Guava

Types

Surahi

Its fruit is lemon-shaped and the neck is smooth, and the fruit is like a pear. The fruit is medium in size, the peel is clear and the pulp is white. The number of seeds is less. There are two types of clarity. Small and large. Small guava ripens faster than other guava varieties. Due to the small size of the fruit, it ripens fully even during winter. The average yield is 90 to 100 kg per plant.

Larkana Sarahi

Its fruit is long and the neck is smooth. Its peel is rough and the pulp is white. It has few seeds. The average yield is 80 to 100 kg per plant.

Golla

Its fruit is round, white in color, medium in size, the peel is clean and attractive, the taste is quite delicious and sweet. The amount of seeds in the fruit is also adequate. Average yield is 80 to 100 kg per plant.

Karela

The fruit is long and the neck is smooth. This type of fruit looks like a bitter gourd or a pear. Its skin is rough and the color of the pulp is red or white. Its average yield is 60 to 75 kg per plant.

Surkha

In this variety, the fruit is round, the peel is clear and the pulp is red. It is called Sarkha because of the red color of the pulp. This variety has less sweetness but is pleasing to look at. Average yield is 65 to 80 kg per plant. Its fruit is used to make jam, jelly and squash etc.7

Soil

Guava grows in all types of soil. It can be grown in heavy to light sandy soil, but like other fruit trees, fertile mine soil is best suited. This plant can be successfully cultivated in semi-arid areas as compared to other plants. Soils with a pH of 6.5 to 8.5 are suitable for its cultivation.

 Breeding

 Guava breeding is done in the following ways.

 By seed

Guava is mostly grown by seeds. In this method, wash the good quality fruits and remove the seeds safely and grind them in sand to separate the pulp. Due to the hard skin of the guava seed, it is difficult to grow it. To get higher growth, soak guava seeds in water for 24 to 36 hours or keep clean guava seeds in 10% hydrochloric acid solution for 3 to 5 minutes and cultivate after washing. To cultivate these seeds, make tracks 1.5 meters long and one meter wide and 20 to 25 cm high. Place lines on these tracks at a distance of 10 to 15 cm and plant them at a depth of 2 cm and cover well and maintain adequate moisture. Seeds 4 to 5 weeks. I will grow up. When the plants are 8 to 10 cm tall, transplant them into containers. After about a year, the plants are ready to be planted in the garden. The best season for planting seeds is July August and February March. Remember that guavas produced by seeds are not the same in terms of quality.                     

 By transplant

Best varieties can be grafted by T grafting on one year old seedlings in February, March or September, October. The lower end of a 15 cm long branch of the desired type is cut diagonally and grafted into a "T" shaped cut on the root stock. A polythene sheet is placed on top. Remove the polythene sheet when springs break.

 By cuttings

With this method, guava plants of correct lineage can be produced. First select a healthy plant to take cuttings and take healthy branches in the months of August and September. To make pens keep two leaves of each pen and cut the remaining leaves and prepare 3 to 4 inch long pens. Make pens from the ends of the branches. A plastic tunnel is very important for planting guava pens. Make an iron tunnel about four to five feet wide, two to two and a half feet high and seven to eight feet long, covered with a polythene sheet. Fill the tunnel with equal parts of dirt, gravel and sand to a depth of four to five inches. Before applying the pens, dip the lower ends of the pens in a medium prepared by dipping them in 4000 ppm indole butyric acid so that 1/3 of the pen is exposed. The temperature inside the tunnel should be 25 to 28 centigrade and the humidity should be 80 to 85%. The distance between pen to pen and row to row should be 8 to 10 cm. Use M at 2 grams per liter of water.

Nursery Plantation

Guava plantations are generally planted in a square pattern. Plant-to-plant spacing and row-to-row spacing are maintained at 18 x 18 feet. About 132 plants per acre are planted in this method. Nowadays, the practice of mass planting is growing. For this, plant to plant and row to row distance x15 15 feet in high humidity areas. In this method 182 plants are planted per acre. 264 plants per acre can be planted by keeping plant to plant spacing of 8 feet and row to row spacing of 20 feet in low rainfall areas and poor soils. If the row to row distance is 12 feet and the plant to plant distance is 6 feet, then 594 plants can be planted per acre. 858 plants per acre can be planted by keeping row to row spacing of 10 feet and plant to plant spacing of 5 feet. Before planting, dig a hole 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep after preparing the ground well. Keep the top one foot of fertile soil aside. Keep the pits open for about three weeks so that the soil bacteria die due to sun and light. These pits should be filled by mixing one part of soil, one part of rotted cow dung and one part of fertile soil above the pit and the pits should be filled with water. Plant the plants in the pits when the weather comes. Firmly tap the soil around the plant. Before watering, cover the soil with the stem of the plant and apply water. Best planting season is February, March and September, October. Guava plantations are also planted in a rectangular pattern. Rows are oriented from north to south. Pruning of plants planted with this method is very important.

Cultivation of crops in the garden

Crops can be cultivated in the early years after planting of guava i.e. before fruiting. Vegetables and legumes are also useful for guava plants. Among vegetables, carrots and radishes can be cultivated Chickpeas etc. can be cultivated in legumes. The roots of the guava plant are close to the surface of the ground, so it should not be ploughed too deep, as this may injure the roots and prevent the plants from getting food from the ground.

Guava wilting

In this disease, the roots of the plant are affected and stop functioning, causing the plant to slowly wither. A sample of the roots and branches of the affected plant should be given to the pathological laboratory for analysis. If the disease is caused by Phytophthora powdery mildew, Toridomil Gold at 2.0 gm per sq ft should be applied to the soil under the canopy of the plant. If root rot is caused by Fusarium wilt, apply thiophenate methyl at the rate of 1.5 grams per square foot to the roots of the plants.

Dried Guava

This disease is often found in guava plantations. Branches affected by this disease begin to dry from the top downwards and dry shoots are seen on the affected plants. Dry, diseased and affected branches should be cut back 6 inches and sprayed with thiophenate methyl at 1.5 g per liter of water.

Guava Chitri

Gardens in which plants are intertwined and the passage of air and light becomes difficult. Often the fruits begin to rot in them. This attack becomes more intense in the rainy season. The fruit first has a yellowish mark which later enlarges and half or 3/4 of the fruit rots. The fruit falls off. To prevent this disease, prune the guava plants in such a way that the entire field becomes aerated. After harvesting, spray copper hydroxide Kocide at the rate of 2.5 grams per liter of water on the plants.

Guava Chitri

Gardens in which plants are intertwined and the passage of air and light becomes difficult. Often the fruits begin to rot in them. This attack becomes more intense in the rainy season. The fruit first has a yellowish mark which later enlarges and half or 3/4 of the fruit rots. The fruit falls off. To prevent this disease, prune the guava plants in such a way that the entire field becomes aerated. After harvesting, spray copper hydroxide Kocide at the rate of 2.5 grams per liter of water on the plants.

Insects and their remedies

Fruit fly

Fruit fly attack occurs mostly in summer season. The bee inserts its stinger inside the fruit and lays eggs, which produce small larvae that begin to eat the pulp and the fruit rots and falls to the ground. The fallen fruit is collected and pressed into the ground. To control it, by installing 4 to 6 sex traps in an acre, pieces of poison with methyl euginol are placed in it, which kills the bee in the traps. The poisonous drug (Methyl euginol) should be changed every ten days so that the flies die in time   

Irrigation depends on the climate and soil characteristics of the area. Smaller plants require less frequent watering throughout the year. Larger plants require more water, especially when the fruit is growing in size. Following is the monthly statement for irrigation of guava plants.

Irrigation intervals should be shortened to minimize the effects of frost on expected days of frost. In rainy season, irrigation interval can be extended as per requirement.

Use of fertilizers

The requirement of chemical and indigenous fertilizers varies according to the age of the plant, type, soil fertility, climate and management issues. Guava produces new shoots and flowers in early April instead of February, March as compared to normal fruiting plants. For winter fruiting, dung fertilizer should be applied in August, September, phosphorus fertilizer in August, potash in September, October while first dose of nitrogen should be applied in September and second dose in November. Fertilizers are detailed in the following statement. 

Note: If there is a deficiency of any trace elements, make a solution of 100 grams of zinc sulfate, 100 grams of magnesium sulfate, 50 grams of boric acid (18%) and 150 grams of ferrous sulfate in an appropriate amount of water and filter, then dissolve all of them in 100 liters of water. Do 2 sprays at an interval of 15 days.

Note: If there is a deficiency of any trace elements, make a solution of 100 grams of zinc sulfate, 100 grams of magnesium sulfate, 50 grams of boric acid (18%) and 150 grams of ferrous sulfate in an appropriate amount of water and filter, then dissolve all of them in 100 liters of water. Do 2 sprays at an interval of 15 days.

Harvest and yield

The guava plant bears fruit twice a year. One crop is harvested in summer (July, August) and the other in winter (January, February). When the fruit is ripe, it is bright red or white in color and has a distinctive aroma. The fruit is plucked from the trees into fruit-picking baskets with protection to prevent injury from falling down.

A guava plant starts bearing fruit after about five to six years. Its production depends on climate, soil and its types. Its average yield is 80 to 100 mounds per acre.