Organic Guava Cultivation, Farming Practices
Introduction to organic Guava cultivation
Guava is a popular fruit of India. In the eld of production, Guava achieves the fourth
place among fruits grown in the country. Keeping in mind its nutrition and multi-utility,
people call it the apple of the poor. It is benecial to health. In Guava, Vitamin C is found
in high concentrations.
Guava is called a super fruit because it is rich in nutrients, including vitamin C, A, and E, as well as protein, fiber, and folate. An average-sized guava contains four times the vitamin C of an orange, and more potassium than a banana.
Guava is rich in vitamin C, lycopene, and antioxidants, which are beneficial for the skin. Vitamin C is an immune booster that helps keep skin firm and elastic. Guava also contains nutrients that may help curb illnesses like cancer and diabetes.
The plants are usually planted at a distance of 3m x 3m. The exact planting distance is decided according to variety, soil fertility and availability of irrigation facilities. Standard spacing is 4m. x 4m.
Guava has attained commercial importance in tropics and subtropics because of its wide
adaptability to varied soil and climatic conditions. Guava trees produce 1-inch, white
owers that yield to small round, oval or pear-shaped fruits. These are more accurately
berries with soft esh, which may be white, pink, yellow or even red, and which varies in
taste from acidic, sour to sweet, and rich depending on the variety. Guava plants thrive
in any soil having good drainage capacity, and full sun for best owering and fruit
production
The Guava does equally well on to light sandy, heavy clay, gravel bars near streams, or on
limestone. It is slightly salt resistant. Good drainage is suggested though; Guavas are seen
growing on land with a high water table. For best fruit production, roots must enter well
into the soil. For good drainage and full nutrient supply, work in some fertile plant mix
rich in organic matter several weeks before planting. If you are not planned before, please
stop adding mix or fertilizer. Plant your Guava in a rich free-draining soil having a pH
value 4.5 to 7.0. Add lots of manure and compost to the soil and some river sand to make
it free draining. This kind of soil is well preferred for growing organic Guava tree faster.
Rich soils with high amounts of organic material are preferred by your Guava, but Guava
can grow in a wide range of soil types. Avoid heavy clay soils when possible as they are
not conducive to good root development. Good drainage is important, as this tree does
Guava plant propagation for organic cultivation
Guava is propagated usually through seed however, cuttings, grafting, air layering, and
budding are also practiced. Even though Guava is hard to root, investigations indicate
that it can be successfully propagated from cuttings under mist. Leafy shoot-tip cuttings
of current season growth treated with Indole butyric acid give more than 80% rooting
after 6 weeks when planted in sand under mist in the greenhouse from July to August.Guava plant propagation for organic cultivation
Guava is propagated usually through seed however, cuttings, grafting, air layering, and
budding are also practiced. Even though Guava is hard to root, investigations indicate
that it can be successfully propagated from cuttings under mist. Leafy shoot-tip cuttings
of current season growth treated with Indole butyric acid give more than 80% rooting
after 6 weeks when planted in sand under mist in the greenhouse from July to August.
Guava seed persists viable for many months. They often germinate in 2 to 3 weeks but
may take as long as 8 weeks. Since Guavas cannot be depended upon to come true from
seed, vegetative propagation is generally practiced. They are not easy to graft, but
satisfactory techniques have been worked out for patch-budding by the Forkert Method,
side-veneer grafting, approach grafting, and marcotting the tree can also be grown from
root cuttings. Trees grown from cuttings or air-layering have no taproot, though, and are
apt to be blown down in the rst 2 or 3 years. One of the problems with budded and
grafted Guavas is the production of water sprouts and suckers from the rootstocks.
In India, inarching and air-layering have been practiced for many years. Though, trees
grown from cuttings or air-layers have no taproot and are apt to be blown down in the
rst 2 or 3 years. Because of this reason, grafting and budding are preferred. Approach
grafting yields 85 to 95% success. In the case of grafting using rootstock, wedge grafting
is done.
The standard spacing for the Guava plant is 4 m x 4 m, which accommodates 750-800 plants per
hectare. It is important to shape the Guava tree after planting. The spacing of the
plants in the system based on the availability of water, the fertility of the soil, intensity of
sunlight, and wind exposure
Neem Khali 6 kg in Guava by adding per plant, fruits are produced along with good
quality as well as an increase in production. Dung manure 40 kg or 4 kg With
Vermicomposting, 100 gms of biological compost, such as azospirilum with the use of
production and production of good quality fruits are produced. The organic manure may
be applied as mulch on the surface. Foliar spraying of calcium, potassium, has been
found effective in increasing yield and improving fruit quality.
Remove weeds by using tools before owering and timely inter-culture should be done.
Mulching can be done either with a black polyethene sheet or with organic materials like
paddy straw, dry leaves, etc. Mulching helps in conserving moisture, controlling weeds,
and improving the fruit quality. In the initial years of planting regional recommended
intercrops should be grown.
Organic fertilize growing Guavas every 1 to 2 months while young and then 3 to 4 times
per year as the tree matures. Guava trees need a high amount of nitrogen, potash, and
phosphoric acid along with some magnesium for maximum fruit production. An
example is a formula of 6-6-6-2, worked into soils just before the onset of the growing
season, and then evenly spaced out 3 times during the growth period.
Different organic fertilizers for Guava trees are Azotobacter, vermicompost, mulching,
phosphate solubilising microbes (PSM) and Trichoderma harzianum added each year to
mineral fertilizers containing NPK and to farmyard manure on leaf nutrient status, fruit
yield, tree growth, and quality of Guava grown in low fertile soil. The productivity of an
agro-ecosystem. The integration of organic substrates with mineral fertilizers can have a
signicant effect on the physical, microbiological, and chemical properties of soil, which
are indirectly responsible for supporting plant growth
Young Guava is attacked by several pests including aphids, Guava whitey, mealy bugs,
moth, scale, and thrips. The Guava tree is attacked by several diseases like a red alga,
anthracnose, and leaf spots. Pruning the tree to improve air circulation will be benecial.
Regular copper spray, pest oil spray, or insecticidal soap can control the disease.
Sometimes, ants crawling on the Guavas may be a problem. Use Boric Acid Ant Baits to
control ants,Fruit ies are a common pest. To prevent these, harvest before the fruit is fully ripe.
Pick up any fallen fruit, and make use of fruit y traps as needed to reduce their
numbers.
The Guava moth lays eggs on your tree’s leaves. The larvae tunnel into fruit and
chew holes in the leaves. These can be treated with a bacillus thurigiensis (BT) spray.
Red-banded thrips will cause browning of fruit rinds and defoliation of your tree. Neem
oil and sticky traps can keep these at bay.
The Guava whitey also feeds on Guava leaves. Spraying the tree three times a year
with horticultural oil will reduce their numbers.
Several types of scale insects, including some mealybugs, are fond of Guava wood and
leaves. Neem oil or horticultural oil can reduce their spread. Small infestations can be
treated by hand with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove the pests.
Finally, root-knot nematodes can be particularly harmful to your Guava. Reduce
their numbers by applying benecial nematodes to the soil around the trunk and
across the root area.
Red alga, also called algal spot or algal leaf spot is caused by the fungi Cephaleuros
virescens. This condition creates purplish-brown spotting on leaves and can, if severe,
cause defoliation and lowered fruit production. Treat with a copper-based fungicide.
Another common fungal problem is anthracnose. This can also be controlled and
treated with copper fungicidal sprays. Most other leaf spots that appear also are
treated with copper. Finally, fungal root rots can develop in overly-wet conditions
The Guava fruit matures in 2 to 4 months after the owers bloom. The fruit remains
hard and green but changes color and becomes softer when it is ripe. Fruits picked green
will ripen when stored at room temperature.
Guava trees grown from seed may not come into production for anywhere between 3 to
8 years. Guava does not ripen off the tree and it can be difcult to differentiate when the
fruits are ready for harvest. The best indication is a color change to the light green from
dark and the development of some yellowing on the fruits. Fruit should be harvested
every 2 to 3 days to prevent fruit from becoming overripe
