MAINTAINING HEALTHY ORCHARD
Growing of crop doesn’t
imply that we can harvest the optimum quantity or better quality of crop in each
fruiting season. We may have more in some high yielding seasons and have even
no fruiting in few years. There are various factors which are directly or
indirectly involved in crop production. If we have a pre-knowledge on those
factors, then we can control or modify few of them in favour of production.
Here are a few suggestions
for maintaining the health of your orchard, for achieving better fruiting in
every year.
Soil Management
Soil is the most
essential element for plant growth as it provides anchorage, water and nutrient
to the plant root zone. The essential part in soil is to maintain its bio-physico-chemical
property. Chemical property such as the pH must be in a specific range for
availing required nutrient and protecting the root zone from various disease
and pest attack. For example in pH 6.5-7.5 all most all the nutrients are
available hence in every year we should analyse the soil pH and take proper amendment
(For acidic soil, Lime and for alkaline soil Gypsum) to maintain this range. The
soil should be treated as a living organism. Use of minimum chemical, crop
rotation with leguminous crop, cover cropping with broad leaves shallow rooted
crops must be done to maintain soil’s biological property. Operations like
inter cultivation, summer ploughing, adding organic matter to the soil must be
done for maintaining the physical property of soil.
Nutrient Management
For proper plant growth
nutrient is essential. All the essential nutrients (viz. C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg,
S, Fe, Cu, Zn, B, Cl, Ni, Mo and Mn) must be available in the soil, which can
be determined by soil or plant sample test for nutrient analysis in each three
years. Proper precautions must be adopted to enrich the soil, normally as a
thumb rule, if the soil pH is maintained at 6.5-7.5 all most all the nutrients
will be available for the plant root zone. Again well decomposed Organic matter
or compost or vermicompost contains all the essential elements (may be macro or
micro element) but less in quantity. They can serve as a remedy for maintaining
the soil nutrient status. Green manuring, live mulching, adding organic matter
to soil, maintaining the soil pH and adding inorganic fertilizers are essential
for maintaining orchard life.
Next comes the time and
dose of adding nutrient to the soil. Normally we should not apply the
nitrogenous fertilizers 2-3 month prior to flowering as it will enhance more
vegetative growth. We should apply the recommended dose of fertilizers in split
doses to reduce the nutrient losses by various means. Just after harvesting we
have to apply around 3-4 kg of well decomposed organic matter to the root zone
by digging a trench 1-2 m away from the trunk and cover it with soil. So that
plant can maintain the nutrient loss due to fruiting in previous season. Nutrient
like Phosphorous and Potash add resistance in the plant for various diseases
and pests hence they should be added in specific dose.
Water Management
Water is required for
maintaining the plant tissue turgidity and growth. Both water stress and water
logging have bad impact on crop growth. In a fruit plant or perennial plant in which
growth occurs in cycles (Vegetative growth-Reproductive growth- Vegetative
growth…..) timing of irrigation will determine the fruiting. Irrigation should
be stopped 3-4 month prior to flowering otherwise there will be failure of
flowering. During the fruit development stage more water will make the fruit
test watery hence grower must adopt proper drainage methods. Water shortage
during the fruit development stage cause fruit drop hence irrigation should be
done in a even distribution. Some crops like grape, humidity in the vine yard
will aggravate downey mildew disease, in mango orchard there will be powdery
mildew attack in inflorescence, hence there should not be more humidity in the
orchard during any growth phase.
Crop Canopy Management
Penetration of sunlight and movement
of wind make the microclimate of plant healthy. Hence proper training and
pruning helps in maintaining a healthy orchard life.
Hormonal Management
The changes within a
plant from one stage to other are mediated by the growth regulators or plant
growth regulators (PGR). The hormonal imbalance within the plant can be managed
artificially be foliar spray of particular hormones for achieving good fruiting
in the subsequent season.
Weed Management
Weeds most importantly the
Parasitic Weeds like (Vanda, Orobanche, Cuscuta etc.) are the major problems in
fruit orchard. They will compete or directly consume the photosynthetic product
of fruit plant, due to this the fruit plant will under goes a starvation phase
and the physiological activities will be hindered. Hence weed most be
controlled be summer ploughing, inter cultivation and application of
weedicides. The management of parasitic weed though tedious but can be done. When
the infestation is in early stage the infested branch should be cut and burnt
to remove the further infestation.
Disease and Pest Management
Though the plant is
capable enough to give production but it can’t as the physico-chemical activities
are altered by the insect and pathogen attack. Considering these, proper
remedies must be taken to maintain the healthy orchard life and yield off
course the profit for grower.
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