Flow chart for cultivation of cashew nut - Efresh India

eFresh – Empowering Indian Agriculture
Flow chart for cultivation of cashew nut
Selection of site
Soil and water testing
Preparation of land.
Layout – alignment, digging pitch etc.,
Selection of plant – material from the
nursery.
Planting in the name field.
Care after planting-watering manuring plant
protection.
Training and pruning.
After care of plantation –in inter cultivation.
Inter cropping.
Cropping –flowering and fruits- 4 th / 5 th year.
Plant protection during flowering and
fruiting.
Harvesting- harvest indices, harvesting and
care after harvesting.
Post harvest operations.

eFresh – Empowering Indian Agriculture
• Selection of site
• Soil and water testing
• Preparation of land.
• Layout – alignment, digging pitch etc.,
• Selection of plant – material from the nursery.
• Planting in the name field.
• Care after planting-watering manuring plant protection.
• Training and pruning.
• After care of plantation –in inter cultivation.
• Inter cropping.
• Cropping –flowering and fruits- 4 th / 5 th year.
• Plant protection during flowering and fruiting.
• Harvesting- harvest indices, harvesting and care after harvesting.
• Post harvest operations.
Note: Package may differ depending upon the type of orchard crop and agro climatic conditions

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Brief in right in to each of the above operations
1. Selection of site:
• Tropical areas are best, select fort free areas.
• Select deep well drained sandy loams.
• Acid areas reclines varies during flowering and fruiting.
2. Soil and water testing:
• To know the suitability of soil and its fertility p H , whether nature of soil and soil depth
meets the crop requirements.
• Water testing is essential to know quality of water on use amendments to suit cashew nut
crop.
3. Preparation of land:
• Remove all the vegetation, stubbles and roots.
• Plough the land 3-4 times in all directions depending on the nature of the soil.
• Level the land with a gentle slope for drainage.
4. Layout –alignment, digging of pits etc:
• Layout the field is square system of planting with a spacing of 5-8 m on either side
• Dig pits of size 60cm 3 to 100 cm
• Expose the pits for a couple of weeks for weathering.
• Then refill the pits with top soil mixed with 5kg FYM on compost and rock phosphate
(200g)
• Allow the soil in the pits to settle by watering.
5. Selection of planting material for the nursery:
• Select soft wood grafts for planting.
• Select disease and insect free, vigorously growing healthy grafts of 1-1 ½ years age.

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6. Planting in the main field:
• At the start of monsoon rains (June-July) take up planting the grafts in the main field.
• Cut open the poly bag without disturbing the ball of earth and root system and set the plant
in the hole, scooped out in the centre of the pit.
• Press the soil around the plant to remove air from the soil.
• Make a basis at distance of 30 cm from in plant around the plant for watering.
• Water the plant immediately after planning.
• Provided support with a bamboo stake.
7. Care after planting-watering, manuring and plant protection:
• Water the newly set plants frequently, particularly during only periods for 2-3 summers.
• Apply chemical fertilizers, particularly nitrogen at by monthly intervals to speed up
growth.
• Take appropriate plant protection measures against sucking pests.
8. Training and pruning:
• Remove the sprouts on the root stock portion of the grafts.
• Commence the training of plants from second year of planning and complete by 4 th year.
• Prune the lower hanging branches, criss-crossing branches, water suckers, dried and
diseases things and old panickle plants.
9. After care of plantation –inter cultivation:
• Plough the field frequently in the young gardens to chuck the weeds, to improve
infiltration of water during rains.
• In the bearing gardens plough the field at least twice or thrice during the rains – once at the
start of the rains, next in the middle of rainy season and next at the end of the rainy season.
10. Inter cropping:
• Grow lagumes as inter crops.
• In coastal areas, casuarinas, coconut and pineapple may be grown as inter crops.

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11. Cropping –flowering and fruiting
• Flowering in cashew grafts starts from 3rd year. But better to take crop from 5 th year – till
then deblossom the trees.
• Flowering occurs during January to March.
12. Plant protection during flowering and fruiting:
• Control the tea-mosquito bug, a serious pest on new flushes and inflorescences.
• Control other sucking pests like thrips, panicle feeders, shoot tip borers, apply and nut
borers etc., promptly.
• In bearing orchards (more than 10 years ) stem-borers in a serious pest. Keep the orchard
clean for management of the pest.
13. Harvesting:
• Collect the dropped fruits and separate the nuts from the apple.
14. Post –harvest operation:
• Dry the raw nuts in open places on hard floors for 4-5 days.
• Then pack the raw nuts in suitable gunny bags for transport assembling centers or
processing units.