The Hindu Business Line : `High density cashew planting profitable'

HIGH density planting of cashew offers scope for increasing farmers' income owing to higher yield levels compared to the present method of wide space planting.

A field experiment conducted during the past three years to assess the optimum crop geometry for maximising profit from cashew plantations has proved that high density planting is more beneficial to farmers. According to scientists at the Regional Fruit Research Station, Vengurla in Kerala, nine spacing combination studies have revealed that the growth parameters are not appreciably influenced due to spacing treatments.

``The yield per block and per hectare in respect of high density (5 x 5m) treatments were remarkably high'', Mr P.P. Balasubramanian, Director, Cashew and Cocoa Development Board, told Business Line.

He said scientists conducted field experiments at the central experimental station in Wakawali, Maharashtra, in a randomised block design with nine treatments replicated three times.

According to scientists, the yield performance of cashewnut under different spacing treatment showed that the yield per block varied significantly. The treatment under 5x5 m spacing recorded the highest yield of 400 kg and was superior to all the other treatments, they said. The results, by and large, revealed that the growth of cashew was not markedly altered by changing the planting geometry even at the age of 8-10 years. Therefore, the only alternative to induce variation in the yield is by altering the density of planting in unit area. Evidently, the results indicated the scope for planting more plants per unit area for higher nut yield.

Under Kerala conditions instead of the normal planting density of 100-177 plants high density of 312-625 cashew plants per hectare had been suggested.

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