Productivity in relation to branching pattern and pruning in cashew(Anacardium oxidantale)

Abstract

A study was carried out at Cashew Research Station, Anakkayam in the Kerala Agricultural University to investigate the canopy architecture of cashew and to ascertain the optimum degree and frequency of manipulation of canopy for increasing yield. The experiments were carried out during the period from March, 1992 to September, 1995. The study revealed that the resultant canopy of a seedling was massive and like a hemisphere placed above a solid cylinder. The canopy of the grafts of the two varieties used for the study appeared like a cone placed abover a short cylinder. The layers had a small size canopy which was like a hemisphere. Because of the high PWBBRn and spear shaped canopy and high yield efficiency, grafts are found to be much superior to seedlings and layers. For high density intensive management, it is shown that, the use of grafts of high yielding varieties could result in a fold increase in yield. From the experimental evidences and identification of yield components by path analysis, an ideal plant type of cashew is proposed. Experiments on canopy manipulation of cashew revealed that the crop responded very well for pruning. A pruning schedule of removal of 25 per cent of the n5 order of branches at an interval of 3 years was found to increase the yield of the crop considerably. Chlorophyll content is found to have a linear positive correlation with yield and the estimation of the chlorophyll content could be used as one of the tools for screening for high yield in cashew.