Banana prefers tropical humid lowlands and is grown from the sea level to 1000 m above MSL. It can also be grown at elevations up to 1200 m, but at higher elevations growth is poor. Optimum temperature is 27ºC. Soils with good fertility and assured supply of moisture are best suited.

Season
Rain fed crop: April-May
Irrigated crop: August-September

Adjust planting season depending upon local conditions. Avoid periods of heavy monsoon and severe summer for planting. Adjust the time of planting so as to avoid high temperature and drought at the time of emergence of bunches (7-8 months after planting).

Varieties

Nendran (Clones): Nedunendran, Zanzibar, Chengalikodan

Table varieties: Monsmarie, Robusta, Giant Governor, Dwarf Cavendish, Chenkadali, Poovan, Palayankodan, Njalipoovan, Amritsagar, Grosmichael, Karpooravally, Poomkalli, Koompillakannan, Chinali Dudhsagar), BRS-1 and BRS-2

Culinary varieties: Monthan, Batheesa, Kanchekela, Nendrapadathy

Njalipoovan, Robusta, BRS-1 and BRS-2 are particularly suitable for intercropping in coconut gardens both under rainfed and irrigated conditions Dudhsagar is highly resistant to major pests and diseases. The variety Boldles Altafort is recommended for high range region (ad hoc).

Preparation of land
Prepare the field by ploughing or digging and dig pits for planting. Size of pits depends upon soil type, water table and variety. In general, pit size of 50 x 50 x 50 cm is recommended. In low-lying areas, take mounds for planting suckers.

Selection of suckers
Select 3-4 month old disease free sword suckers from healthy clumps. In the case of Nendran variety, cut back pseudostem to a length of 15-20 cm from corm and remove old roots. The rhizomes are to be smeared with cowdung solution and ash and dried in the sun for about 3-4 days and stored in shade up to 15 days before planting.

Spacing
Spacing may be provided as indicated below:

Planting
Plant suckers upright in the centre of pits with 5 cm pseudostem remaining above soil level. Press soil around the sucker to avoid hollow air spaces.

Manuring

1. Apply compost, cattle manure or green leaves at the rate of 10 kg/plant at the time of planting.
2. Apply N:P₂O₅:K₂O at the following dose (g/plant/year).

Plant crop followed by two ratoon crops gives maximum yield. Two suckers per clump should be retained for ratooning.

Apply the fertilizer 60-75 cm around the plant in two equal split doses; the first, two months after planting and the second, four months after planting. For ratoon crop, the entire fertilizers have to be applied in a single dose immediately after the harvest of the preceding crop. Irrigate immediately after manuring.

Note: For Nendran, apply the fertilizers in six split doses as detailed below which will be beneficial to improve the finger size and bunch weight, provided the farmers can afford the cost of application.

For Palayankodan (rainfed), planting may be done in January and the suckers may be given pot irrigation @ nine litres of water once in 15 days until April-May.

After planting banana, sow sunn hemp / daincha / cowpea adopting a seed rate of 50 kg/ha. Incorporate the crop into the soil 40 days after sowing. Repeat sowing of green manure crop and incorporate into soil 40 days after sowing.

Irrigation
1. During summer months, irrigate once in three days.
2. Ensure good drainage and prevent waterlogging.
3. About 6-10 irrigations per crop may be given depending upon soil conditions.
4. Banana var. Nendran (October planting) grown under deep water table conditions (below 2 m from ground level) needs 10 mm (40 l/plant) irrigation once in two days during summer season to ensure higher bunch yield and better water use efficiency. Mulching the basin with 3.5 kg paddy straw (waste quality) will considerably improve the bunch yield.

Weed control
During early stages, complete control of weeds could be obtained by raising cowpea in the interspaces. In gardens where this is not possible, pre-emergence application of diuron 1.5 kg/ha or oxyfluorfen 0.2 kg/ha is effective. Weeds emerging later could be controlled by the application of paraquat 0.4 kg/ha or glyphosate 0.4 kg/ha. If hand weeding is resorted to, give 4-5 surface diggings depending on weed growth. Avoid deep digging. Do not disturb soil after plants start producing bunches. If green manure crop is grown, weeding operations can be reduced to 1-2 diggings.

Desuckering
Remove side suckers produced till the emergence of bunch. Retain one or two suckers produced after the emergence of bunch.

Intercropping in Nendran variety
Cucumber and amaranth can be cultivated profitably with banana raised in September-October without affecting the bunch weight. For vegetable purpose, cucumber may be harvested within 95 days and for seed purpose the duration may be about 130 days. Greater yam and elephant foot yam can be profitably intercropped with Nendran.

Tissue culture Nendran banana (Ad hoc recommendation)
Tissue culture offers a rapid method of multiplication of quality, uniform, pest and disease free production of planting materials in large quantities in banana. The productivity of banana can be increased by cultivation of tissue culture plants of selected elite ecotypes of different varieties.

Spacing
Give spacing of 2 m x 2 m (2500 plants/ha)
Tissue culture plants can also be used for high density planting in Nendran banana to achieve higher returns. The spacing recommended for high density planting is as follows:
(a) 2 m x 3 m with two plants / pit (3332 plants in 1666 pits per ha)
(b) 1.75 m x 1.75 m with one plant per pit (3265 plants / ha)

Pit size
50 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm

Method of planting
Prepare pits 15 days in advance of planting. Fill the pits with topsoil and FYM 15-20 kg per plant per pit. Plant the tissue culture plants on the top of the pit at ground level. Remove the polythene cover completely before planting without damaging the roots. Planting may be done preferably during evening hours. Provide partial shade to plants to protect against sun scorching for about two weeks. Irrigate the crop daily during initial days of establishment.

Plant Protection
Apply carbofuran 30 g/plant at planting, 15 g each at 60 and 90 days after planting.
Adopt integrated plant protection measures to control major pests and diseases.

Manures and Fertilizers
Apply FYM @ 15-20 kg per plant at the time of land preparation.
Apply lime 1 kg/plant with the organic manure at the time of land preparation.
Apply N:P₂O₅:K₂O @ 300:115:450 g/plant in six split doses as shown below.
 

Plant protection

Pests

Banana pseudostem weevil (Odoiporus longicollis) (ad hoc recommendation)
The weevil resembling the rhizome weevil of banana is becoming a serious pest in recent years. Adult female weevil punctures and inserts eggs into the pseudostem. Grubs emerging out feed extensively on the pseudostem and thereby the entire plant collapses.

Control

1. Field sanitation is the most important factor in the prophylactic and curative control of this pest.
2. Remove affected plants along with the rhizome in full and destroy them by burning the life stages of the insect using kerosene or by burying the material in deep pits in soil.
3. Destroy the parts of rhizome and pseudostem of harvested plants in the field and destroy them as described above.
4. Remove the dry outer sheaths of the pseudostem of all infested and un-infested plants in the endemic areas and spray any of the recommended insecticides. Drenching all the leaf axils, rhizome and surrounding soil and all round the entire pseudostem inserting the nozzle through the bore holes made by the larvae if any and also within the outer sheathes by slightly raising the same at different spots is also effective. Apply quinalphos 0.05% or chlorpyrifos 0.03% or carbaryl 0.2%. Repeat the treatment after 3 weeks if the infestation persists.

Banana rhizome weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) (ad hoc recommendation)
The attack by this pest is reported to be serious in all localities where banana is cultivated. Female adults puncture healthy rhizomes and insert eggs through it. Grubs tunnel within and feed resulting in the stunting of rhizome development. If the infestation occurs on a mature rhizome, damage symptoms appear through the reduction in leaf number, bunch size and the fruit number.
Control
1. Adopt strict field sanitation.
2. Select only healthy planting material.
3. Deep plough the land so as to expose the inner soil layer to sun.
4. Cut and remove the outer layer of the rhizome and sundry for 3-4 days after smearing it with slurry of cowdung and ash.
5. Set traps using pseudostem of approximately 1/2 m length, which are split lengthwise and laid in the field. Adults attracted to it during nights may be collected and destroyed.

Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa)
These act as vector for the transmission of the dreadful bunchy top disease in banana.

Control

1. Apply 25 g phorate 10G or 20 g carbofuran 3G 20 days after planting around the rhizomes in soil.
2. Apply 12.5 g phorate 10G or 10 g carbofuran 3G per plant in the leaf axils or 25 g phorate or 20 g carbofuran per plant in the soil 75 days after planting. This may be repeated 165 days after planting.
3. For variety Chenkadali, apply 25 g phorate 10G or 20 g carbofuran 3G per plant as soil application, first at 20 days after planting and again at 95 and 165 days after planting.

Spindle leaf miner (Assuania sp.)
Spray dimethoate 0.05% on the spindle for controlling the leaf miner.

Nematodes
Major species are burrowing nematode (Radopholus sp.), root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita), root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus coffeae) and cyst nematode (Heterodera oryzicola).

In case of severe infestation there will be high reduction in the number of leaves, total bunch weight and the number of fruits.

Control

Pare the rhizomes and apply neem cake @ 1 kg/plant and carbofuran @ 0.5 g ai/plant at the time of the planting (ad hoc recommendation).

When granules are applied around the base of plants, there should be sufficient soil moisture; otherwise, the plants should be watered after broadcasting granular insecticides.

Diseases

Bunchy top disease
This is a virus disease transmitted by aphids.

Control

1. Use insecticidal treatments recommended for insect vector control.
2. Eradicate disease affected plants.
3. Use disease free suckers for planting. Karpooravally, Kanchikela, Njalipoovan and Koompillakannan are less susceptible varieties.

Panama wilt (banana wilt) (Fusarium oxysporum f. cubense)
1. Dip suckers of susceptible varieties in 0.1-0.2% carbendazim solution to prevent spread of the disease.
2. Drench the soil around affected clumps with 0.2% carbendazim solution to prevent spread of disease.
3. Remove and destroy affected clumps along with corms.
4. Apply lime @ 1 kg/pit and allow to weather. Varieties such as Palayankodan, Robusta and Nendran are resistant to the disease.

Sigatoka leaf spot (Mycosphaerella sp.)
1. Cut and burn all severely affected leaves.
2. Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture soon after the appearance of the initial symptoms of the disease. The disease appears with the commencement of southwest monsoon. Five to six sprayings at fortnightly intervals are to be given depending upon the severity of the disease.
3. Power oil (mineral oil) 1% emulsion is also effective in controlling the disease.
4. Spray carbendazim (0.1%) or give alternate sprays of tridemorph (0.05%), mancozeb (0.2 %) and carbendazim (0.1%) soon after the appearance of initial symptoms of the disease. Three to four sprayings at fortnightly intervals are to be given depending on the severity of disease.

Kokkan disease (Banana bract mosaic virus)
Kokkan disease was first reported from Thrissur district in the variety Nendran. Later on, the disease was found to affect other varieties like Palayankodan, Kodappanillakunnan, Monthan, Kanchikela, Poovan (Rasthali), Karpooravally and Chenkadali. Nendran is the highly susceptible variety.

During the young stage of Nendran banana plant (two months old), pinkish streaks can be seen on the pseudostem. All the kokkan affected plants need not show this symptom, but once this symptom is expressed there is no doubt that the particular plant is affected with kokkan disease. Necrotic streaks are another important symptom of the disease. The necrotic streaks are initially brown, which later turn black. It occurs on all aerial parts of the affected plant except on lamina, the length being a few mm to 10 cm. All the kokkan-affected plants will exhibit the necrotic streaks from third month onwards at one stage or other. Some of the affected plants retain the necrotic streaks throughout the growth period. In certain cases it disappears with the senescence of the affected portion.

The affected plant produces only a small bunch. The fingers are small, curved and widely divergent with pale green to ashy green colour as compared to healthy. The abnormal colour and reduction in the size of the bunch depend upon the severity of the disease.

Suckers should not be taken from affected plants, which show necrotic streaks or abnormal colour of the pseudostem.
When the young plants show the symptom of pinkish streaks, they should be uprooted and destroyed.

Infectious chlorosis (Cucumber mosaic virus disease)
The disease is noticed in varieties such as Nendran, Palayankodan, Karpooravally, Kosthabontha, Peykunnan, Bhimkhel, Mottapoovan, Dakshinsagar, Madhuraga (Rasthali) and Musa ornata.

The most characteristic symptoms are the loss of leaf colour in patches; appearance of parallel chlorotic streaks on the younger leaves, giving a striped appearance on the leaves. As the disease progresses, leaves emerge distorted, margins become irregularly wavy, often with blotches of necrotic tissues and the leaf lamina is reduced in width. In severe cases, rotted areas are found throughout the leaf sheath and pseudostem. The affected plants produce only small bunches. This is a virus disease transmitted by aphids.

1. Use disease free suckers for planting.
2. Eradicate disease affected plants.
3. Use insecticides recommended for insect vector control.
4. Avoid growing leguminous and cucurbitaceous vegetables as intercrop in banana.

Guava thrives well in places receiving medium rainfall not exceeding 100 cm. In heavy rainfall areas, plants grow luxuriantly, but the quality of the fruits is found to be very poor and insipid. It grows well on any type of soil. Red sandy loam soil with good drainage is most ideal for commercial cultivation of guava.

Varieties
Allahabad Safeda, Sardar (Lucknow-49), Red Fleshed, Apple Coloured and Pear Shaped

Planting material
Seed propagation is not practised because of high degree of variation among the progenies. Air layering is widely adopted for propagation of selected varieties. Layers strike roots within 3-5 weeks. When the roots grow through the ball of moss, the stem may be severed below the girdled area in stages. The polythene film is removed from the finally severed rooted stem, which is then potted and kept in the shade until new leaves appear. When the new flushes are produced, the plant can be hardened in full sunlight preparatory to transplanting in the field.

Planting
Pits of one metre cube are made 6 m apart. Fill the pits with topsoil, sand and cowdung. Layers are planted in the centre of the pit. Staking of plants is also done, if necessary. After planting, mulching with dry leaves should be done to conserve moisture. June-July is the ideal time for planting the layers and seedlings. Plants should be irrigated in summer. Square system of planting facilitates easy orchard operations. Guava can be grown as an intercrop in coconut gardens.

Manuring
A fully grown-up bearing plant should be manured with about 80 kg of FYM, 200 g N, 80 g P₂O₅ and 260 g K₂O. These may be applied in two or three split doses when there is sufficient moisture in the soil.

Yield
Guava starts bearing from 3-4 years after planting. About 500-800 fruits per year can be obtained from a 10 year old tree.

Plant protection

Fruit rot disease
This is a serious disease of guava especially during rainy seasons. The symptoms are manifested as development of dark brown circular spots at the blossom end of the immature green fruits. Application of zineb (0.2%) or aureofungin (10 ppm) as monthly sprays during June to October can control the disease.

Guava wilt
In affected trees, the branches wither and die one after another and in a few weeks or months the tree, which seemed entirely healthy will be dead. It is better to remove such trees as soon as the symptoms are identified to prevent the spread of the disease.

Fruit fly
This is a serious pest of guava. The insect affects the fruit when it matures. The infested fruits show depression with dark green punctures. As a precautionary measure, the crop should be sprayed just before fruit maturity with carbaryl (0.1%) or dimethoate (0.1%).

Gooseberry (nelli) is quite hardy and can be grown with little care in all types of soil except very sandy type. It prefers a warm dry climate and is found in the dry deciduous forests of Kerala.

Varieties

Much genetic variability exists in this species. However, a high yielding larger fruited variety was located from the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats and popularized as "Chambakad Large". Other varieties are Banarasi, Krishna and Kanchan.

Cultivation

Nelli is usually propagated by seeds and vegetatively by wedge grafting. The seeds are enclosed in a hard seed coat, which renders the germination difficult. The seeds can be extracted by keeping fully ripe fruits in the sun on a flat rock for about 2-3 days till they split open releasing the seeds. The seeds can be directly sown. Gooseberry can be vegetatively propagated through root suckers.

One year old seedlings can be planted in the field during rainy season at a spacing of 8 x 8 m. It can be planted as windbreak around the orchard.

No serious pests or diseases are generally found in this crop.

Harvesting
Planted seedlings will commence bearing from the 10th year. The vegetative growth of the tree continues from April to July. Along with the new growth in the spring, flowering also commences. Fruits will mature by January-February. Yield ranges between 30-50 kg per tree per year when full grown.

Jack comes up well in humid regions up to an elevation of 1000 m. Soil should be deep and well drained. Any rise in water table or poor aeration of the soil is detrimental to the crop.

Varieties / types
Jackfruit differs in size, shape and quality. The jackfruit may be classified into two groups: (i) soft fleshed and (ii) firm fleshed. The firm fleshed type is highly tasty, sweet and crisp. The two groups are further classified depending on the taste, size of fruit, odour of flesh, nature, shape and diversity of prickles on the rind.

Two distinct types with desirable qualities recommended for Kerala are:
1. Muttom varikka which is a firm fleshed, sweet scented variety.
2. Singapore or Srilanka jack which is an introduced variety from Srilanka. It bears fruits in 3 years after planting and is extremely precocious in habit. The fruits are more or less the same size as the common jackfruit. A tree may yield as many as 250 fruits.

Planting materials
Use seedlings or grafts for planting. For grafting, raise seedlings in polythene bags and when they are 9-12 months old do inarching. One month after grafting, behead the rootstock above the graft joint.

Epicotyl grafting can be undertaken successfully in jack. Three to four month old, 10 cm long scions are grafted on five-day old rootstocks in polythene bags by the cleft method during the month of June and kept under moist conditions. The scions should be pre-cured 10 days before grafting by clipping the leaf blades and keeping the petioles intact on the twig. The graft union is complete by 80 days after grafting operations.

Season
Plant seedlings or one year old grafts at the onset of monsoon showers.

Planting
Prepare pits of size 60 x 60 x 60 cm at a spacing of 12-15 m. Refill pits with mixture of topsoil and 10 kg compost or FYM per pit to a level higher than the adjoining ground. Plant the grafts in the same depth as they were in the containers, preferably in the late evening. Deep planting results in poor growth of the graft. Ensure that the graft joint is above the soil level. Stake the plants to prevent snapping at the graft joints. Excellent drainage and adequate watering result in better performance. At no stage it should be exposed to drought or frost. It is useful to provide some protection, especially to young trees. Jack is rarely manured. Even without fertilizer application, the jack trees come up well under Kerala conditions.

Harvesting
The seedling plants generally bear after eight years and the grafted plants after three years of planting. The fruiting season lasts about four months from January-February to May-June. The average yield from one tree is about 50-100 fruits per year.

Plant protection
The important pests of jack are shoot borer caterpillar, mealy bug and jack scale.
1. To control shoot borer caterpillars spray with any contact insecticide.
2. To control jack scale apply contact insecticide.
3. To control mealy bug, spray contact insecticides like lime sulphur or dust sulphur.
The common diseases that attack the tree are the pink disease, stem rot and fruit rot. Pruning of affected plants and protecting the cut-ends with Bordeaux paste are recommended against these diseases.

Mandarin orange is a subtropical fruit growing in the high ranges of Kerala. It requires deep soil rich in humus. The crop cannot withstand waterlogging. It is grown in regions having good drainage.

Preparation of land
Dig pits of size 70 x 60 x 70 cm at a spacing of 7-8 m at least one month in advance of planting.

Planting material
Use seedlings and budded plants for planting. For raising seedlings, extract seeds from selected fruits by squeezing. Wash the seeds free of pulp and dry them. Make seedbeds 1.5 m long, 1 m wide and 15 cm high. Sow the seeds giving a spacing of 13 cm in a row and 3 cm between the rows. Thin the seedlings if necessary or plant selected seedlings in secondary nursery. For budding, use rough lemon (jamber) seedlings as rootstock. Raise the rootstock seedlings in a nursery and when they are 18-24 months old, budding may be done by the inverted "T" method. The best time for budding is from July to September. A month after insertion, lop off the vegetative growth of the seedling above the bud joint completely. The budded plants are ready for planting in 6-12 months.

Time and method for planting
Planting is done during July-August. Lift the plants carefully with a ball of earth around the roots and plant them carefully without disturbing the roots. While planting, remove the bandage around the bud joint and keep the bud joint at least 10-15 cm above soil surface. Remove the vegetative growth arising below the bud union periodically.

Manuring

The manuring schedule recommended is given below.
 

Mango is adaptable to a wide range of climate and soil conditions and grows well from sea level up to about 1500 m above mean sea level. It withstands both fairly dry conditions and heavy rainfall.

Varieties
Alphonso, Kalapady, Neelum, Mundappa, Pairi, Benishan, Alampur Benishan, Mulgoa, Suvarnarekha.

Hybrids
Hybrid No.45 (Bennet Alphonso x Himayuddin), Hybrid No.87 (Kalapady x Alampur Benishan), Hybrid No.151 (Kalapady x Neelum)

Season
Plant one year old grafts with the onset of monsoon showers so that they get established before the rains. If rainfall is heavy, planting should be done during August-September.

Vegetative propagation
Stone grafting is successful in mango. August is ideal for the operation. Select four month old scion materials. Defoliation of scion shoots 10 days prior to grafting is beneficial. Grafting of 8 cm long scion on rootstocks at a height of 6 to 8 cm is most successful. The dieback disease of grafts caused by Colletotrichum can be controlled by spraying 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Planting
Select good grafts for planting. Planting can be done according to the square system or hexagonal system. Prepare pits of size 1 x 1 x 1 m at a spacing of 9 m one month before planting and allow to weather. Refill pits with mixture of topsoil and 10 kg of compost or FYM per pit to a level higher than the adjoining ground. Plant the grafts at the same depths as they were in the containers, preferably in the late evening. Deep planting results in poor growth of the plant. Ensure that the graft joint is above the soil level. Tie the plants to stakes to prevent snapping at the graft joints.

Manuring
Apply FYM/compost and fertilizers at the rate indicated below:
 

Papaya thrives well in tropical climate. The occurrence of low temperature and frost limits its cultivation. The optimum temperature for the growth and development of papaya is 22-26ºC. In Kerala, the limiting factors for commercial cultivation are high rainfall and severe drought in summer. However, this is best suited as a homestead fruit crop. The papaya prefers a rich, well-drained soil. It will not tolerate waterlogging around the trunk.

Varieties
Washington, Honey Dew, Coorg Honey Dew, Solo, Co-1, Co-2, Co-4, Pusa Nanha, Pusa Giant
Co-2 and Co-5 are suitable for papain extraction.

Propagation
Papaya is propagated almost entirely by seeds. The best time for raising papaya seedlings is from February to March. The seeds are sown in raised seedbeds of 2 x 1 m made 15 cm above the ground level or in polythene bags. A mixture of sand, leaf mould and dried FYM is spread over the seedbed. The seeds are sown 2-3 cm deep at a distance of 5 cm in rows 15 cm apart. To raise seedlings for planting in a hectare, 250 g seeds are required. Seedbeds should be watered daily, if there is no rain.

Papaya seedlings raised in polythene bags can stand transplanting better than that raised in seedbeds. Polythene bags of 20 x 15 cm size and 150 gauge thickness are used as containers. They are filled with a mixture of FYM, soil and sand in equal proportions.

Two seeds are sown in each bag and after germination, only one seedling is retained.
Vegetative propagation by mound layering is also possible.

Planting
Two month old seedlings are transplanted in the main field in May-June at a spacing of 2 x 2 m. Pits of size 50 x 50 x 50 cm are taken and filled with topsoil. Male plants are removed as soon as they flower and the female and hermaphrodite plants are retained. In pure female plantations, one male plant is retained for every 10 female plants. Seedlings are shaded to protect them from excessive sunlight until they establish. In hermaphrodite or monoecious types male plants may not be required.

Manuring
Organic manure may be applied at the rate of 10 to 25 kg / plant / year at the onset of southwest monsoon in basins around the plant. Each papaya plant should also be supplied with 40 g N, 40 g P₂O₅, and 80 g K₂O at every two month interval.

Intercultivation and intercropping
Keep the papaya plot free of weeds. Two hand-diggings, one in the beginning of the rainy season and another in January-February are necessary. When papaya is grown as the main crop, vegetables can be profitably cultivated as intercrop for about six months from planting of papaya seedlings.

Irrigation
The crop should be irrigated in summer. The ring system of irrigation is better for papaya than the basin system because the ring system prevents irrigation water coming into contact with the stem, thus preventing collar rot.

Harvesting
The seedlings flower and set fruit within 3-5 months after transplanting. The number of fruits harvested per tree per year varies from 25 to 30. Fruits showing streaks of yellow colour are harvested. Although papaya trees bear flowers and fruits continuously for many years, it is not economical to retain the trees after 2.5 to 3 years.

Extraction of papain
Papain is an active enzyme present in the latex or milky secretion of papaya plants and immature fruits. Half to three-fourth matured fruits (about 70 to 100 days from fruit set) are preferred for papain extraction. Tapping of fruits can be done early in the morning by giving longitudinal skin-depth incisions (0.3 cm) on the surface of the fruits from the stalk end to tip. Stainless steel blades or knives or bamboo splinters are used for incising papaya fruits. The milky latex is collected in arecanut spathes or aluminium or glass vessels. The incisions are repeated in two or three subsequent occasions at 3 to 4 days intervals. The latex collected in this way is dried in the sun or in an artificial drier at 50-55ºC. A small quantity of potassium metabisulphite is added to the liquid latex to extend the storage life of papain. The dried latex can be stored in airtight polythene or glass containers for a period of six months. Tapped fruits are equally tasty as untapped fruits, although impaired in appearance.

Plant protection

Damping off
It causes rotting of seedlings in the nursery. This can be prevented by sterilizing the soil of the seedbed with 2.5% formaldehyde solution and covering it for 48 hours with newspapers or polythene sheets. This treatment is given 15 days before sowing.

Collar rot or stem rot
Waterlogging and bad drainage are the chief contributing factors. Application of Bordeaux paste on the stem and soil drenching with Bordeaux mixture are control measures.

Anthracnose
It causes premature fruit fall and leaf fall. To control, spray Bordeaux mixture 1%.
Papaya mosaic and papaya leaf curl are two serious virus diseases of papaya. Remove the affected plants and burn them immediately.

Pineapple is mostly grown at low elevations in areas with a temperature range of 15 to 30ºC. Pineapple is tolerant to drought because of the special water storage cells. They can be grown with a wide range of rainfall from 600-2500 mm / annum, the optimum being 1000-1500 mm. Pineapple can be grown in a wide range of soils, but does not tolerate waterlogging. It can be grown as a pure crop on plantation scale or as an intercrop in coconut gardens.

Season
The planting season is May-June. Planting should be avoided during the periods of heavy rains.

Varieties
There are two varieties viz., Kew and Mauritius the cultivation practices of which are described separately.

1. KEW
Kew is a variety recommended for large-scale commercial cultivation in Kerala. The package of recommendations for its cultivation is detailed below.

Preparation of the land
Prepare the land for planting by ploughing or digging followed by levelling. Depending on the nature of land, prepare trenches of convenient length and about 90 cm width and 15-30 cm depth. The trenches are to be aligned at a distance of 165 cm from centre to centre.

Selection and treatment of suckers
Select healthy suckers of uniform size weighing 500-1000 g. Keep suckers in open space under shade in a single layer for about 7 days for drying. Strip off a few lower old dried leaves. Allow the suckers to dry and cure for another 7 days. Dip the cured suckers in 1% Bordeaux mixture at the time of planting.

Planting
Rake the soil and plant the suckers in double rows at spacing of 70 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants. Limit the depth of planting to 7.5 to 10 cm. Adopt triangular method of planting in each trench so that the plants in two adjacent rows are not opposite to each other (plant population 40400 / ha).

Manuring
Apply compost / cattle manure at 25 t/ha as basal dressing. Apply fertilizers at the following dosage:
 

Sapota requires a temperature range of 11 to 34ºC and an annual precipitation of 225-375 cm. It can be grown in all types of soil but well drained soil is necessary for good growth.

Varieties
Cricket Ball, Oval, Co-1, Co-2, Badami, Baramasi, Calcutta Round, Pala and PKM-1

Propagation
It is propagated through layers and grafts. Manilkara hexandra (khirni) is the best rootstock for inarching sapota.

Season
The season of planting is May-June. Planting should be avoided during the periods of heavy rains.

Planting
Planting is done in pits of 60 x 60 x 60 cm at a square spacing of 7-8 m.

Manuring
The recommended nutrient dosage for a full-grown sapota tree per year is:
FYM                                   5 kg
N:P₂O₅:K₂O         500:360:750 g

Apply FYM in May-June with the onset of monsoon. Apply the fertilizers in two equal split doses, the first during May-June and the second during August-September.

Apply the manures and fertilizers in trenches 30 cm deep taken at a distance of 1 m from the base of the tree.

Irrigation
Irrigation may not be necessary except during the early stages and in the hot weather; but good crops can be obtained with irrigation.

Training and pruning
No pruning is necessary; but in old trees, lower branches can be removed up to 1 m height.

Flowering and fruiting
The tree flowers continuously in several flushes at short intervals throughout the year. But there are two seasons when flowers will be produced profusely i.e., October to November and February to March. Grafted sapota begins to bear in the third year after planting. Fruit production increases with age up to 30 years followed by a decline. Fruits mature about 4 months after flowering.

Harvesting
Mature fruits, which are dull brown in colour, are harvested and stored for about five days before they are fully ripened for consumption. Ripe fruits can be kept for about 5 to 7 days.

West Indian cherry, also known as Barbados cherry is the richest source of vitamin C. It is a medium sized shrub, which thrives well in tropical climate. It is best suited as a homestead fruit crop and prefers a rich well drained soil.

Varieties
Two distinct types are seen.

Pink flower type
Flowers are pink and are born in clusters in leaf axils. Fruits are large in size (about 6 g).

White flower type
Flowers are white and are born in clusters in leaf axils. Fruits are small (about 1 g) and orange coloured when fully ripe.

Planting materials
West Indian cherry is usually raised from seedlings. Seeds are sown in well-prepared beds and when the seedlings are about 2-4 months old, they are ready for planting. Vegetative propagation by means of hardwood cuttings along with leaves is feasible, though the percentage of rooting is very low. Air layering is highly successful when treated with IBA. Layers strike roots within 3-4 weeks. When the roots peep out though the ball of moss or coir pith, the stem may be severed in stages. The rooted shoot is potted after removing the polythene film and kept in shade till new flushes appear. Plants may be hardened in full sunlight prior to transplanting. Chip budding, shield budding, side grafting and veneer grafting are also successful to a limited extent.

Planting
For planting, pits of size 1 x 1 x 1 m are made, 6 m apart. Fill the pit with topsoil and 10 kg cowdung. After planting, mulching may be done with dry leaves to conserve moisture. July to December is considered to be the best time for planting. Irrigation once in four days during early stages of growth up to one year of planting and later on, once in 7-10 days is necessary.

Manuring
A fully-grown, bearing plant should be top dressed with fertilizers @ 100 g N, 160 g P₂O₅ and 260 g K₂O. These may be applied in two splits, in June-July and again in January, when there is sufficient moisture in the soil.

Pruning
Pruning is done once in a year to maintain regular shape. Pruning consists of removal of dried and diseased wood and also the drooping branches.

Flowering, fruiting and harvesting
The seedling plants come to flowering within two years of planting while rooted cuttings flower in six months. Flowering commences in the middle of May and extends up to August. The harvest of fruits commences from August and continues up to November. Rarely, flowering is noticed in March and the crop comes to harvest in April / May.

Yield
The average yield during fourth year of the plant is 2 kg per plant.

Processing
The fruits may be consumed fresh or its pulp can be used for preparation of juice, jam, jelly, preserve, syrup etc. The juice or pulp may also be used to fortify ascorbic acid contents of various other products. Its juice can be used to blend with other fruit juice to give delicious mixed fruit cocktails and also to improve their nutritive value. As the richest natural source of vitamin C, the fruits have considerable scope to be developed on a commercial basis, for the production of vitamin C.

Apple is an important temperate fruit suited for growing in the high ranges of Kerala. Sloping sites to allow free drainage are considered more suitable than level tops. The ideal soil viz., loam, sandy loam and silt loam with open porous and well-drained subsoil suites apple.

Preparation of land
The planting distance in India varies from 7-10 m, depending upon the vigour of plant. The pit should be of 1 m wide and 20 cm deep so that all roots may be accommodated in a well spread condition.

Planting material
Apples are ordinarily propagated by budding or grafting on seedlings of Crab apple, Yellow Newton or Golden Delicious. Winters are best for whip grafting. Shield budding is done in June with the season's bud. Both whip grafting and shield budding are widely practiced in India.

Time and method of planting
Apples are planted in the ground free of weeds, regularly irrigated for about two years in the beginning. Planting is done late in winter. For adequate root development a temperature of 7ºC is considered ideal.

Pruning
The pruning and training are important in apple cultivation. One-year-old plants are cut back at about 80-100 cm above ground. If branches are present at this time, only 4 to 5 of them ought to be retained and shortened in length. No shoot is retained below 50 cm from ground. At the time of first dormant pruning, the main scaffold branches are cut back to about half a metre in length.

Secondary branches arise from these main limbs. Some of the new shoots arising early in the second summer are rubbed off in order to develop only a few vigorous secondary branches. During the second dormant pruning, the crowded, misplaced or diseased secondary branches are removed and the extra vigorous ones headed back. This process is continued for 4 or 5 years, at the end of which there are 8 to 10 scaffold branches.

It is desirable to add 100-150 g of nitrogen as sulphate of ammonia. Similar quantities of phosphate and potash should be added when required. Five quintals of bone meal and 10 quintals of wood ash per hectare are given annually besides the fertilizers. Fertilizers should be mixed with the soil at a radius of 1 m from the plant.

Thinning of fruit
Thinning of fruit is also practised in order to improve fruit colour and fruit size. It is desirable to retain one fruit for every 40 leaves. This spaces the fruit at about 15-20 cm apart and there will be only one fruit per spur.

Harvesting
Much of the success in apple production depends on proper picking, storage and disposal. When a fruit separates easily from the spur, firmness of flesh and taste are desirable. The harvested fruits may be stored for 120-150 days at 4-5ºC, provided there is good circulation of air.

Citation:
Kerala Agricultural University. 2002. Package of Practices Recommendations: Crops. 12th Edition
(eds. A. I. Jose et al.). Kerala Agricultural University, Trichur. 278p.