Guava production technology

.

3. Botanical Name : Psidium guajava
 Family : Myrtaceae
 Centre of Origin : Tropical America
 Pollination System : Self pollinated
 Chromosome No. : 2n=22,33

6. •Guava (Psidium guajava L.), an important fruit crop is grown
throughout the tropical and sub-tropical parts of India due to
its a hardy nature and wider adaptability.
•There has been a paradigm shift in its production system from
subsistence to commercial cultivation.
•It is also called as apple of tropics and poor mans apple.

7. Over the last decade (2001 -2010), the area and production
have increased 1.3 times (1.55 to 2.05 lakh hectares) and 1.4
times (17.16 to 24.62 lakh tons), respectively.
In spite of substantial increase in area and production, there is
an ample scope for area expansion; due to its precocious and
prolific bearing habit, which in turn ensures high returns to the
guava growers.

8. •In India, guava is well adapted in almost all the states and principally
produced in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
•Guava contributes 4 per cent of the total fruit production which is around
18.23 million tons from 182 thousand hectares. The productivity is around
9.9 MT /ha.
• Maharashtra is the leading guava producer both in area and production
followed by Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
•But its productivity is highest in Karnataka followed by Punjab, Bengal
and Gujarat. However, overall productivity is far from its actual potential.

10. Guava is an important fruit crop in tropical and subtropical regions of the
country due to the hardy nature of its tree and prolific bearing even in
marginal lands.

 Currently, there is a worldwide trend to plant fruit trees at higher density
or meadow orcharding to control tree size and maintain desired
architecture for better light interception and ease in operations such as
pruning, pest control and harvesting.
The high density or meadow orcharding facilitates enhance production
and quality of fruits.

17.  The Guava Trees are very hardy and could thrive in all types
of soil
conditions from alluvial to that of the lateritic, but they were
sensitive to water
logging. It could, however, be grown on heavier but well-
drained soil. The best
soils were deep, friable and well-drained ones. It could grow
in a soil having a pH
of 6.5 to 8.5. As Guava was a surface rooted plant, the surface
soil should be rich
in its fertility.

18. •Guava was successfully grown under Tropical and subtropical
climatic
•conditions. In areas having a distinct winter season, the yield
tended to increase
•and the quality also improved much. It could grow from sea level
to an altitude of
•about 5,000 Feet (1,515 Metre). It grows best when the annual
rainfall was below
•40 Inches (1,016 Millimetre) and was restricted between June
and September.

19. Lalit is guava variety with attractive saffron yellow colour with
occasional red blush and are medium sized with an average weight.
Flesh of fruit is firm and pink in colour. It has good blend of sugar
and acid. It is suitable for both table and processing purposes. The
pink colour in the beverage made from its pulp remains stable for
more than a year during storage.

20. It is from the cross Kamsari x Purple Local. The pulp is firm
and deep pink in colour. Fruit weight is on an average about
90-120g. The TSS is around 13-14 and keeping quality is
good.

21. It is from the cross Kamsari x Purple Local. This hybrid is prolific and
early bearer than its parents. Medium sized (180-200g) globose fruits
with deep pink pulp, and medium soft seeds with TSS (12° Brix) It has
yield potential of 30-35 t/ha

22. Shweta
It is a half-sib selection from Apple Colour with attractive fruits.
Fruits of this selection are sub-globose with few soft seeds, high TSS
(14
0
Brix) and has good yield potential.

23. The Apple Guava fruits were
medium sized and pink
colored. They were
sweet in taste with a good
keeping quality. They
required a low temperature
for
the development of their good
pink color.

24. Seedless varieties namely Saharanpur Seedless, Nagpur
Seedless and others were more or less of the same Type. Two
types of fruits, the completely
seedless and the partly seeded, were grown as a seedless plant
variety.Thecompletely seedless fruits developed on the shoots
rising from the Stem and were bigger in size and irregular in
their shape.

25. Red fleshed varieties

Arka Kiran

26. Arka Mridula was a seedling of a selected variety of Allahabad
Safeda. Its
medium sized fruits were of excellent quality with high TSS.
The white pulp had
only very few soft seeds. The plants were of medium vigour but
were high yielding.

27. ARKA AMULYA:
It is a progeny from the cross
Allahabad Safeda x Triploid.
Plants are medium in vigor and
spreading type.
Fruits are round in shape.
Skin is smooth and yellow in
colour.
Fruits on an average weigh about
180 - 200 g, flesh is white in colour
and firm.
T.S.S is around 12° Brix, soft
seeded, weight of 100 seeds is 1.80g.
Keeping quality is good.

28. Allahabad Surkha was an
outstanding variety with
large, uniform pink
fruits with a deep pink
flesh. The plants produced
upto 120 Kilograms Fruits
in its
sixth year of fruiting. The
Fruit was sweet, strongly
flavoured with very few
seeds.

29. It is the most important variety of guava
used for table as well as processing
purposes.
Fruit is of medium size, round in shape
with smooth skin and white flesh.
The fruits are relatively soft with less
seeds. Its keeping quality is good.

30. Banarasi : The variety
attains a height of 4.0 to 5.5
m with a broad crown and
fruits are round, light-
yellow in colour. It is
mainly cultivated for table
purpose.

31. Chittidar : The Chittidar is similar to the Safeda except that
it has many pinkish red dots of the size of a pinhead on
the surface of the fruit.

32. Harijha : The variety attains a height
of about 3.5 to 4.5 m and is sparsely
branched.
Fruits are round,greenishyellow in
colour with a sweet taste

33. Red Fleshed : Tree attains 3-5m height. The branches are
spreading with roundish oval fruit, which has yellowish skin
with pink colour flesh.

34. Lucknow 49 -Selection from Allahabad safeda
Spreading and profuse bearing habit
Fruits are skin yellowish collour , soft flesh with few seeds

35. TRY (G) 1:
It is Off season bearing, shiny
greenish yellow fruit with desirable
aroma.
 Fruits are having high TSS (10o
Brix) & ascorbic acid (180.8
mg/100 g. edible part).
It is resistant to fruit fly and
tolerant to mealy bug, scale, mite
and wilt.
This withstands drought and
sodicity tolerant.

36. Safeda Jam: (Allahabad safeda x Kohir) FRS, Sangareddy
(A.P) Fruits size bigger, soft seed, excellent fruit quality.
Kohir safeda: (Kohir x Allahabad safeda) Fruits bigger is size
less seed, yield & quality better than the parents.

39. Lalit , a new variety of Guava had been released by the CISH,
Lucknow for commercial cultivation. Its fruits were medium-sized
(185 Kilograms) with an attractive saffron-yellow colour with a red
blush. Its flesh was firm and pink with
Pant Prabhat had been selected by the Department of
Horticulture,GBPU&T, Pantnagar (Uttranchal), for commercial
cultivation

42. Guava can be propagated by seeds as well as by vegetative
means. However, vegetative propagation methods are
preferred over the seed propagation because in spite of being
self pollinated crop, cross pollination is common in guava.
Seed propagation cannot maintain the genetic purity and
results in large variation in the seedling population because of
segregation and recombination of characters during sexual
reproduction

43. •The shoots are headed back to maintain the root and shoot
balance before planting in the nursery.
•Before separating the stools, a light irrigation should be given
if soil is dry.
•After separating the shoots apply ample quantity of manures
and fertilizers and level the field.
•Stooling can be done twice a year (spring and rainy season)
and in this way, one can get 30-40 stools per mother plant per
year.
• The stooling of a mother stool can be done for many years.

44. Indole Butyric acid (IBA) @ 2,500 ppm in lanolin is applied
to the upper portion of the girdled shoots and shoots are left
open for 2-3 cm days after IBA application.
These shoots are covered/ mounded with soil to encourage
rooting in the stools.
After 6-8 weeks, the roots are fully developed in the shoots
and these shoots can be separated and planted in nursery.

45. •Air layering is also known as ‘goottee’ which is mainly practiced
during rainy season (June to September) because of high rooting
and survival of layers (80-85%).
•For air layering 1 year old branches of 1 to 1.5 m length are
selected. A ring of bark of 2.5 to 3.0 cm long is removed from 45
cm away from the tip.
•For better rooting IBA (root promoting plant growth hormone) @
4000-5000 ppm is applied at the upper cut end of girdled area.
• The girdled area is covered with moist sphagnum moss and
wrapped with polythene tape.

46. Rooting starts within 3-5 weeks. After 6 to 8 weeks when
sufficient roots are visible through the transparent tape, the
layer is removed from the branch by means of cutting the stem
below the girdled area in stages. The polythene film is
removed from the finally severed rooted stem and some of the
top is headed back which is then potted and kept in the shade
until new leaves appear. When the new flushes are produced,
the plants can be transplanted in the field..

48. a. Approach grafting/Inarching:
•Inarching or approach grafting is the oldest technique employed
in many guava growing areas.
•This methods yields very high success (85 to 95%) during rainy
season.
•A thin slice of bark about 2.5-3 inches in length and about 1/3
inch in thickness at a height of 15-20 cm above the ground
level is removed from the rootstock with sharp knife.

49.  A similar cut is made in the branch of mother plant to be used as
scion.
The cut portions of both rootstock and scion are brought together
and tied firmly with the help of grafting tape.
 After two months, stock above and scion below the union are cut
gradually.

Suckers sprouting from the rootstock are also removed.

51. •The technique involves growing of seedlings in polyethylene
bags, grafting, capping and hardening of grafts.
•Seedlings are raised for rootstocks in the nursery for
approximately 6 to 8 months.
•When the stem diameter of seedling is of pencil thickness (0.5-1.0
cm) they are chosen for wedge grafting.
•In this technique, proper selection and preparation of scion sticks
is very important for obtaining higher success.

52. 15-20 cm long shoots (3-4 months old) with 3-4 healthy buds and
of pencil thickness should be selected for grafting.
Selected scion shoots are defoliated on the mother plant, about a
week prior to detaching.
 At the same time, the apical growing portion of selected shoot is
also beheaded. This helps in forcing the dormant buds to swell.
 In this way, the buds on the scion are ready to start sprouting at
the time of grafting.

54. In areas of high atmospheric humidity budding could be
practiced.
Different budding techniques could be employed like forkert,
shield and patch.
Patch budding can be done during May –June with 75-80 per
cent success.
For patch budding seedlings of pencil thickness and about one
year age with uniform active growth are selected.

55. The trees from which buds are taken should be highly vegetative
with lush succulent growth to permit easy separation of buds
from the stem.
It is better to take swollen and un sprouted dormant buds from
leaf axils of mature twigs of the scion variety.
A patch of approximately 1-1.5 cm length with a bud is removed
from the scion variety.
Similarly, 1-1.5 cm long patch is removed from the rootstock and
bud is fitted into the remaining portion on the stock seedling.

56. As guava responds very well to pruning, the following plant
densities have been recommended by Central Institute for
Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow for early, higher and quality
guava production:
A. 3.0m(row to row) x 1.5m(plant to plant) accommodating2222
plants / ha
B. 3.0m (row to row) x3.0m(plant to plant) accommodating
1111plants/ha
C. 6.0m(row to row) x 3.0m(plant to plant) accommodating
555plants/ha
Establishing High Density Orchard

58. Plants spaced at 1x2 m
accommodates 5000 plants
per hectare
Plants are topped 2 months
of planting in October for
emergence of new shoots
below cut ends
50 per cent length of each
new shoot , pruned again in
December-January for
induction of more shoots ;
good spread is attained by
May ; flower buds
differentiate

59. Production starts from very first year of planting, 12.5 tons
reaching up to 55 tons per hectare by 6-7 years
Lalit performs very well in UHDP system
This technology for meadow orcharding in guava developed at
CISH, Lucknow which has spread to different parts of the
country especially in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand
and Uttar Pradesh ; Lalit Guava responds very well

60. Planting distance: 2.0 x 1.0m
Heading back at height of 30 to
40 cm
New growths after pruning
Growth after 2
nd
pruning Growth after 3
rd
pruning Flowering after 3
rd
pruning

61. 1
st
year
Fruiting in UHDP : Guava
2
nd
year 3
rd
year
4
th
year 5
th
year After 5
th

year

63. Attributes Traditional systems Meadow systems
Bearing After two years From first year
Production Overall production is low (12-
20 t ha
-1
)
Increased overall production
(30-50 t ha
-1
)
Management Difficult to manage due to
large size of trees
Easy to manage due to small trees
Labor
requirement
More Minimum
Production cost Higher cost of production Reduced cost of production
Harvesting Difficult Easy
Quality Large canopy, poor sunlight
penetration and poor quality
Small canopy encourages air to
circulate and sunlight to penetrate into
centre of the tree canopy, good air
circulation minimizes disease, sunlight
interception contributes to high fruit
quality and colour
Comparison between traditional systems and
HDP systems of guava
growing

64. •CISH technology on rejuvenation involves heading back of trees to
a level of 1.0-1.5 m from ground level
•Emerging shoots are allowed to grow (40-50 cm) for 4-5 months
after heading back
•Shoots are further pruned to 50 per cent of their length to allow
•Profuse fruiting and yield increases to about 70-90 per cent over
non-rejuvenated trees is observed in the very first year of operation
•Yield, fruit size and quality increase due to better light penetration
into the canopy

65. Stages of rejuvenation in guava

66. Heading back of branches of guava tree
Newly emerged shoots on beheaded
branches of the tree
Full growth after five months of heading
back
Showing shoot pruning after 5 month of
heading back
continued…

67. •Guava Tree normally produced as many as Three crops in a
year; which was a unique phenomenon of the Tropical and
sub-tropical regions because there was more than one growing
season during a year.
•In a mild climate, Guava could flower and bear fruits
throughout the year, provided water and temperature did not
become the limiting factors.

68. The blooming period had varied from 25 to 45 days depending
upon thecultivar, season and the region where it is grown.
 The formation of the fruit could first be noticed after 12 days
from flowering. The rainy season crop was harvested during
August and the winter season crop during

69. •The Field should be deeply ploughed and properly leveled
before the planting operations were begun.
•Guava could be planted in February-March or August-
September with earth balls or even bare rooted.
• In the later case, the plants should be defoliated and the roots
should be covered with some moist material.

70. Training is done primarily to give form to the tree. For
development of a strong framework the first 60 to 90 cm from
the base of the trunk should be cleaned followed by 4 to 5
scaffold branches at an interval of 20-25 cm.
When the plants attained a height of about 1.5m to 1.8 m, it is
headed back to make the center open.

71. In some parts of India (Maharashtra and South Bengal), the
branches are bent downward and tied to each other. Thus
forcing the dormant buds to grow. This results in increased
yields.
 The trees are rarely pruned in North India, but light annual
pruning after harvesting to promote vegetative growth and
flowering is desirable.
 All dead, diseased, crowded growth and suckers sprouting
from the base and sides of the framework are pruned back
annually. Pruned trees give larger fruits and early ripening

74. Weed Control
The orchard should be kept always free from weeds. During
rainy season, weeding is done periodically. Light harrowing
can check the weeds effectively. The weed growth around
the seedlings should be kept down and used as a mulch.

75.  There are three distinct flowering seasons with corresponding
harvesting periods-rainy, winter and spring.
 It is desirable to take only one crop in a year.
In South India the rainy season crop is preferred even though
it is of poor quality, since the price is high at this time.
 In North India, winter crop is of better quality and the fruits
also escape the attack of white flies.

76. In Western India, root pruning of guava to regulate the
season of harvesting, as is done in the case of mandarins, is
recommended in heavy soils only. In lighter soils,
withholding of water serves the purpose. This practice is
known as bahar treatment.

77.  Fruit-Set About 80-90 per cent flowers of guava set fruit initially
of which 35 to 60 per cent reaches maturity.
The formation of fruit-set is noticed after 10-12 days of flowering.
Spraying of GA3 at 15 to 30 ppm increased the fruit-set.

78. Different thinning chemicals, like NAA, NAD, 2,4-D, ONOC
and urea are effective in de blossoming rainy-season flowers and
fruitless and subsequent increase of winter crop.
Spraying of NAA (50-100 mg/l) 2,4-0 (50-100 mg/l)\ ONOC (5-
10 mg/l) or urea at 10 per cent during April was effective to thin
the summer seasons flowers and increased yield in winter.

79. Bahar Water
stress
Flowering Fruiting
Ambe bahar
(February)
December-
January
February-
March
July-August
Hasta
bahar(Octobe
r)
August-
September
October-
November
March-April
Mrig bahar
(June)
3 week of
April
June-July NovemberDe
cember

80. •The young Guava plants required irrigation at weekly intervals
during the summer months and 2 to 3 irrigations during the winter
months.
• To the Fruit bearing trees, irrigation should be given for the
flowering and for the better fruit setting at an interval of 2 to 3
weeks during the summer months and at monthly intervals during
the winter months.

81. The fruits of Guava were borne on the basis of the current
season s growth, and therefore, manures and fertilizers
‟
encouraged the vegetative growth and the bearing of fruits.
The Fertilization of the Guava plants not only increased their
yield but also improved the quality of the Fruits.

83. • Farmyard manure should be applied in May. One half of the
inorganic fertilizer should be applied during the period May –June
and the remaining half during the period September-October.
•Zinc Deficiency
•Zinc deficiency was a common problem in the growth of the
Guava plants.The affected plants produced small leaves with
yellowing or chlorosis in between the veins of the plants.
•The plant growth was suppressed and the branches dive back.

84. The zinc deficiency could be corrected by spraying the trees
with the zinc sulphate lime mixture (1 Kilogram of zinc
sulphate + ½ Kilogram of un slaked lime in 100 Litres of
water). Two or three such sprays should be given atfortnightly
intervals to cure the Zinc deficiency in the plants.

85. •The inter space between the plants could be economically
utilized by suitable intercrops planted during the pre-bearing
period in the Guava Orchards.
•During initial 3 to 4 years, vegetables like brinjal , radish, carrot
and okra could be Inter planted in the vacant spots of land.
• The leguminous crops like cowpea, grams , beans and the like
should be sown as safe intercrops.
•Intercropping should be stopped when the trees attained the age
of full growth.

86. •Guavas were harvested throughout the year (except during May
and June) in one or the other Region of India.
• Peak harvesting periods in North India were August for the rainy
season crop
•November-December for the winter season crop
• March-April for the spring season crop.

87. The fruits were packed in baskets made from locally available
packaging material.
For distant markets, the wooden or corrugated fiberboard boxes were
used along with good cushioning materials such as paddy straw, dry
grass, Guava leaves or rough paper.
Good ventilation was necessary to check the buildup of the heat.
Guava was a delicate fruit which required very careful handling while
Harvesting and Transporting.
The fruits should reach the consumer in a fine condition.

88. •Being highly perishable by its nature, the Guava fruits should be
marketed immediately after harvest.
•However, the Fruits could be stored for a few days, to adjust to
the market demand conditions.
•Chundawat and others (1976) had reported that all the cultivars
except the Allahabad Safeda could be stored for 2 days at the
room temperature.
•The Safeda could be stored for 4 weeks in cold storage at 47 to
57F (8.5-14C) (Singh and Mathur, 1954).

89. Singh and others (1976) had stored the Guava successfully up to
6 days in perforated polythene bags and wooden boxes without
rotting and without much weight loss.
At room temperatures, the fruits treated with aureofungin and
ethylene chlorohydrin plus calcium carbonate could be stored for
a period of 5 days without spoilage and up to 7 days with a 25
per cent spoilage only.

90. During the Monsoon, the adult Flies lay eggs on the surface of
the Fruit. On hatching, the maggots entered into the fruits and in
most cases the fruits dropped.
Spraying of malathion , demicron , and the like and the burning
of the infected fruits minimized the incidence.

91. Mealy Bug (Ferrisia varigata, Planococcos citri) :
The tiny small bugs usually suck sap from twigs, leaves and
flowers. Infested fruits will have uneven shapes, poor quality,
and are susceptible to secondary infections by pathogens.
Control :
Soil application of Thimet and banding the tree trunk with
polyethylene film will prevent the nymph to climb up from the
soil. Spraying 400-ml neem oil with 50-ml liquid soap in 10 liters
of water and repeating the spray after 10 days has been found
effective.

93. Kajji Bug :
Scab (Kajji) like symptoms are observed on fruits due to the
infestation of the pest. Wart like formation develops on fruits due
to secondary infection caused by decaying organisms.
 Control :
Spray Carbaryl 50 WP 40g or Malathion 50 EC 20ml/10 liters in
water, at early fruitset

94. This fungal disease Wilt was known to occur in Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
 It was characterized by the yellowing of the leaves followed by
the drying of the leaves and twigs from the tip and the complete
wilting of the trees within 10 to 15 days.
The disease occured more severely in the alkaline soils.
Anthracnose, Stem Canker and Cercospora Leaf Spot were the
other diseases which affected the Guava plant.

96. Cercospora Leaf Spot (Cercospora sawadae) : Water-soaked
patches under the leaf are the characteristic symptoms of the
disease. Control :
Spraying copper oxychloride at 0.3 per cent can reduce the
infection.

98. Scab (Pestalotia psidii) :
The fungus mainly attacks the unripe fruits to produce dark
scabby lesions, 2-4mm in diameter. The scab disfigures the fruits
and their market value is considerably reduced.
Control :
Application of Zineb 20g or Chlorthalonil-20g/10 litres of water
at the time of flowering and then subsequent sprays at 15 days
interval helps to control the disease effectively.

100.  (Gloesporium psidii, Glomerella psidii) :
 The affected plants showed signs of die back from the tip of the
branch.
Control :
 Spraying the trees with Copper Oxychloride, Cuprous Oxide or
Difolatan controls the disease

101. Cracks and lesions appear on stems.
Twigs wilt due to collapse of stem tissues .
Removal of all affected parts and pasting wounds and cut ends
with copper fungicides can control this disease.

102. This is a complex nutritional disorder due to p ,k and zn
deficiencies and is associated with soil , varietal and
nutritional factors.
Inciedence become more during rainy season and mild during
winter .
Allahabad safeda is free from this disorder.