Expert Advisory Details

Advisory related to Horticulture crops for the upcoming days

Horticulture- The deciduous fruit plants such as peach, plum can be planted up to second fortnight of January whereas, pear and grapes are planted in the first fortnight of February before the commencement of new flush.

• Pruning of deciduous fruit trees like peach, plum and pear should be carried out during January. For grapes, the pruning is normally initiated in the second fortnight of January and completed by first week of February.
• The rejuvenation of grapes cv. Perlette trained on bower system can be done by heading back this month. The primary arms leaving behind one feet stub in the month of January.
• To rejuvenate senile mango trees head back the trees at 3m from ground level leaving 4-5 outward growing branches in the first week of January and apply Bordeaux Paste on the cut ends and white wash the exposed branches.
• Remove the dead wood during January-February before the new growth starts to rejuvenate the declining citrus orchards after harvest. Apply Bordeaux paste to cut ends and trunk of the trees followed by Bordeaux paint after one week. Spray the crop with Bordeaux mixture (2:2:250). Treat foot rot/gummosis and canker in citrus by decortications and disinfection of wound on the trunk with Bordeaux paste. After the paste dries up in about a week, apply Bordeaux mixture (2:2:250).
• Ensure that the young plants remained protected from frost during this month. If the growers have not applied farmyard manure and fertilizer to the fruit plants during last month, it should be given now. Apply the farmyard manure, single superphosphate and half nitrogen and half potash to the grapes after pruning. One irrigation should be applied to the ber trees during this month as the fruits are in the developing stage.
• To check the climbing of Nymphs of mango mealy bug on the trees, fix 15-20 cm wide slippery band one meter above the ground level.
• To control the citrus canker, the infested plant parts like leaves, branches should be cut off and destroyed by burning. The pruned trees should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture (2:2:250) immediately and apply Bordeaux paste to the cut surface and the trunk of the trees.