the seed bed do not survive. However, seedlings can be made by filling polythene bags with soil and burying the seeds in them. For this, polythene bags should be filled with manure-soil and the bags should be well placed in the nursery and buried 2-3 inches (5-7-5 cm) deep in the soil.

After that one seed should be buried by hand in each bag. After 15-20 days, seedlings emerge from the seeds. The strong sapling should be planted in the field with soil (by cutting the polythene bag) at a fixed distance. It is better to keep the seeds in water for 2-3 days and sow them. Because it improves seed germination.

No matter what seedlings or seeds are planted, the land is made at 7-8 meter intervals of 50 × 50 × 50 cm. The soil needs to be well sunned for a few days by digging holes. Then mix organic manure (soil and organic manure amount-1:1) with the soil of the hole and fill the hole. In Asadha month, 2-3 seeds should be planted in each hole at a depth of 5-7 cm by hand.

Bury the seed by keeping the side adjacent to the seed apple up and tilting it a little. During germination, if the seed pods rise above the soil, they can be eaten by animals and birds. Therefore, after sowing the seeds, measures must be taken to keep the seedlings alive. If the seedling is a little big, i.e. one month after sowing the seeds, the fresh and strong seedling should be kept and the rest should be removed.

When planting seedlings, one should be planted in each hole. Cashew nut can be propagated by Vegetative Propagation method especially by cuttings. In order to get good varieties of trees, it is necessary to use grafting or grafting. Pen plants are also planted at a distance of 7-8 meters. If the soil is fertile, trees can be planted at a distance of up to 10 meters. The following amount of fertilizer should be applied per hole before planting. For example:

Generally, cashew nut trees are not fertilized. However, it has been shown in various experiments that the application of fertilizers leads to better growth and better yield. According to the recommendation of the Central Plantation Research Institute, 250 grams of nitrogen, 125 grams of phosphorus and 125 grams of potassium should be applied per plant. This fertilizer should be applied twice every year (ie once before monsoon and second time after monsoon). Fertilizer application rate per acre of cashew nut plantation is as follows:

Na = Nitrogen, F = Phosphorus, P = Potassium.

Cashew nut orchards generally do not require special secondary care. Occasional weeding is beneficial in the early stages of the garden. Branches close to the ground and dry and diseased branches should be cut. Inter crops can be cultivated in the garden when the cashew tree is young.

As an intermediate crop, green chillies, ginger, turmeric, sweet potato, kalai can be cultivated. When the cashew tree begins to flower, these crops should not be cultivated. Intercropping saves on fertilizer and irrigation costs and facilitates plant growth. As cashew tree is hardy, there is no special practice of irrigation. But it is better to give 3-5 irrigations during drought up to 3-4 years in small condition. It will improve plant growth. Irrigation during the inter-crop gives some benefit to the cashew tree.

The seed plants begin to bear flowers and fruits after three to four years. Flowers can come the next year after planting. At the age of ten years, the tree becomes full bearing age and lives up to 30-40 years. Trees grown in deep soil can live up to 70 years. Trees in coastal areas are spreading and trees in hilly areas are erect & tall.

Generally, cashew trees flower from November to February and bear fruit from March to May, depending on weather conditions. The plant blooms two to three times and the middle flower produces more fruit. Good rains during the monsoons lead to good yields. But rain and cloudy weather during flowering is harmful to the crop.

Male flower and hermaphrodite flower are seen in cashew tree. On cashew tree, male flowers may appear earlier and throughout the winter and bisexual flowers appear later i.e. at the end of winter. Cashew nuts are produced from bisexual flowers.

In the first stage of growth, the kidney-like part of the seed becomes fertile. After some time the part of the drop thickens and takes the shape of a pear. Then it seems as if the seed has come out of the fruit. The seeds are gray or black when ripe and the fruit yellow, orange or red. It takes 60/65 days for the fruit to ripen after pollination.

Some fruits ripen 55-70 days after flowering. Ripe fruits are picked when they fall. Fruits can also be laid with hooks. Good nuts are obtained from ripe and ripe fruit. Harvesting of fruits lasts for about a month. Yields vary considerably from garden to garden, even from tree to tree. No two trees are alike each tree yields 50-60 kg and yields 1620 kg of nuts.