Orchard Establishment
Establishment of Mango Orchard
- Establishment of mango orchard is a long-term investment and trees
continue to produce fruit for longer years than many other fruit crops.
- Thus its planting requires proper planning which includes careful
selection of site, provision of gentle slope to facilitate proper irrigation
and prompt drainage to avoid harmful effect of water logging during
rainy season.
- Similarly, proper maintenance and care is required for profitable
return through high production of quality fruits.
- Special attention is needed in selection of site, field preparation,
actual layout of the orchard, proper spacing, digging of pits, selection
of planting material and planting, handling of young plants and intercultural
operations.
Site selection
- Selection of suitable site is the first step for a mango orchard on
commercial scale.
- The land which is chosen for mango orchard, planting should be near
to main road and market.
- It should have proper irrigation facilities and have a good soil and
climate suitable for growth and production of mango trees.
- Any mistake in selection of site can not be altered after planting
while modifications in other factors are possible.
- Therefore, selection of site should receive the primary consideration.
Field Preparation and Layout
- Selected fields should be deeply ploughed followed by harrowing to
root out the perennial weeds and heavy clods.
- This operation provides congenial tilth to young roots for their
healthy development.
- Proper levelling of land follows this and a gentle slope is provided
in one direction to facilitate irrigation as well as drainage of excess
water during rains.
- The soils which have drainage problems, should be provided with adequate
trenching from the very beginning to avoid serious damage to young plants
due to water stagnation.
- After the proper field preparation one should move for layout.
- Proper layout of an orchard is necessary.
- Like selection of site, any mistake committed in beginning cannot
be rectified later on.
- Therefore very careful pre-planning is essential before the actual
layout in the field.
- The system of layout to be adopted is decided according to needs.
- The main systems of layout usually in vogue are I) Square ii) rectangular
iii) Quincunx iv) Hexagonal and v) Contour.
Square System
|
- This system is most common for planting of mango orchards.
- In this system, the distance from plant to plant and row to
row remains the same.
- The four adjacent plants of two rows form a square.
- It is easy to layout and permits cross cultivation.
- The only defect in this system is presence of small vacant space
in the centre till the plants grow up sufficiently.
|
- For actual layout in the field, one boundary line is chosen and along
with this line a base line is fixed.
- Then first line is made at the half of the proposed distance parallel
to the base line.
- Constructing a right angle triangle in a ratio of 3:4:5 draws a second
line.
- The lines of trees are drawn perpendicular to the base line.
- It is so fixed that the lines meeting it are parallel to the field.
- Now the position of trees on base line is marked with pegs.
- From these pegs perpendicular lines, should be marked with the help
of cross bars.
- The plant positions can best be marked on all the four sides and finally
in the field by running strings length and breadth wise and by putting
pegs at the crosses.
Rectangle System
|
- This system is a modification of square system.
- It is adopted for planting of those fruit trees which require
less distance between plant to plant than row to row distance.
- It has almost all the advantages of square system but cultivation
between plant to plant is difficult.
- In field condition it is drawn in similar fashion as the square
system except that the distance between plant to plant is difficult.
|
- In field condition it is drawn in similar fashion as the square system
except that the distance between plant to plant is less than row to
row.
Quincunx or Diagonal System
|
- This system of planting is exactly similar to the square system
except that an additional sapling is planted at the centre of
square at intersecting point of the diagonals of the square formed
by four adjacent plants.
- This system accommodates about 10% more plants than the square.
- The additional plant at centre is temporary and termed as filler.
- The fillers are precocious and short-lived.
|
- They yield some crop before the permanent trees come into bearing.
- The fillers make cross cultivation difficult.
- Many times the grower often delays their removal and this adversely
affects the performance of permanent plantation.
Triangular or Hexagonal System
|
- This system is based on the principle of equilateral
triangle.
- This layout accommodates approximately 15 per
cent more trees per unit area than the square
system.
- It is adopted with the advantage where the maximum
use of the land is desired, especially on fertile
soils.
- The cultural operations can be done in three
directions in the mango orchards laidout on this
system.
|
- For actual layout under this system in the field, a base line is
fixed in the same way as done in square system.
- The pegs of the first row are fixed on it at the proposed distance.
- While making the second row, the first peg on it is so adjusted that
it is equidistant from the two pegs of the previous row.
- After adjusting two such pegs, a straight line is drawn through these
and other pegs are fixed at the proposed distance along it.
- When second row is complete, the third row is drawn in similar fashion
as previous one and so on.
- Six adjacent plants base are connected which form a hexagon and seventh
plant is in centre of the hexagon.
Contour System
- This system of layout is adopted where the mango orchard is established
on sloping land of hilly regions.
- The pegs on each slope are so fixed that each one of them falls in
the centre of the slope and makes on a straight line drawn from its
bottom to the top.
- This is easily drawn by putting a string from the highest point to
the lowest and locates the positions of the plants along the string.
- The actual planting is started from lower point towards the upper
point.
Planting Distance
- The main purpose of planning of layout of an orchard is to provide
adequate space to the plant for normal development to permit proper
interculture operation and easy passage of air and sunlight for the
maintenance or orchard sanitation.
- The planting distance depends on various factors like nature of soil,
type of plant weather grafted or seedling and variety.
- In poor soils plants make slow growth, so require less space while
in heavy soils growth of plants remain dwarf sized.
- Planting distance depends on vigour of the cultivar.
- The very vigorous cultivars like Langra, Chausa and Fazri are planted
at 12 x 12 m while less vigorous cultivar like Dashehari, Bombay Green
etc. are planted at 10 x 10m distance.
- Dwarf varieties like Amarpalli could be planted at a spacing of 2.5
x 2.5 m with a plant population of 1600 per hectare.
- High density planting of Dashehari mango could be planted at 3X2.5m
spacing.
Wind Breaks
- Before planting of mango orchard, it is essential to reserve some
place for planting of wind breaks at the border sides of orchard from
which hot and high winds and frost are expected.
- Windbreak trees are commonly tall having dense foliage and keep the
surrounding atmosphere humid.
- These trees help in minimizing the wind velocity, low or high temperatures
which affect adversely the young plants and immature fall of the fruits.
- Now a days the recommendation of polyethylene sheet as wind break
in place of trees are being made.
- The trees, which are generally used as windbreak, are seedling mango
(Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.), mulberry (Morus alba L.), shisham (Syzygium
cumini Skeels.), bamboo and carambola (Averrhoa caraurbola L.).
- These trees are usually planted close to each other to provide an
effective shield.
- Tall growing trees like shisham and jamun are planted 6m apart while
low headed trees like mulberry and carambola are planted at 7m distance.
Digging and Filling of Pits
- Before digging the pits, two outer pegs are fixed with the help of
planting board.
- Already fixed peg is kept in the central notch to mark the right point
to plant each tree.
- During digging of actual pit, the central peg is removed and two
outer pegs remain undisturbed.
- These outer pegs help in locating the point where the plant is to
be put in.
- The size of pit depends on type of soil.
- If there is mild hard pan and stone layer or hard pan within half
a metre depth.
- The pit size would be 1X1X1m dimension.
- When the soil is fertile and does not have any type of hardmild/hard
pan, the size of pits may be of 30X30X30cm indimension.
- When the soil is taken out of the pit, the soil from upper half is
kept on one side and from lower half on other side.
- This soil is allowed to weather for 2-4 weeks during summer months
so that any type of infection in soil may be destroyed by sunlight.
- Before filling the pit, a mixture of well - decomposed FYM (50 kg),
superphosphate (100 gm), murate of potash (100 gm) and fenvulrate dust
(250g) is prepared and mixed with upper as well as lower soil of the
pit.
- The mixture of upper soil is filled first followed by lower soil mixture.
- During filling of pits soil is pressed well so that there is no air
pocket inside the pit.
- The upper level of pit is kept 15cm above from the field level.
- After filling, the pits are irrigated to settle down the soil of the
pit.
- The purpose of digging and filling the pit is to provide congenial
conditions for plant growth and development, specially to young plants.
Time of Planting
- Mango planting is done during rainy season (July to August) and spring
season (February to March) in North India.
- The spring season is short and followed by a hot dry period of low
humidity and hence high percentage of mortality of young plants is observed
in the field.
- In South India the main season is from July to December.
- The planting is done in evening when the high humidity prevails in
the atmosphere, while planting, one should be careful that the earth
ball does not break during pressing the soil and the graft union remains
well above the ground level.
- The plants should be irrigated just after planting.
- During first week of planting one should rectify the defects like
sinking of soil and leveling of plants etc.
Selection of Grafts for Planting
- Mango grafts of desired cultivar are procured from genuine sources
as in the long run the performance of the orchad depends on the quality
of the plants particularly on the pedigree of the tree, their health
and vigour. Normally, sturdy grafts with smooth union having equal thickness
of rootstock and scion give good performance in the field and such type
of grafts are preferred over weak one.
- Six-month to one year old grafts having upright scion growth with
3-4 scion branches are desirable for planting as compared to scion having
too many branches.
- Grafts should be purchased from the place having similar soil and
climatic conditions that are almost identical with those of the place
where the orchard is to be planted.
- Only those grafts should be procured which have been already shifted
in the nursery bed to avoid the mortality in the field.
Digging and Packing of Grafts
- The grafts prepared by inarching are planted in the nursery after
detachment from the mother trees while raised by other methods remain
in the nursery bed for 6 months to one year.
- When the grafts are needed for planting, they are dug out carefully
with minimum injury to the roots specially to the taproot.
- During digging it should be kept in mind that earth ball should be
clean, medium in size having about 1-1.25kg. weight.
- Heavier and bigger earth ball is likely to break and disintegrate
in transit.
- After digging, packing of earth ball is done with gunny bags or with
dry grasses.
- The wrapping of earth ball plays important role in transportation.
- If loosely wrapped, chances of breaking of ball are more pronounced
as compared to tightly wrapped.
- The earth ball should be tied at collar portion as well as in middle
of the ball.
- Such type of tying avoids breaking of ball during transit.
- After digging and tying, the grafts are packed.
- Generally packing is done in medium type baskets.
- About 10-12 grafts are easily accommodated in each basket.
- Before packing the dried grasses are put at the bottom of basket which
works as cushion and saves ball from jerk.
- After making cushion the grafts are putin basket, they are tied together
with string.
- Finally the gunny bag piece is placed over the earth ball portion
of the basket.
- The packed grafts are trasnported to any distance by road or train
without any damage to the plants.
- If the distance is long and more time is required in transit, the
grafts are sprinkled with water on the way and are handled gently during
loading and unloading.
- After receiving the grafts at the particular destination, they are
put under the shade and sprayed with water.
- Packing is opened and plants are checked.
- Grafts having sound and intact earth ball are planted in the field
and damaged ones are put in the nursery.
- Generally 5-10 per cent more plants are needed than the actual requirement.
- These additional plants are kept reserved for replacement of dead
plants in coming one or two years.
Planting of Grafts
- At the time of planting, a slightly bigger hole than the size of earth
ball is dug at the already marked point.
- The wrapping material is removed from the ball and unrapped earth
ball is put in the hole in such a manner that the plant remains straight
and collar portion of plant is kept in the level or slightly higher
than the ground level.
- After placing the plant in the hole, the soil taken out from hole
previously is pressed firmly around it so that the plant is set firmly
in the field.
- During pressing of soil, the earth ball should not be broken.
- Immediately after planting irrigation is done, the frequency of irrigation
depends on the weather.
- Regular checking of plants is essential to detect the faults like
sinking of soil, tilting of plant and cracking in basin of plant after
planting the grafts.
- Sufficient moisture should be maintained till the plants do not set
or start new growth in the field.
Protection of Young Plants
- It is necessary to provide support to the plant by staking in the
areas where in high winds is more prevalent.
- The staking is helpful to keep plant stem straight and save the plant
from damage by breaking from graft union.
- The young plants are more prone to frost damage during winter months.
- The most common method to save the plants from frost is to thatch
them.
- The thatching can be of any type of dried grasses or of polyethylene
sheet.
- The plants are covered on all sides except North-West and South-East
so that the sunlight may enter in morning and evening times.
- This thatching material is used in winter months and may also be
used in summer months against the hot winds (Ioo).
- During these months frequent irrigation (at 7days interval) is essential
to save plants from desiccating winds and regular weeding of plant basin
is required to eradicate weeds.
- Blofencing is done on sides of orchard to save the young orchard
from cattle and wild animals.
Early Deblossoming
- Young mango plants prepared through asexual methods of propagation
start flowering immediately after the year of planting or even at the
nursery stage.
- This adversely affects the growth and vigour particularly when such
types of plants are allowed to set fruits.
- This fruiting is one the expense of growth and hinder the formation
of strong framework of the plant.
- Therefore, these inflorescences should be nipped off immediately after
emergence so that it may not disturb vegetative growth.
- The deblossoming should continue till the plant attains four-days
age.
- By this time plant attains normal size and it is physiologically sound
to bear the fruits.
Interculture and Intercrops
- Good sanitary condition is a must for keeping an orchard healthy and
disease free.
- For proper growth of young plants timely hoeing and weeding is essential
and plants should always receive priority over other considerations.
- Orchards should not be kept in neglected condition in pre-bearing
stage by paying more attention to the intercrops.
- Such neglected orchards prove costly as fruiting is delayed and longevity
and productivity are reduced.
- Clean cultivation throughout the year is not desirable in mango plantation.
- Therefore, vacant space between the trees is utilized for growing
intercrops such as vegetables and legumes to earn extra income from
the mango orchard.
- Some additional income can be achieved by growing short lived fruit
plants such as papaya, peaches, strawberry, pineapple, phalsa, guava
etc.
- These plants are removed later on when they start touching the mango
plants.
- The vegetable crops, which may be grown in mango orchard, are onion,
tomato, radish, carrot, beans, cauliflower, cabbage and palak.
- Heavy feeders like colocasia, ginger, turmeric and grain crops should
be avoided.
- Generally the intercrop should be planted well away from the mango
plants and these should not compete for nutrition and moisture.
- The nutrition and moisture to intercrops must be provided in additional
amount.
- In Gujarat, intercropping of tomato and clusterbean was taken in newly
planted mango orchard and a net cost and benefit ratio of 1:1.22 was
received.
- Other than intercrops some crops like sunhemp in light soils and dhaincha
in heavy soils may also be grown to protect the orchard soil from erosion
and also for enriching the soil fertility.
- These crops are sown in beginning before rainy season and ploughed
after monsoon season.
- Such type of crops is known as cover crops.
- The intercrops should to be taken in initial stage of orchard establishment
when there is no income from the primary crop and should continue till
the main crop plants come in full bearing. By growing intercrop, the
weeds are kept in control which lead to depletion of nutrients and become
host for diseases and insects.
- Press the soil firmly around it so that the plant is set firmly in
the field.
- During pressing of soil, the earth ball should not be broken.
- Immediately after planting irrigation is done, the frequency of irrigation
depends on the weather.
- Regular checking of plants is essential to detect the faults like
sinking of soil, tilting of plant and cracking in basin of plant after
planting the grafts.
- Sufficient moisture should be maintained till the plants do not set
or start new growth in the field.
Top
|
|