Rejuvination of old orchards

For over coming the problem of unproductive and uneconomic orchards existing in abundance, large scale uprooting and replacement with new plantations (rehabilitation) will be a long term and expensive strategy. Therefore research efforts were initiated to standardise a technology for restoring the production potential of existing plantations by a technique called Rejuvenation.

1. Division of Fruit Science
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Jammu

2. Itiscommontoseethateverylivingorganismaftersomeperiodoftime
(thatmayvaryfromspeciestospecies)loosesitsefficiencytoperform
variousfunctions.Likewiseinfruitplantsalso,thereisadeclinebothin
qualityandquantityofproduceaftersomeperiodoftime.Asaresultof
whichorchardingbecomeseconomicallynon-viableandnon-remunerative.In
therecentpastdecliningproductivityofoldanddenseorchardsexistingin
abundancehasbecomeamatterofseriousconcernfortheorchardists,
tradersaswellasscientists.InIndia30-35percentareaunderfruit
cropsisoccupiedbyold,denseanddiseasedorchardsandinourstateof
J&Kabout13,500haareaisundersenileorchards.
Forovercomingtheproblemofunproductiveanduneconomic
orchardsexistinginabundance,largescaleuprootingandreplacementwith
newplantations(rehabilitation)willbealongtermandexpensivestrategy.
ThereforeresearcheffortswereinitiatedatCISH,Lucknowduringthe
early1990stostandardizeatechnologyforrestoringtheproduction
potentialofexistingplantationsbyatechniquecalledRejuvenation.

3. ➢Therejuvenationtechnologyinvolvestheheadingbackof
exhaustedtreesshowingmarkeddeclineinannual
productionandqualityofproducetotheextentof1.0to
1.5meterheightabovethegroundlevelduringMay-June
orDecember-Februarywiththeobjectiveoffacilitating
productionofnewshootsfrombelowthecutpointand
allowthedevelopmentoffreshcanopyofhealthyshoots.
➢Thenewlyemergingshootsareallowedtogrowupto40-
50cmlengthandthenfurtherprunedforemergenceof
multipleshootsbelowthepruningpointtomodifythetree
structureandmaintaincanopysize.

4. Theoldfruitorchardsneedtoberejuvenatedas
theyshowdeclineinyieldandqualityofproduce
whichmaybeattributedtoanyoneofthe
followingfactors:
▪Reductioninthephotosyntheticsurfacearea.
▪Nonavailabilityofproductiveshoots.
▪Increasedincidenceofinsectpestsand
diseases.
▪Lesspenetrationofsunlightduetoover
crowdingofbranchesasaresultofwhichthe
fruitsontheinteriorareasofthetreedonot
developpropercolour.

5. ➢Identificationofoldorchards.
➢TopandFrameWorkingbyPowerPruningSaw.
➢Procurement of bud wood and scion from genuine
source.
➢Frameworkingwithlatestavailablevarieties.
➢Operationsunderexpertguidance.

6. ➢Guavaoccupies5
th
placeinarea(0.15Mha)and4
th
placein
fruitproduction(1.80Mt)inIndia. (Mitraetal.,2008)
➢Likemanyotherfruitcrops,guavatreesalsowitnessdecline
inproductivityafter15-20years,henceneedtobe
rejuvenatedandrespondexcellently. (Chanana,2005)
➢Boostingupthepresentproductivityof7to11tonnesper
hectarehasbecomeachallengingtaskforresearchersdue
todecliningproductionpotentialofoldandcrowdedorchards
existinginabundance. (Kallooetal.,2005)
➢Thecommonlyoccurringsenileorchards,isoneofthe
prominentfactorsrelatingtothedecliningtrendsin
productionandproductivityofguava. (Singhetal.,2005)

7. Old, dense and unproductive guava orchards
Heading back of branches from 1.0 to 1.5m height above the ground level
May/June December/February
New shoot emerge on beheaded branches
Management of shoots, Pruning of newly sprouted shoots below the cut point of parent
stump
May / JuneOctober / November
Fruiting (Winter season)Fruiting (Rainy season)
Continue shoot pruning (50%) on the tree every year in May-June to maintain tree shape
and size and for getting higher production with better fruit quality during winter.
[source: Singh, 2005]

8. 0LD AND CROWDED GUAVA ORCHARD

9. HEADING BACK OF GUAVA TREES

10. NEWLY EMERGING SHOOTS ON BEHEADED BRANCHES

11. NEW DEVELOPING CANOPY AFTER ONE
YEAR AS A RESULT OF HEADING BACK
AND SHOOT PRUNING
HEAVY FRUITING ON REJUVENATED
GUAVA TREE

12. Treatment Fruit yield
after
rejuvenation
(kg/tree)
Fruit quality
1
st
year
2
nd
year
3
rd
year
Weight
(g)
TSS
(
0
brix)
Total
sugar
(%)
Rejuvenated 40.0 82.0138.0230.0 13.0 11.16
Un-
rejuvenated
28.0 41.056.0119.0 9.0 7.97
[Singh et al.,2005]

13. Branches Height of
pruning
(m)
Stomatal
conductance
(µmol. m
-2
s
-1
)
R.H
(%)
Temperature
(
0
C)
Flowering Control 0.059 31.60 40.10
1.5 0.644 29.65 43.25
2.0 0.934 20.06 43.77
2.5 0.498 25.00 41.50
Non-
flowering
Control 0.035 32.85 40.20
1.5 0.499 30.50 42.50
2.0 0.634 29.29 42.61
2.5 0.427 24.50 40.50
[Source: Singh and Singh, 2007]

14. [Source: Singh and Singh, 2007]
Treatment
(Topping and hedging
intensity)
Fruit yield
(kg/tree)
Allahabad
Safeda
Sardar
Un-pruned 30.5 30.13
1.0 - 36.25
1.5 37.5 34.71
2.0 46.63 38.40
2.5 40.10 -
C.D(p=0.5) 3.78 4.10

15. ➢Amongthe63countriesengagedinmangocultivation,India
isthelargestproducerwiththeacreageof1.23million
hectaresandabout109.99MTannualproduction.However
productivityaswellasqualityarethematterofconcern.
➢InWTOera,forattainingtheexportcompetitiveness,
promotionofcommercialcultivationandqualityproduction
istheneedofthehour.Toachievethetask,adoptionof
threepronedstrategyasdescribedbelowshouldbe
encouraged:
Shortterm(1-3years)strategy:adoptionofpractices
likeIPM,INMandIPHM.
Mediumterm(3-10years)strategy:Rejuvenationofold,
denseandun-productiveorchards.
Longterm(10-25years)strategy:modernizationof
nurseryanddevelopmentofsuperiorgenotypesthrough
conventionalandbiotechnologicalapproaches.

Cont………

16. ➢Withthetechnologyforrejuvenationstandardizedat
CISHLucknow,afterconcertedeffortsforovera
decade,old,denseandunproductiveorchardsofmango
canbegivenanewproductivelifeforanother20-30
yearsandtheirproductivitycanberestored.
➢Topromotetherejuvenationtechnologyofmango,
presentlyNATPsponsoredprojectisoperationalat
CISHalongwithcooperatingcentersatIIHRBangalore
andAgroforestryResearchProgramme,Ranchiand
BidhanChandKrishiVishwaVidalaya,Mohanpur(W.B).
[Lal and Padaria, 2001]

17. OLD, DENSE AND UN-PRUNED ORCHARD OF MANGO

18. PRUNINGWITHPOWEROPERATEDSAWDURINGDECEMBER

19. PRUNED TREES

20. APPLICATION OF COPPER OXYCHLORIDE PASTE ON CUT SURFACES

21. GOOD BEARING OF QUALITY FRUITS IN REJUVENATED TREES

22. Pruning severity Length of retained
shoots (m)
Girth of retained
shoots (cm)
First order 2.10
a 22.21
a
Second order 2.05
a 20.90
a
Third order 1.90
a 19.00
ab
Fourth order 1.60
a 15.81
b
Fifth order 1.53
a 16.10
b
control 0.62
b 10.79
c
Values with different subscripts are significantly different
[ Lal et al., 2002 ]

23. Pruning
severity
fruit yield/tree (Kg)
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Cumulative
yield (Kg)
First
order
- - 27.5035.7037.8033.68 134.68
Second
order
- - 43.9037.4847.4242.63 171.41
Third
order
29.0039.0052.0042.5046.3044.49 253.29
Fourth
order
37.5042.3075.0082.0057.8446.28 330.92
Fifth
order
40.6046.7059.5079.5053.8041.25 321.35
control 20.1624.7417.3227.9023.4018.29 131.81
C.D 5.30 6.79 7.14 5.6 7.01 6.16 -
[ Lal and Dushyant, 2007 ]

25. Dense, old and unproductive seedling tree
Heading back of branches from to 2.5 to 3.0m above the ground level
December -January
Emergence of new shoots on beheaded branches
Flowering of newly emerged shoots
After shoot thinning, top-working by budding
May-June
After sprouting of buds, removal of top portion above budding point
Fruiting after two years

26. Aonla rejuvenation technology for
rejuvenating senile orchards
Old and crowded Aonla orchard
Tree growth after 5 months of heading back Headed back tree with plastic mulching

27. Fruiting on rejuvenated aonla tree
Development of better canopy as a result
of shoot pruning

28. Cultivar
Fruit yield (kg/tree)
Dec2001Dec2002 Dec 2003 Dec 2004
NA-6 - - 1.41 30.25
NA-7 - - 8.38 78.40
NA-10 - - 5.35 32.66
Kanchan - - 2.50 14.66
Krishna - - 3.23 39.00
Chakaiya - - 0.50 0.50
Control 38.11 25.30 35.20 38.44
CD at 5 % - - 7.21 12.52
[Source: Mishra et al., 2007]

29. Cultivar Fruit length
(cm)
Fruit breadth
(cm)
Fruit weight
(g)
TSS
(
0
brix)
VitaminC
(mg/100g)
NA-6 3.06 3.24 20.15 7.8 461.3
NA-7 3.48 3.74 26.80 7.5 448.8
NA-10 3.28 3.76 27.80 8.1 453.3
Kanchan 3.07 3.25 21.50 9.5 493.5
krishna 3.60 3.80 30.14 9.0 470.8
Chakaiya 3.04 3.52 22.50 9.0 400.0
seedling 1.90 2.11 10.80 10.2 440.6
CD at 5 % 0.81 0.55 5.23 NS NS
[Source: Mishra et al., 2007]

30. Sincetheorchardestablishmentisalongtermprocess
andcannotbedoneindaysbutoncetheyieldisreduced
tosuchanextentthatorchardingbecomesnon-
economical,rejuvenationissaidtobeessentialasit:
➢Helpsinrestoringtheproductionpotentialofold
unproductiveanddiseasedorchardsinshortest
possibledurationthananyothertechnique.
➢Helpsinrestoringtheproductionpotential,aswellas
inmaintainingthemanageabletreeheightwithopen
architecture.
➢Sustainingthelifeoffarmerwithoutaffectinghis
economytoagreatextent.