How To Grow Guava Tree Faster Course

 

How To Grow Guava Tree Faster Course 

Guava is an important fruit crop of Punjab and ranks second after kinnow. Guava grows well in almost all the districts of the state. It is a highly nutritious fruit and contains vitamin C from 150 to 200 mg/100 g of pulp. Guava fruit pulp has antioxidant factors and is also 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 the rainy and winter seasons. However, the areas with having distinct winter season are considered best for increasing yield and improving fruit quality. It can also be grown in arid and rainfed areas like Kandi. 

 Being a hardy fruit crop, it can be grown in poor, alkaline, and poorly drained soils. Preferably, it should be grown on soils with a pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.5; however, it can withstand soil pH up to 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 in mineral nutrients. 

 Recommended Cultivars -

 Punjab Apple Guava (2019): Trees are semi-vigorous with a round crown and drooping branches. The fruits are medium in size, round, dark red coloured peel, having creamy flesh with medium-sized seeds. Fruits have 11.83 % TSS and 0.45 % acidity. For better colour development and high-quality fruit production of only the winter season crop should be taken. Its average fruit yield is about 100 kg/tree. 

 Punjab Kiran (2018): The trees are semi-vigorous with a round crown and drooping branches. Fruits medium in size, round to oblong, pink-fleshed with small and soft seeds. Fruits have 12.3% TSS and 0.44 % acidity. Its average fruit yield is 100-125 kg/tree. 

 Punjab Safeda (2018): The trees are vigorous with spreading branches. Fruits are medium to large in size, round with smooth, creamy-white skin, white flesh, and firm texture. Fruits have 13.4 % TSS and 0.62% acidity. Its average fruit yield is 125-150 kg/ tree. 

 • Guava is a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants. 

 • Punjab Apple Guava fetches a higher price due to its attractive colour.

 • Portogal or L-49 should be used • as rootstocks for propagation. 

 • Wedge grafting can be done in • the month of February for plant propagation. 

• High-density planting (6 m ×5 m) of guava gives more yields per unit area.

Shweta (2013): It is a selection from the open-pollinated seedlings of  Apple colour guava. Trees of this variety are semi-vigorous, with a round crown and a spreading branching habit. The fruits are sub-globose, smooth, with creamy white. f lesh, having TSS 10.5-11.0 % with semi-hard seeds. Average fruit yield is 150 kg per tree. 

 Punjab Pink (2009): It is a hybrid between Portugal×L 49=F1×Apple colour. The trees of this variety are vigorous with drooping branches. The fruit is medium to large in size with an attractive golden yellow colour. The flesh is red, having a pleasant flavour. TSS range from 10.5 to 12.0 per cent. It is a prolific bearer and suitable for processing. The average yield of this cultivar is 150 160 kg per tree. 

 Arka Amulya (2003): It is a hybrid of Seedless× Allahabad Sufeda. The trees are somewhat dwarfed with compact, round crowns and drooping branches with dense foliage. The fruit is medium, round, glossy, with white flesh containing semi-soft seeds. 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. The average yield of the rainy and winter season crops is 140-150 kg per tree. 

 Sardar (1967): It is a selection from Allahabad Safeda. This cultivar is also known as L-49. The tree is a dwarf with an open, rounded, but flattened crown and spreading branches. The leaves are medium in size with dense foliage. The fruit is large, with a rough surface due to ribs on the shoulders, having creamy white, smooth, juicy flesh with excellent taste and 10-12 percent TSS. In full-grown trees, the fruit yield may vary from 125 to 150 kg per tree.

Allahabad Safeda (1967): The trees of this variety are somewhat dwarf with compact sub-globose, round crown, spreading branches, and the leaves are large in size with less dense foliage than Sardar guava. The fruit is round and smooth with white flesh having a pleasant flavour and 10-12 per cent TSS. In full-grown trees, the fruit yield may vary from 120-140 kg per tree. 

                                                                        

 Propagation -

 Guava is commercially propagated by improved patch (retaining 2 buds on a patch) budding. 

 Rootstock Portugal: Portugal rootstock of guava is most suitable for Sardar and Allahabad Sufeda varieties, as it improves fruit yield and weight. It also imparts vigour and wilt tolerance to these scion varieties. 

 Rootstock Raising: Guava seeds of cv. Sardar or Purtugal are sown on raised seed beds of 2m×1m size in August. The seedlings become ready for transplanting after six months, and budding is done when these seedlings attain a diameter of 1.0 to 1.2 cm at about 15 cm height. Sometimes, the guava seedlings show signs of wilting due to damping-off. To control this, drench the seed beds with 0.3% (3g in 1 litre of water) Captan. 

 Budding: The best time for patch budding is May and June, when it gives 75-80 per cent success. Freshly cut, angular budwood from the current season’s growth is used for budding. A semi-circular or a rectangular patch of bark (2.5×1.0 cm) with two buds is removed from the scion stick, taking care that the bark does not split. It is then fixed on the exposed portion of the rootstock and tied immediately with the polythene strip, leaving both the buds uncovered. The polythene is removed after a week or so when the bud-take has occurred. When the shoots developing from the buds have attained a length of 15-20 cm, retain the vigorously growing shoot and remove the weaker ones. 

 The guava can also be propagated by wedge grafting in February, on rootstock seedlings 2.5-3.0 cm thick, raised from seeds directly sown in polythene bags. The scion stick should be defoliated 8-10 days before grafting. To maintain humidity, the graft should be immediately covered with a white polythene tube (25 cm×6 cm), which should be removed after bud sprouting. 

 Planting -

 Guava may be planted in February-March or August-September with earthballs. Guava plants can be planted at a spacing of 6m×5m. With this planting plan, 132 plants can be accommodated in one acre. 

 Training and Pruning -

 The modified leader system of training is generally followed in strong guava. The main objective of training guava trees is to provide a framework for branches bearing a heavy remunerative crop without the breakage of the branches. The flowers and fruits in guava are borne on current season’s growth; hence, a light annual pruning up to 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 be removed.

• Avoid rainy season crops by adopting recommended crop regulation practices. This ensures better winter crops and higher returns. 

• The old unproductive guava trees can be rejuvenated by heading back at 1.5 m from the ground in March, leaving 2-3 primary scaffolds.

• Use integrated practices for the management of fruit flies. Fix PAU fruit fly traps in the first week of July to reduce fruit fly incidence in the rainy season crop.

Rejuvenation of Senile Guava Trees

Head back the old unproductive guava trees at 1.5 m from the ground level in the month of March, leaving 2-3 primary scaffolds, and apply Bordeaux paste on the cut ends. In August-September, thin out the crowded and intermingled shoots and prune 50 percent of the newly emerged remaining shoots from the top to develop a proper framework of rejuvenated trees. The rejuvenated trees start giving a good yield during the third year of rejuvenation.

 Manures and Fertilizers 

 

Age of the tree (years)	Farmyard manure (kg/tree)		Dose per tree   (g)
		Urea	Super phosphate	Muriate of Potash
1-3	10-20	150-200	500-1500	100-400
4-6	25-40	300-600	1500-2000	600-1000
7-10	40-50	750-1000	2000-2500	1100-1500
Above 10	50	1000	2500	1500

 Farmyard manure should be applied in May. Application of 20 kg of Paddy straw manure can be used as a substitute of Farm farmyard manure to full-grown guava plants. Half of the inorganic fertilizers should be applied in May-June and the remaining half in September-October. 

 Fertigation schedule for guava orchards -

 The fertigation schedule for guava orchards planted at 6mx5m has been recommended. The fertilizer through drip irrigation can be applied from July to September (12 splits) and March to May (12 splits) at a weekly interval. With this technology, 20% fertilizers can be saved. It produces a higher yield of better quality fruits. 

 Fertigation schedule for guava plants at 6m×5m spacing

      

Age of plants (year)	July-September (12 splits)			March-May  (12 splits)
	Doses of fertilizers at a weekly interval in equal splits (g/plant)
1	33	72	40	33	72	40
2	16	145	100	16	145	100
3	-	218	160	-	218	160
4	40	218	240	40	218	240
5	88	256	320	88	256	320
6	132	292	400	132	292	400
7	192	292	440	192	292	440
8	226	328	520	226	328	520
9	248	346	560	248	346	560

Zinc Deficiency: The affected plants have small leaves with yellowing or chlorosis between the veins. The plant growth is suppressed, and the branches start dying back. Correct this deficiency by spraying the trees with 1% solution of zinc sulphate (1 kg of zinc sulphate + 1/2 kg of unslaked lime in 100 litres of water). Give 2 or 3 such sprays at fortnightly intervals between June to September. 

 Irrigation -

 The young guava plants need irrigation at a weekly interval during summer months and 2-3 irrigations during winter months. Bearing trees require irrigation for flowering and better fruit set at an interval of 2-3 weeks during summer months and at monthly intervals during winter months. Heavy irrigation at peak flowering should be avoided as it may cause excessive flower drop. 

 Drip irrigation schedule for guava orchards: The drip irrigation schedule for guava planted at 6×5 m spacing has been recommended with this technology; 35-40% irrigation of water can be saved by improving fruit yield and quality. 

 Drip irrigation schedule for guava plants at 6m×5m spacing 

       

			Age of plants (Year)
Months	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
			Irrigation Water (litres/day/plant)
January	0.5	0.8	2.3	2.8	5.3	5.7	7.0	8.0	8.4
February	0.6	2.3	4.5	5.7	9.6	10.2	11.4	12.5	13.2
March	1.2	3.4	7.5	9.9	15.9	17.0	18.4	19.2	19.8
April	2.4	8.5	16.0	17.9	28.8	30.5	32.5	33.6	34.5
May	3.0	14.9	19.2	23.0	37.5	39.5	41.5	43.4	44.0
June	3.3	13.1	18.6	27.0	47.8	49.2	51.4	52.6	53.0
July	2.4	10.0	11.9	19.7	28.1	30.5	32.4	33.5	33.8
August	1.9	6.9	11.6	14.9	20.6	22.5	24.3	24.8	25.0
September	1.4	7.6	9.7	14.0	18.4	20.2	21.5	22.7	23.0
October	1.3	5.4	8.5	10.8	13.2	13.8	15.0	16.2	16.8
November	0.8	3.0	5.4	4.0	8.8	9.2	10.4	11.1	12.1
December	0.4	2.1	3.3	5.0	5.2	6.0	6.8	7.2	7.8

 Intercropping -

 During the initial 3-4 years, the leguminous crops like cowpea, guara, gram, beans, etc. should be sown as safe intercrops.

Vegetables like radish, carrot, okra, and brinjal can be interplanted in the vacant land. 

 Weed Control 

 Light cultivation of the field should be done to manage the different kinds of weed flora. Weeds can also be managed with the application of paddy straw @4.0 tons per acre as mulch after application of the recommended dose of organic manure and inorganic fertilizers in May under the tree canopy. Incorporate the degraded mulch in October in the field, along with the second dose of recommended fertilizers. In addition to the management of weeds, the fruit size and yield also increase with paddy straw mulch. In case of an attack by white ants, manage it with recommended practices. 

 Crop Regulation 

 Guava gives two crops in a year. The winter season crop is superior in quality to the rainy season crop, as the rainy crop may get infested with fruit flies. In order to get only the 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. To make this concentration of NAA, dissolve 600g of NAA in 1500-2000 mL of alcohol, then make the final volume 1000 mL. 

 (ii) Pruning of terminal portions of the shoots up to 20 or 30 cm between 20th to 30th April avoids the rainy season crop. 

 (iii) Withhold irrigation during April-May. 

 (iv) Apply fertilizers during June to encourage growth in July, August for getting maximum flowering during August September for the winter season crop. 

 Bagging technique for rainy season fruits 

 Good quality mature green hard fruits of the rainy season guava can be produced by covering with white non-woven bags at the end of June to the middle of July. Harvesting the bagged fruits at the colour break stage. It also improves the fruit size and quality. On trees, fruit bagging protects the fruits from fruit fly attack and eliminates the use of pesticides. 

 Fruit Maturity and Harvesting -

 Guava fruit is climacteric in nature and should be picked when it is mature but firm. When picked at this stage, it ripens to give excellent taste and flavour. The fruits change their colour from dark green to greenish yellow at maturity. The fruits should not be allowed to over-ripen on the trees as they deteriorate in quality and are more liable to be damaged by birds. It is a common practice that farmers retain a few leaves or small branches with the fruit to make it attractive. But this practice rather leads to higher moisture loss from the fruit and may injure the adjoining fruits and aggravate spoilage. 

 Post-Harvest Handling -

 Guava is a highly perishable fruit and should be marketed immediately after harvest. Harvested fruits are cleaned, graded, and packed preferably in CFB cartons of sizes ranging from 4-10 kg. The guava fruits, when picked at proper maturity, can be kept at room temperature for one week in perforated polythene bags and for three weeks in CFB cartons in commercial cold storage at 0-3.3 °C and RH of 85-90%. Guava cv. Shweta can be stored for one week at ambient temperature (15-20 °C) and for two weeks in cold storage at 6-8oC and 85-90% RH. Fruits of the winter guava cv. Sardar harvested at the physiological mature stage can be ripened at 20 °C in 72 hrs, and these fruits can be kept for 48-72 hours at ambient conditions in winter. Squash, nectar, and leather can be prepared from Punjab Kiran and Punjab Pink, coloured guava varieties. 

 Plant Protection Measures 

 A. Insect Pests 

         

Pests and symptoms of attack	Control
1.       Fruit flies          (Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera zonata): They are the most common and serious pests of guava. Being polyphagous, they damage and multiply profusely on various fruit crops. The fruit fly lays the eggs at the colour break stage of fruits in the soft epicarp.	(i) Cover the rainy season mature green guava fruit on the tree with white non-woven bags from the end of June to the middle of July.

 

On hatching, the maggots bore further into fruits and feed on soft pulp. The infested fruits show depressions with dark green punctures, and when cut open, the wriggling white maggots are seen inside.  The infested fruits rot and fall. Pupation takes place in the soil under trees.  Isolated orchards are less infested by the fruit flies.	(ii)             Avoid taking a rainy season crop only in orchards with a history of severe fruit fly infestations. (iii)            Harvest the ripening fruits and do not allow the ripe fruits on the tree. (iv)            Regular removal of fallen fruits from the ground and bury the infested fruits at least 60 cm depth. (v)             Shallow ploughing with a cultivator immediately after harvest is effective in exposing and killing the pupating larvae/pupae, which are mostly present at 4-6 cm depth. (vi)            Fix PAU fruit fly traps @16 traps/acre in the first week of July and recharge the same if required.
2. Guava shoot borer (Microcolona technographa): It is serious under nursery conditions. It damages the tender shoots of nursery plants of guava. Side sprouting of the vegetative buds just below the larval gallery impairs the quality of the seedlings, as the buds below the damaged portion produce lateral shoots, and plants give a bushy look. Secondly, infested shoots dry up, which can be located from a distance by the presence of fine black frass on the leaves/shoot parts beneath the site of infestation.	---
3. Mealybugs: Ferrisia virgata, Planococcus lilacinus, and Nipaecoccus viridis cause damage to guava trees. Ferrisia virgata is active in orchards during June-October, while other species cause damage during July-October.  Ferrisia virgata is the major species compared to other mealybugs. The nymphs of these mealybugs suck cell sap from the different parts of the plant, like leaves, tender shoots, twigs, branches, and fruits.  Heavy infestation encourages the growth of sooty mould, due to which the trees become black in colour. All these mealybugs hibernate on the twigs, branches, and shoots of trees.	Same as under citrus

How To Grow Guava Tree Faster Course  

B. Diseases 

Disease and symptoms	Control
1.   Wilt (Fusarium sp., Cephalosporium sp. Rhizoctonia sp.): Symptoms appear on the infected trees many months after their roots are attacked by the fungi. Sparse foliage, denuded branches, yellowing of leaves, and wilting are the important symptoms. In the root, the cambium between the bark and the wood shows discoloration. Replanted trees bear fruit for a number of years before ultimately wilting due to the disease.	(i) Use Sardar or Portugal seedlings as a rootstock for budding plants. (ii)  Plant guava in a well-drained field. Avoid too heavy soils. (iii) Uproot and burn the wilted trees along with all the roots. (iv)    Drench the soil in the pit with 2 per cent Formalin solution and cover with Sarkanda and old wetted gunny bags. Expose the soil for 14 days and replant healthy guava plants.
2. Fruit rot/Anthracnose or Die-back (Gloeosporium psidii and Phytophthora parasitica; Rhizopus sp., Aspergillus sp.): Fully mature fruits are more prone to attack by the fungus. Circular, slightly sunken, brown spots with definite margins appear on the fruits.  The centre of a lesion has a pink sticky spore-mass, characteristic of the anthracnose disease.  Fruits rot completely within 2 to 3 days. The fungus also attacks young trees, twigs, and branches during the rainy season, resulting in the die-back of the shoot from the distal end.	(i)              Rain or irrigation water should not be allowed to stand in the basin around the tree. (ii)             After pruning, spray the trees with Bordeaux mixture (2:2::250) or 300 gm Blitox in 100 litres of water.  (iii)            The rotten and mummified fruits that fall on the ground should be buried deep into the soil. (iv)            Avoid bruising of the fruits.