Table of Contents
Definition and Terminology
Orchard
An orchard is an area where fruit trees are grown intensively. This can either be an enclosed space or an open field dedicated to the cultivation of one or more types of fruit trees.
Orcharding
Orcharding refers to the process of growing fruit plants in an orderly fashion and maintaining them to achieve consistent economic returns.
Plantation
A plantation is a large area dedicated to the cultivation of a specific type of fruit crop. Examples include mango, apple, and coconut plantations.
Estate
An estate typically spans over 1000 acres and is used for the cultivation of a single type of crop. This term was more common during the British Empire era, with examples including coffee and tea estates.
Types of Orchards
Single-variety orchards
This type involves growing a single variety of a particular fruit crop, such as an orchard exclusively cultivating the Alphonso mango or the Bhagwa pomegranate.
Advantages
- Maintains purity of the variety.
- Simplifies planning and management.
- Synchronizes harvest times.
Disadvantages
- Potential incompatibility issues, leading to poor fruit set.
- Susceptibility to pests and diseases.
- Risk of irregular yield patterns, such as with the Alphonso mango.
- Limited consumer satisfaction due to lack of variety.
Mixed Orcharding
This involves growing different varieties of a single fruit crop within the same orchard, such as combining Alphonso, Kesar, and Pairi mango varieties.
Advantages
- Mitigates risk if one variety fails.
- Overcomes self-incompatibility issues.
- Offers a continuous supply of fruit over different periods.
Disadvantages
- Purity of each variety may be compromised.
- Management and harvesting become more complex.
Mixed Orchards
In this system, different fruit crops with similar lifespans are grown together, such as a combination of mango, sapota, and guava.
Advantages
- Diversifies crops on the same land.
- Ensures a fallback in case one crop fails.
- Provides year-round income.
Disadvantages
- Increases management complexity.
- Potential for higher pest and disease issues.
Orcharding with Intercrops
This method involves growing additional crops between the main fruit trees during their pre-bearing period. Intercrops should be compatible in terms of water, nutrient, and soil requirements, compact in stature, and short in duration.
Advantages
- Generates additional income before the main crop matures.
- Acts as a cover crop to prevent soil erosion.
- Suppresses weed growth.
- Efficiently utilizes land.
Examples: Banana, papaya, pineapple, guava, beans, marigold, and cowpea.
High Density Orchard
High density orcharding aims to maximize productivity per unit area by planting more trees closer together. This method is common in temperate fruit crops like apple, pear, and peach, where dwarfing rootstocks and responsive pruning techniques are available.
Examples
Apple 3m x 3m = 1111 plants
3m x 2m=1666 plants.
Advantages
- Increases returns per unit area.
- Maximizes resource utilization.
- Facilitates mechanization.
Disadvantages
- Increased competition over time.
- Higher pest and disease pressures.
- More challenging cultural operations.
Multistoried Orchard
This system uses the vertical space efficiently by growing different crops at varying heights, such as coconut with black pepper, cocoa, and pineapple.
Principle
Different crops are planted to utilize sunlight at various levels, reducing competition for soil nutrients and moisture as roots are distributed across different soil layers.
Dryland Orchard
Dryland orchards are cultivated in arid and semi-arid zones as rainfed crops. Advances in irrigation technology and water conservation have made it possible to grow high-value crops in these regions.
Examples
Ber, aonla, date palm, tamarind, fig, mango, and pomegranate.
Clonal orchards
Clonal orchards are established from plants derived from a single mother plant through vegetative propagation, ensuring uniformity in growth, bearing habits, and management practices.
Examples
Clonal orchard of the Alphonso mango.
steps to Establish Orchard
Site selection
Choosing a suitable site based on factors like soil type, climate, water availability, and topography.
Land Preperation
Clearing the land, deep plowing, and leveling.
Pit digging and filling
Digging pits of appropriate size (e.g., 1m x 1m x 1m), separating topsoil and subsoil, and refilling with a mixture of topsoil, silt, well-rotted manure, and insecticides (if needed).
Planting method
Using a planting board, making a hole in the center of the filled pit, placing the root ball at ground level, and pressing the soil firmly around it.
Planting Distance
Determined by factors like climate, soil, variety, growth habit, rootstock, irrigation system, and pruning techniques. Varies based on the planting system (e.g., square, rectangular, hexagonal).
Examples
- Mango: 10m (100 plants/ha)
- Citrus, Pomegranate: 6m (275 plants/ha)
- Grape: Varies by system (e.g., Head system 2.0 x 1.5m = 3300 plants/ha)
- Guava, Peach, Loquat: 6.5m (225 plants/ha)
- Banana: Tall varieties 2.7 x 3.0m (1210 plants/ha), Dwarf varieties 1.8 x 1.8m (3052 plants/ha)
- Pineapple: 30 x 60 x 90 cm (43500 plants/ha)
Planting Season
The planting seasons for fruit crops vary based on their evergreen or deciduous nature.
Evergreen fruits
Two planting times are recommended: February-March (spring) and August-September (rainy season). Evergreen fruits like citrus, mango, and litchi are best planted in September or early October, when weather conditions are mild and moisture is sufficient. Guava can also be planted bare-rooted during these periods, with roots covered in moist material.
Deciduous fruits
Deciduous fruit plants should be planted during their dormant period in winter, ideally before new growth begins. For instance, peach and plum should be planted by mid-January, and pear and grapes by mid-February. Bare-rooted ber can also be planted during January and February.
