FRUITS , THEIR IMPORTANCE AND SCOPE Horticulture : It is a composite word (Hortus means enclosed area and culture means Cultivation) ‘© The word horticulture - first devised by Peter Laurenberg. ‘+ In English language the word horticulture -used for the first time in 1678 in a book entitled "New World of Words” by Phillips First book exclusively on litchi cultivation was published in China in 1056 A.D. LH. Bailey is considered the Father of American Horticulture and M.H. Marigowda is considered the Father of Indian Horticulture. Branches of Horticulture 1 Pomology: 2.Olericulture: 3.Floriculture: 4.Land Scape: Gardening 5.Plantation Crops 6.Spices and Condiments 7.Aromatie ‘and medicinal plan 8.Horticultural: Nurseries 9.Fruits and Vegetable Preservation 10Sericulture 11.Apiculture : 12.Mushroom Production It is a science which deals with study of fruits. (Latin word ‘pomum’ ‘means fruits and Greek word ‘logy’ means science) It is a science which deals with study of vegetables. tis an art and science of cultivation of flowers. It deals with the landscape architecture and such plant materials which are essential to landscape development. In general, planning of lawns, roads, school grounds and of plant material come under this science. It deals with crops cultivated extensively in estates like tea, coffee, coconut, arecanut rubber, etc. It deals with product of such crops which are added in foods for flavour, aroma and taste like pepper, cardamom, clove, coriander, fennelete. It deals with the plants cultivated for aromatic essential oils like Geranium, lemon grass etc and for medicinal purposes like Ashwagandha.Pyrathium Plants etc It deals with the production, maintenance and sale of planting material + Itdeals with processing and post harvest storage of fruits, vegetables and flowers. 1k deals with rearing of silkworm and production of silk. It deals with bee keeping and honey production. It deals with the production of different edible species of mushrooms.Importance of fruits in human diet + From human nutrition point of view, horticulture is most important to our daily living + Fruits and vegetables are the chief sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats; proteins etc. are recognized as protective foods as they are necessary for the maintenance of human health, + A person should consume at least 120 g of fruits per day as per Indian Council of Medical Research, but the consumption of fruits per capita in India is still low. However, the consumption of fruit is 172 g per day in our country. In countries like Italy, France and USA, the consumption is 308, 232 and 223 g / day respectively. + Deficiency of any minerals and nutrients is depicted by the human body by giving typical symptoms. The great majority of people obtain most of their carbohydrates and proteins, from cereals and pulses but their diets must also contain significant amount of fruits to censure that they get the vitamins which are not provided by the staple cereal foods. Features of Horticulture in India + Horticulture sector has become one of the major drivers of growth as it is more remunerative than the agricultural sector (food grains mainly). + This sector provides employment possibilities across primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. + Horticulture crops, fruits are more resilient to change in weather conditions and the vegetables augment the income of small and marginal farmers. + Water utilization is very low, minimizing the risk of crop failure and it can be done oon smaller farms. + Multiple crops are planted simultaneously to get more yield and to use the maximum of the fertilizers + This sector enables the population to eat a diverse and balanced diet for a healthy lifestyle. + It became a key driver for economic development in many of the states in the country where Division of Horticulture of Indian Council of Agricultural Research is playing a pivotal role. Potential of horticultural sector in India + Less resource input- pesticides, water etc. are required in little amount when it ‘comes to horticultural crops. + Horticulture is not merely a means of diversification, but forms an integral part of food, nutritional security and poverty alleviation, and also an essential ingredient of economic security. + Itis estimated that India has 240 million acres of cultivable wasteland, which is lying idle, which can be brought under orchard crops without curtailing the area under food crops. + The country has abundant sunshine throughout year, a surplus labour and widely varied agro-climatic condition, which offers a high potential for successful and profitable commercial horticulture. + Cultivation of these crops is labour intensive and as such, they generate lot of ‘employment opportunities for the rural population,India with more than 28.2 million tonnes of fruits and 66 million tonnes of vegetables, is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, next only to Brazil and China, + India is bestowed with diverse soil and agro climatic conditions suitable for growing a wide variety of horticultural crops. + Diverse agro-climatic conditions in India ensure the production of all types of fresh fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants in different parts of the country + Health consciousness among people is increasing. Majority of the population in India is vegetarian. As a result, the demand of fruits and vegetables is also high. ‘The production of horticultural commodities is far less as compared to the existing ‘demand in the country. So, there is a vast scope to produce more horticultural crops. Fruits and Their Importance Asa source of food Dietary Importance Generation of employment Higher export earnings, Judicious use of inputs (Irrigation water and Fertilizers) Improvement of environment Development of wasteland and utilization of marginal lands Scope of Fruit Growing Diversification of Agriculture Increased demand of fresh fruits Suitable Agro-climatic conditions lability of Irrigation facilities Availability of road network for quick transport Availability of suitable varieties and production technology Processing possibilities, of export market, Govt. support and policies 10, Better Income for orchard enterprises 11, Raw material for industries India witnessed the shift in area from food grains towards horticultural crops over last decade. Over the last decade, the area under horticulture grew by about 3% per annum and annual production inereased by 5.4%,During 2016-17, the production,of horticulture crops was about 295.2 million tonnes from an area of 24.9 million hectares. The production of Horticulture crops has outpaced the production of food grain since 2012-13. In 2016-17, Horticulture crops production ‘was 295.2 million tones as compared to total food grains production of 273.38 million tonnes. Out of the six categories, that is, fruits, vegetables, flowers, aromatic, spices and plantation crops, the contribution of vegetables remains highest (59 — 61%) in horticulture crop productions over the last five years. Production Share of various Horculture crops 1 x + As per Indian Horticulture Database (2017), fruit crops cover an area of 6.48 million hectare with production of 92.84million tonnes in the country. The total fruit production was highest in case of Andhra Pradesh followed by Maharashtra. + During 2016-17, the area under vegetables is estimated at 10.3 million hectares with a production of 175 million tonnes in India. For this period the total vegetable production was highest in case of Uttar Pradesh followed by West Bengal. + To meet out the projected demand of population by 2020 A.D, the production of fruits needs to be increased. Requirements of export and processing industry further add to the requirements of horticultural produce. In view of these, there is lot of scope of increasing production and potentiality of horticulture crops. Apart from fruits and vegetables, great potentialities exist for florieulture industry comprising of florist trade, nursery plants, potted plants, seed and bulb products. There is soaring business of flowers in almost all metropolitan cities of the different states. In addition to the beautification of the local landscape, great scope exists for export of flowers; andfloriculture is important for bee-keeping industry which too provides an alternate source of income to the Indian farmers. ‘The developed flower market in the country during 2014-15 is with area of 0.37million hectare with a production of 2.30 million tones flowers. The traditional flowers are grown on a large hectare of land on a commercial scale. These flowers are mostly grown for loose flower purpose. Area under cut flowers like rose, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, carnation and orchids is increasing day by day. Plantation erops are another potential sector with lot of opportunities of employment generation, foreign exchange earnings and overall supporting livelihood sustenance of mankind at large. These crops form the mainstay of lives especially in coastal areas of the country where predominating stands of plantation crops are found. Coconut has so much importance in the country that the state Kerala receives its very name on the basis of coconut, the Malayalam name of whieh is Kera. These cover an area of 3.53 million heetare with a production of 17.13 million tonnes. India was dominant exporter of tea in the world market. From India, 70% of the total production of coffee is exported. India exports cashew, cocoa products, natural rubber. Fruit growing is one of the important and age old practices, practiced in India since ancient times. Cultivation of fruit crops plays an important role in overall status of the mankind and the nation. The standard of ing of the people of a country is depending upon the production and per capita consumption of fruits. Fruit growing have more economic advantages. I. Economic importance High productivity: High yield per unit area: From a unit area of land more yield is realized from fruit crops than any of the agronomic crops. The average yields of Papaya, Banana and Grapes are 10 to 15 times than that of agronomic crops. High net profit: Through, the initial cost of establishment of an orchard is high, it is compensated by higher net profit due to higher productivity or high value of produce. Eg- Wheat/GN/Ragi- 3.0-4.0 tonnes/ha-25-35,000-00 Grapes/Mango/Banana- 20-4ot/ha-1.5-2.5 lakh/ha. Source of raw material for agro based industries: Fruit farming provides raw materials for various agro based industries- canning and preservation (fresh fruits), coir industries (coconut husk), pharmaceutical industry (Aonla, Papaya, Jamun) Transporting and packaging industries ete. Efficient utilization of resources: Growing of fruits being perennial in nature, enables grower to remain engaged throughout the year in farm operations and to utilize fully the resources & assets like machinery, labour, land water for production purpose throughout the year compared to agronomie crops.+ Utilization of waste and barren lands for production: Although, most of the fruits crops require perennial irrigation and good soil for production, there are many fruit crops of hardy in nature, Mango, Ber, Cashew, Custard apple, Aonla, Phalsa, Jamun ete. which are grown on poor shallow, undulated soils considered unsuitable for growing grain/ agronomical crops. + Foreign exchange: Many fresh fruits, processed products and spices are exported to several countries earning good amount of foreign exchange. II. Nutritional importance + Importance of fruits in human diet is well recognized. Man cannot live on. cereals alone. + Fruits and vegetables are essential for balanced diet and good health. + Nutritionist advocates 60-85g of fruits and 360 gm vegetables per capita per day in addition to cereals, pulses, egg ete. + Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals without which human body cannot maintain proper health and develop resistance to disease they also contain pectin, cellulose, fats, proteins ete. Fruits- as sources of vitamins + Vitamin-A- Mango, Papaya, Jack, Banana, Dates. + Vitamin-B- Cashew nut, Almond, Banana, Apple, Bale, Litchi, Papaya and Pomegranate. + Vitamin-C- Aonla, Citrus fruits, Pineapple, Ber, Guava, Strawberry, Tamarind ete. + Fruits as a source of minerals such as Ca, Fe, P- the fruits are- Almond, Cashew, Guava, Jamun, Fig, Karonda, and Mango. + Digestive enzymes- Papaya- papaine-9, proteolitic enzyme. Fruits have medicinal value ‘+ The fruits like aonla pomegranate, Kokum, Jamun, Bael, Ber. ete, have great medicinal value, . reduces night blindness, + Citrus juice reduce acute diorrhea. + Aonlatriphala (chawanprash)- digestion. + Jack fruit (Jackoline)- prevents Aids. Other importance ‘+ Fruit growing in kitchen gardens helps to reduce family budget on purchase of frui + Planting of fruits trees, maint precipitation of the locality. Fruit tree farming also reduces soil erosion, silting and air pollution. Generate employment being highly intensive & skillful enterprise generates employment even for trained persons. ins ecological balance and to increase Problems in fruit cultivationHigh initial orchard investment 1 2. Long juvenile period of fruit crops 3. Lack of quality nursery plants 4. Lack of ideal variety in most of fruit crops 5. Low productivity 6. Unsolved national problems 7. Faulty marketing system 8, Lack of storage and transport facilities, 9. Lack of processing units Food value of some cereal and fruit crops Crops Calorifie | Edible | Yield | Edible yield | Total value portion | (tons/ha) | (tons/ha) calorific (cal’mg) value (K.cal) Wheat 342 100 187, 187 638 Potato 97 90. 15.20 13.68 13.27 Papaya 40. 75 40.00 37.80 15.00 Grapes 45 100 [23.43 23.43 10.54 Banana 153 7 17.42 12.37 18.93 Date palm 283 86 9.20 791 22.38 Nutritive constituents of fruits that have a positive impact on human health and their sources Constituents | Sources Established or proposed effects on human wellness ‘Vitamin A | Mango, papaya, persimmon, | night blindness prevention, cessation of (carotene) | peach, pineapple, orange, | growth in young ones, chronic fatigue, date, fig psoriasis, heart diseases Vitamin B 1 | Cashew nut, walnut, almond, | Prevents beri-beri, paralysis, loss of (thiamine) | banana, apricot, apple, plum, | skin sensitivity, appetite, weight and pear fall in body temp Vitamin B2 | Bael, litchi, papaya, | Essential for growth and health of skin. (riboflavin) pineapple, pomegranate, pear Def. causes sore throat, cataract, loss in body weight, anorexia Vitamin B- | Temperate fruits, dry fruits, | Pellagra and dermatitis complexes | guava, —_litchi, bal, (B6,B12)__| pomegranate and pineapple Vitamin © [Barbados cherry, amla, | Prevents scurvy, aids wound healing, guava, ber, citrus, kiwifruit, | healthy immune system, cardio strawberry. pineapple vascular diseases Vitamin E | Nuts(almond, cashew, [Prevents heart diseases, diabetes, pecans, pistachio, walnut) | cancerCalcium ‘Almond, raisins, papaya, | osteoporosis, muscular/skeleton, teeth, orange blood pressure Magnesium | Banana, nuts Osteoporosis, nervous system, teeth, immune system Potassium | Banana, dried fruits(apricot, | Hypertension (blood pressure) prunes), blue berry Tron Karonda, dates Imp. Constituent of blood, birth defects, heart diseases Phosphorus | Walnut, almond, cashew nut_| Bones and teeth Proteins Cherry, avocado, custard [Imp. For growth, formation and apple, banana, apricot, guava, | maintenance of body tissues rape, peach. Fats ‘Walnut, almond, cashew nut _| Provides energy carbohydrates | Raisins, apricot, dates, | Provides energy banana, bael Employment generation under cultivation of fruit crops as compared to cereals ‘Crops ‘Man days/ha/year Wheat 143, ‘Maize 143, ‘Kinnow and other mandarins 760) ‘Sweet orange 560 ‘Mango 560) Guava 460) Grapes 2510 Papaya 350 Current Status of Horticulture in India ‘The production of fruits and vegetables has overcome the production of food grains in the country. ‘The total horticulture production has inereased from 211.2 million tonnes in 2007- 08 to 311.71 million tonnes in 2018-19. Over 30 Million Tonnes more than Food grain Production India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world with first rank in the production of Banana, Mango, Lime & Lemon, Papaya and Okra. Share of horticulture in agricultural production is more than 33%. According to survey, over the past decade, the area under — horticulture crops has grown by 2.7% per year, fueling production, which increased at an annual pace of 7%. Share of plan outlay for horticulture, which was 3.9% during the 9th plan, increased 0 4.6% during the 12th Plan (2017).Fertilizer requirement of fruit crops as compared to cereals Crops Quantity/acre (kg) Urea ‘Super phosphate | Muriate of potash Wheat 110. 155 20 Paddy 110. 75 20 Maize 110. 150 20 Ber 72 7 c ‘Mango 49 o 0 Citrus 165 137.5 : ‘Guava 90. 225 165, Present levels of productivity of fruits in Punjab as compared to potential ‘Crops Present average Potential yield productivity (tons/ha) (tons/ha) Mango 10 15 Citrus 17 30 Guava 18, 20 Grapes’ 27 25 Ber 14 20 Litchi 10 20 Pear 20 30 Peach 15 25 Plum 15 25 Processing Possibilities Mango Pulp, squash, jam, chutney, pickle, preserve Citrus, ‘Squash, juice, pickle (lemon, lime) Pear Juice, preserve Peach ‘Squash, canning, RTS Plum Jam, Guava Jelly, juice, nectar litchi ‘Squash, canning, dyin Govt. support and PoliciesFive Year Plans Allocation to Horticulture (Rs in million) IV. Vv VI Vil Viutr 1X 14,530. Horticulture Mission established An ideal variety should be : Dwarf in stature Regular, precocious and prolific bearer Uniform in shape and size of fruit Attractive in skin colour with pleasant aroma Having long shelf life and good transport quality Suitable for table purposes and processing As far as possible, should have tolerance to biotic and abiotic stres Faulty Marketing System FRUIT ZONES OF PUNJAB‘Tertitorial extent of todays Punjab is 29°30" N- to 32° 32°N latitude and 75°55" Eto 76°50” E longitude From geological and physiographic points, Punjab is divided into two regions © Hill region © Plain region But, from Horticilture point of view, ‘The state is divided into five zones. Sub montaneous zone Central zone Arid irrigated zone Kandi area Bet area Zones Fruit trees recommended 1. Sub montaneous zone Distt. of Ropar, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur(except Batala tehsil), Dera Bassi block of Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali and Chandigarh This area is truncated by small seasonal rivulets which are occasionally flooded during rainy season and causes lot of soil erosion in the region. The soils are generally sandy loam, The height of this region ranges between 400 and 725 m above sea level. The rainfall in the region is over 80 cm annually much of which is received during July to Sept. period. Winter rainfall is small and unassured. Mango, litchi, kinnow and other mandarins, pear, guava, peach and plum 2. Central zone Distt. of Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Sangrur(except Sunam tehsil), NawanShar, Fatehgarh Sahib (except Dera Bassi block), Patiala, Moga, Batala tehsil of Gurdaspur and Zira tehsil of Ferozepur ‘The annual rainfall varies between 50 to 80 em much of which is received between July and Sept. period, the rest comes during winter season, Pear, guava, grape, peach, plum, kinnow and other mandarins, mango, sweet orange and lemon 3. Arid irrigated zone Distt. of Bathinda, Faridkot, Muketsar, Ferozepur(except Zira tehsil), Barnala, Sunam tehsil of Sangrur and Mansa Kinnow and other mandarins, sweet orange, ulrainfall is less than 25 cm annual ‘The rainfall in this region is less than 50 em annually. In | grapes, ber, grape fruit, ime the extreme western parts of Ferozepur, the amount of | and lemon of Shivalik hills in Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Ropar distt. Width of the strip varies from about 6 to 10 km at different places. Sloppy land, scarce vegetation, dependence of vegetation on natural rainfall, low soil fertility and limited amount of under ground water are the essential features of this zone 4. Special areas Kinnow (i Kandi area mandari This zone falls within the sub montaneous zone at the foot | ber, guava, amla and mango galgal, lemon, and Satluj rivers and they are frequently flooded during rainy season. The water table rises invariably during rainy season. GiBet areas Pear, guava, phalsa, plum ‘These areas are spread along the courses of Ravi, Beas | and ber FRUIT ZONES OF INDIA sub-tropical and tropical fruits respectively. From climatic point of view, the country can be divided into temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions and the fruit plants which grow in these regions are known as temperate, Zones Fruit trees recommended 1. Temperate Regions Uttaranchal and some high aititude regions in Central and | Peach, Plants shed their leaves during winter and enter into rest period. To resume growth, dormancy must be broken by exposure t0 a fixed duration of cold period, Most of these plants withstand temperature much below freezing point during dormancy. ‘These fruits can be further sub-divided into two parts a) fruits adapted for higher elevation and b) fruits adapted for lower elevation Chief regions of the country are J & K, HLP, parts of | Apple, pear, walnut, cherry, peninsular India like Nilgiri hills. strawberry, kiwifruit ete 2. Sub-tropical Fruits of Rajasthan and Assam, olive, tropical and north eastern subtropical regions. This region | pear lies between true tropics and temperate region. Chief regions of the country are plains of north India and | Oranges, lemon, lime, litchi, northern districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, WB and states | loquat, guav. This region is further sub-divided into north western sub- | chilling peach, plum and 12Plants tolerate temp. slightly below freezing without injury. Plants withstand mote cold than the tropical plants. Trees are evergreen and none of them are sufficiently hardy to withstand severe freezing (exception olive). All those fruits which are grown in the tropics (except those which possess resistance to slight freezing) can be grown in this region. 3. Tropical zone Chief regions of the country are South and Central India. This region is further sub-divided into central tropical, southern tropical and coastal tropical humid regions. Plants fail to withstand freezing temp. and may be injured ‘many degrees above freezing (except banana cultivated in Punjab and HP but subjected to winter injury). Mango, sapota, pineapple, Papaya, banana, grapes SELECTION OF SITE AND SOIL FOR AN ORCHARD It is one of the most important aspects upon which rests the success or failure of the orchard enterprise, In the decision making, the following points should be considered : 1. Physical condition of soil and its fertility status ‘+ Topography — It affects erosion, frost, freezing, d carrying out orchard operations. A leveled site is alw: ‘ccation and ease of ‘san advantage over a sloppy land because leveling of slope within a desirable limits will add to the establishment cost. A slope of 15% or more renders the land uncultivable whereas the one with 4 % slope may be easily manageable. Aspect — The aspect of site is an added importance in the hills. Southern aspect ofthe hills are generally more warm and affect the plants in a manner different from northern aspect because of differences in the quantum of sunshine that the plant receive. Drainage status — Air drainage of the selected site is particularly important in the hills. It involves the flow of air from areas of higher elevation to the areas of lower elevation, Any dependence in air drainage results in production problems like subject of the plants to frost damage. Low temp. and hail at bloom time is very harmful. Frost may cause injuries like black heart, crotch injury, splitting of bark and pre mature fall of new emerging skin resulting in deterioration in quality leaves. Hail injuries the frui ind soil depthSoil provides physical support to the fruit plants and through this medium they obtain their nutrient and moisture supply. While evaluating the soil for an orchard, considerations must be given to its physical and chemical properties. ‘Physical properties —soil texture, structure, depth of profile, drainage, water table ete A loamy soil with good amount of organic matter content may be found ideal for many fruit trees although some like peach flourish best in sandy loam soils. Drainage of the soil profile in the root zone is probably the most important single factor that will determine the orchard performance at a given site, A fully drained soil up to a depth of at least 3m with proper supply of nutrients is needed for fruit trees. ‘The profile characteristics determine the distribution of roots in the soil. A ‘compact and ill drained profile shall limits the root distribution to surface layers of the soil, a condition that renders the plant more susceptible to drought, nutrient deficiencies and uprooting by high velocity winds. On the other hand, well drained, deep and fertile profile encourages deeper rooting, more nutrient bility to the trees, Oxygen availability, state of certain nutrients (N, P, S, Fe, Mn etc), activities of micro organisms are also related to drainage status of the soil. For an ideal performance of fruit trees, soil must have stable water table. A water table of 3m and_below ensures better tree health than a shallow or a fluctuating water table, Fluctuating water table is more harmful than a constant shallow water table. ‘© Chemical properties ~ soil pH, lime concentration, calcium carbonate and electrical conductivity must be evaluated at the time of site selection, The following limits have been fixed for these indices. Character Citrus [Other fruit plants pH <8.5 | 8.7 upto depth of 60 em Conductivity (mmhosem) | <0.5 <1.0 Calcium carbonate 9%6) <5.0 =10.0 Lime concentration (%) <10% <20% 3. Amount and quality of available water for irrigation round the year It is quite well known that total quantity of water needed to carry through a fruit ‘crop in its yearly life cycle is less than many crops singly or ina given crop rotation. But, during certain selected periods in their phenology the moisture requirement of fruit plants is quite heavy. Therefore, fruit plants need assured moisture supply round the year. ‘The quality of irrigation water is also very important because most of the fruit ‘crops (except date palm, phalsa, pomegranate) are quite sensitive to salts. The chlorides, sulphates, carbonates, bicarbonates, boron and lithium should not be 45. present beyond certain limits. The presence of salts in the irrigation water can be measured by electrical conductivity. Nearness to market or city and means of transportation Fruits as a commodity are perishable and thus cannot be carried to distant markets, without special measures before, during and after packing and transportation. Nearness to market or a processing centre is an added advantage in the selection of site. At sites closure to marketing centres, the cost of production on the fruits is less as compared to sites distant from the marketing centres. Similarly, atthe sites where transportation facilities are not easily available, the establishment of orchards is not highly remunerative. General status of orcharding in the chosen area As faras possible the orchard site should be chosen in an area which is already well known for growing a particular kind of fruit crop. In this situation, a new entrepreneur can benefit himself from the experience of other farmers on the nature of production problems and their solutions in the area like type of varieties rootstocks suitable in the area, fertilizer dose, nutrient deficiencies, insect-pest and disease attack etc. If the same orchard was to be established in a totally new ‘environment the farmer would have to find answer to all his questions by himself and may even have to spend money to get answer to some of these questions. 6. Market demand of selected fruit and their varieties would be possible to produce only that fruit and its variety in the region for which there is an easy and heavy demand. It is no good producing a fruit variety which is not popular among the consumers. Soil requirement of some fruit plants Fruit plants ‘Type of soi Citrus species Medium or light loam with slightly heavier sub soil ‘Mango Rich alluvial loams without hard pans Grapes ‘Well drained, shallow medium black loamy’ soi Litchi Clay loam with good drainage Pear Deep moist soil Ber, Deep sandy loam, neutral or slightly alkaline soil prove best Loquat Sandy loam to heavier soil. Well drained light loam ideal ‘Apple Light foam or deep loam Almond Light loam Peach Rich sandy loam Papaya Rich loam, medium black and alluvial soiIn general soil for an orchard should be deep, well drained, loamy and fertile. There should be no hard pan within 2 m of its depth. The water table should be below 3 m and it should not be fluctuating. Water logged, marshy, salt affected soils should be avoided for fruit ‘growing, Extreme conditions of top and sub soil (clayey, sandy) should be avoided. Heavy soils are difficult to handle and very light soils are infertile because of leaching of nutrients. For most of the fruit plants, soils having pH values between 6 to 8 are suitable. Too acidic ‘or to0 alkaline soils should be avoided. In alkaline soils, concentration of Na salts above 0.1% is considered dangerous to several fruit plants. In acidic soils, biological activity favourable for the growth of fruit trees may be retarded. Most fruit trees like neutral soil pH. Some hardy plants may tolerate or even prefer slightly acidic or alkaline medium. PREPARATION OF LAND AND LAYOUT OF ORCHARD Preparation of land — levelled, cleaning, green manuring Layout ~ Marking of position of plant in the field. Its aim is to provide adequate space to the plants for proper growth and production to avoid misuse of land and accommodate mote no of plants’ area to help proper utilization of natural and supplemental resources and inputs to allow free movement of man and machinery for inter culture to keep provision for improving productivity of land by intercropping ete to improve aesthetic view of the land by means of orderly arrangement of plants System of planting ‘+ Square system — most commonly used, easy to layout, Plant to plant and row to row distance same, Plants are planted at four comers of the square. Inter culture possible in both the directions. ‘+ Rectangle system — Here spacing between the rows is mote than between the plants. No of tres is more than square system. ‘+ Hexagonal system — Here six trees are planted at six comers of equilateral triangles with the seventh tree at the centre. Here 15 % more can be accommodated than the square system. ‘+ Triangular system ~ Here trees are planted as in square system but trees in the even rows are planted midway between those in the odd. Inter culture is difficult. ‘* Quincunx or diagonal system — Here one additional tree is planted in the centre of the square referred as “filler” tree which is kept for short period for generating income and uprooted when the main trees started bearing crop. ‘+ Contour system — Followed in hilly areas with slopes, Rows are planted along. slope. Planting of trees , irrigation and cultivation are done across the slope to reduce soil erosion ‘+ Hedge row system — Here distance between the plants in a row is half to one third the distance between the rows. It is followed for dwarf trees in high density plantations.‘+ Adjacent planting system — Here two plants are planted closely keeping double space between the rows. Itis followed in arid zone where moisture supply is limited as well as on less fertile soils where both moisture and nutrients are not easily available, Digging and filling of pits — size of pit should be Im x Im. Top 30cm soil mixed with well rotten FYM and insecticide against white ants should be added in the pit. ‘Method of planting — Bore holes in the centre of pit with the help of planting board and plant tree in the centre. Planting Distance of Fruit Plants Fruit tree Planting distance (m) | Plants /ha in square system ‘Mango 90 123 Citrus, pomegranate, plum | 6.0 275 Grapes Head system | 2.0x15 3300 Kniffin system | 3.0.x 3.0 1100 Bower system | 3.0.x 6.0 550 ‘Guava, loquat, peach | 6.5 225 Litchi, sapota 759.0 130-123 ‘Ber. pear 75 180 Date palm, almond 6.0-7.0 275-202, Jamun 10.0-12.0, 105-75 Phalasa, papaya 15 4400 Banana Tall varieties | 2.7x30 1210 Dwarf varieties | 1.8x L8 3052 Pine apple 30 x 60 x 90 em 43500. Cashew nut 7.0-8.0 202-140, Custard apple 50 390 Avocado 10.0 105, Apple. 3.0-75 1100-180, Walnut 93 105 cherry 9.0-12.0 123-75 Planting Season ‘+ Evergreen fruit plants — Two times a year i, Feb- March and Sept- Oct eg citrus, mango, litchi, loquat, jamun, banana, papaya ete ‘© Deciduous fruit plants ~ once when they are dormant ie. in Dec ~ Jan eg apple, pear, peach, plum, almond, grape, cherry, walnut etc 0Purchasing fruit plant from a nursery Health of a plant Age of plant Size of plant Source of supply Care of plants on arrival Hedge for protection — Bouganvillea, galgal, jatti khatti, mehndi ete