Grow With Knowledge
Pomegranate
Introduction
Pomegranate cultivation in India has seen significant expansion in recent times due to its high economic value. The fruit owing to its huge health benefits is gaining popularity amongst the growers as well as the end consumers. However, there is limited information on its required nutrient schedule in the important stages like reproductive, flowering & fruit set. Pomegranate plants require a systematic fertilizer schedule to assure their best performance for a high-quality yield & better financial returns on the investment. Major states growing pomegranates are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Read More
Climate and Soil Requirement
Pomegranate can be grown in a wide variety of soils ranging from sandy-to-sandy loam soil. Light soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0 is highly suitable for its cultivation; however, it can also tolerate pH up to 8.5 under proper management practices. Fruit quality and color development is better in light soils. The tree requires a warm and dry climate during fruit development and ripening.
Land Preparation
The land for pomegranate cultivation is prepared by ploughing 3-4 times to break the soil clods. This helps in removing the debris and bringing the subsoil to the surface. Soil materials like rocks, stones, pebbles, etc. are removed during this process to promote air circulation in the soil. Once ploughing is completed the land is leveled and prepared for plantation.
Planting Method in Pomegranate Cultivation
There are two methods of planting followed in pomegranate cultivation: the Square method and the Rectangular method. The square method is more commonly followed cultivation method in which the inter-plant distance of 4-5 meters is maintained and pits of dimensions 60X60X60 cm are dug a month before the actual cultivation and then left open for solarization for a period of two weeks. To protect from termite invasion, the sides and the bottom of the pits are dusted with 5% carbaryl dust. After two weeks the pits are filled with topsoil which is mixed with farmyard manure and phosphate. Once the pits are filled with soil, they are watered so that the soil settles down. The air layers or cuttings are then planted and staked. The first irrigation is done immediately after this planting step.
Canopy management
The training and pruning process starts after 6-8 months to develop a structural framework. In this, the lowest branch should be allowed to develop at 30-40 cm above the ground with single stem training or multi-stem training. In an arid region, multiple stem training (3-5 stems) system is preferred to avoid losses of stems/plants by termite attack which is a severe problem in the hot arid region in the initial stage of orchard development. Pruning is done twice a year to remove dried twigs, branches and to maintain a balance between vegetative and reproductive growth. Major pruning is practiced just after harvest in winter and light pruning is done at flower regulation during May-June. In severe bacterial blight infected orchards, heavy pruning is done after harvest by removing possible diseased portions.
Irrigation
Pomegranate requires regular irrigation to get optimal yield and fruit quality. Irrigation should be scheduled as per the requirement of the crop growth stage like during pollination, fruit setting, and development. The drip irrigation system is generally recommended for pomegranate. Two drippers for a one to three-year-old plant is enough to provide the required irrigation, whereas from the fourth year onwards 4 drippers per plant are required. In general, for nonbearing trees, about 5-25 liters/plant/day and 20-65 liters/plant/day for bearing trees are needed. Excess irrigation should be avoided which may increase wilt and nematode problems in the orchards. Therefore, judicious irrigation should be provided to the plants. Covering the soil with inorganic or organic mulches during dry months after the rainy season is recommended as it conserves soil moisture which creates favorable conditions for plant growth and development.
Fertilizer Scheduler of Mosaic Products
Stages | Duration in Days | Product with Dosages | Application Method of fertilizer | Benefits of Product |
---|---|---|---|---|
New sprout & leaf development | 0-15 | Mosaic DAP @ 275 g (Per Plant) Mosaic MOP @ 350 g (Per Plant) Mosaic K-Mag @ 170 g (Per Plant) |
Soil Application | Root and shoot development, improves chlorophyll content and photosynthesis, healthy and greener leaves, initiating new growth, |
Flowering & fruit setting | 30-60 | Mosaic Magna Liquid Zinc @ 1 mL/L + Seaweed extract @ 2.5 mL/L + Mosaic Magna Liquid Boron @ 1 mL/L (2 times at 30-35 days and 45-50 days) | Foliar spray | Better root and shoot growth, improves leaf area, chlorophyll content |
Flowering Initiation | 60-75 | Mosaic Magna Liquid Boron @ 1 mL/L + Seaweed extract @ 2.5 mL/L | Foliar spray | Improves flower and setting, number of flowers and fruits per shoot. |
Fruit development(Size increase) | 90-120 | Seaweed extract @ 2.5 mL/L, Mosaic Magna Liquid Boron @ 1 mL/L, Mosaic Magna Liquid Calcium 3 mL/L before 60 days of harvesting | Soil Application | Improves flower and fruit setting, fruit development, provide strength to stem, maintain water balance, translocation of sugar, tolerant to pest and diseases, improves fruit size, fruit juice content, yield and produce quality. |
Fruit development(Size, Color & taste) | 120-150 | Mosaic Magna Liquid Calcium 3 mL/L before 40 and 20 days of harvesting | Foliar spray | Improves TSS, TSS/TA ratio, juice content of arils, avoid fruit cracking, improves fruit color, fruit shining, and yield & quality |
Harvesting | 150-200 |
*Above dosages are applicable for Maharashtra.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Deficiencies | Symptoms | Affected Area | Solution |
---|---|---|---|
Phosphorus | Leaf tips look burnt, followed by older leaves turning dark green or reddish-purple. | Retarded growth, premature dropping of fruits, less number of white roots. | Apply recommended dose of Mosaic DAP. |
Potassium | Under extreme cases of potassium deficiency, the leaves dry up leading to shedding of all fruits and death of the twigs. | Poor fruit retention, reduced fruit size, with scorched leaves, reduction in yield. | Apply recommended dose of Mosaic MOP and Mosaic K Mag. |
Magnesium | Interveinal chlorosis in leaves. | Reduction in growth and premature defoliation. | Apply recommended dose of Mosaic K Mag. |
Sulphur | Leaf tips remain green and in severe cases whole leaf turns yellow. | Growth is stunted, compromised fruit quality & Sweetness. | Apply Mosaic K Mag @ 170 g/plant at the time of pruning and fruit initiation. |
Zinc | Small irregular drooping spots on leaves, twigs dieback. | Reduced leaf and shoot growth, reduction in flowering and fruit setting. | Foliar application of Mosaic Magna Liquid Zinc @ 1 mL/L at pre-flowering, flowering, and fruit development stage. |
Boron | Smaller fruits, abnormal and prone to cracking. Scattered yellow spots on the leaf surface and the leaf tip shows burn symptom. Leaves become thick and brittle. | Poor development of roots, premature shedding of male flowers leading to poor fruit setting. | Foliar application of Liquid Boron @1mL/L at flowering, fruiting, and fruit development stage. |