Harvesting starts from November and extends to May.
Sucks sap from young leaves, shoots and young nuts and apples Start spaying at onset of flowering and apply 3 times at 14 days intervals.
Spray with Bayfidan at a rate of 10-15 ml in 3 litres of water per tree per application. Seriously attacked flowers die in a few days Mildew (ash white covering) occurs on tender leaves, young shoots, flowers The following are important pests and diseases of cashew found in the Coast. Diseases that affect cashews include powdery mildew and anthracnose. Other insect pests include stem borers, thrips, mealybugs, weevils, caterpillars and leaf miners. The most notable pest that affects cashews is the cashew nut bug. Top working is grafting of sprouts from unproductive coppiced trees. Pollarding is severe pruning of the tree at a height of about 3m to reduce canopy to allow easier spraying and harvesting.Ĭoppicing is cutting down the tree at a height of 1.5 m to 2 m to renew the canopy. This is removal of unwanted trees from the orchard. Pruning is done to remove unwanted plant parts. The following options are available for improving old cashew orchards depending on their condition. However, if manure is not available and intensive production is carried out, chemical fertilisers, such as Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) and Potassium Sulphate can be applied. Prepare a shallow basin around the seedling.Ĭover the area with mulch before watering.Īnimal and compost manure are the best fertilisers for cashew. Plant the seedling at the centre of the hole. The measurements of the holes should be 60cm x 60cm x 60cm.Ĭarefully remove the seedling from the polythene bag so as to not disturb the roots. Lay out the field by spacing holes at 12m x 12m.ĭig holes one or two months before planting. Grafted seedlings are available in KALRO nurseries and in some of their private partner institutions.ī) To establish a cashew orchard, the following steps are recommended: The tree is not tolerant to saline soils.Ĭashew is usually propagated through seeds or grafted seedlings. The optimum range of pH for growing cashews is 4.5–6.5, with the minimum being 3.8. It does not grow well in heavy clay, compact and hard soils, hard pans, soils with concretions in the rooting zones, and soils found in valleys, flood plains and swampy areas due to their poor drainage. Cashew prefers deep soils (more than 2m) that are well-drained and light-textured, e.g., sandy soils. Excessive humidity leads to fungal diseases. Cashew requires temperatures of 24–28 oC, with the optimum being 27 oC, but it can thrive even in 40 oC.Rainfall should be 800–1600mm per year, followed by 4–5 months of ample sunshine for the cashew to flower and ultimately give a good yield. It can be grown in elevations of 0–1,000m above sea level, with the ideal being 600m.It is grown by smallholder farmers within the coastal region and was recently introduced in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties. Kenya produces about 15,000 tonnes annually.Ĭashew does well in tropical climate with high and constant temperature. KALRO has developed 14 varieties with a potential of an average of up to 50 kgs per tree. The tree starts to bear after one and half years (1.5 yrs) but the economic yields are after three years
#PRUNING CASHEW TREES SKIN#
The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically. Within the true cashew fruit (apple) is a single seed, the cashew nut. The fruit is an oval or pear - shaped structure that develops from the pedicel and the receptacle of the cashew flower called the cashew apple The flowers are produced in a panicle or corymbs of upto 26 cm long, each flower small, pale green at first then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals of 7 - 15 mm long. The leaves are spirally arranged, leathery textured elliptic to obviate. The tree is small and evergreen, growing to a height of 10 - 12m.
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