Guava
Botanical Name- Psidium guajava L.
Family - Myrtaceae

• Common but important commercial fruit crop of India.
• It is native to Central America. It can grow in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
• It is rich source of Vitamin C and Pectin along with Calcium and Phosphorus.
• It is the fourth most important crop after Mango, Banana and Citrus.
• It can be grown all over India. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa, WB, AP and Tamilnadu are the major stated growing guava.
• Also it can be successfully grown throughout Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In Punjab, it occupies an area of 8022 ha with annual production of 160463 MT.

Soil –

• It is a hardy crop. And grows wells in all type of soil from poor, alkaline and ill drained soil.
• It can grow in soil having pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.5.
• It gives best results when grown under deep, well drained, sandy loam to clay loam soil.

Climate – 

• Guava is successfully grown under tropical and subtropical climate.
• The quality of the fruits is better in areas having distinct winter

• Plants are propagated by budding or Air layering.
• Sardar variety seeds are tolerant to wilt and can be used for raising rootstock. Extract seed from ripen fruit and sow them in raise bed in August-March.
• Make raised beds of 2 m x 1 m.
• When seedling becomes six months old they are ready for transplantation. Transplanted seedling when attain diameter of 1-1.2 cm and height of 15 cm they are ready for budding process.
• May and June months are best for budding process.
• Freshly cut, angular bud wood from current season’s growth is used for budding purpose.

Time of sowing
February-March or August-September month is optimum time for planting of Guava.

• Do ploughing, cross ploughing of land and then levelled the land.
• Prepare land in such way that water stagnation should not occurred in field.

• After planting, irrigate crop immediately, then irrigate on third day, afterwards irrigate depending upon soil type and climate.
• Irrigation is not required to well establish orchards.
• Young plantation required irrigation at weekly interval in summer month and 2-3 irrigation during winter month.
• Avoid flood irrigation during flowering stage as it leads to excessive flower drop.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

• When crop is of 1-3 year old, apply well composed cow dung@10-25 kg per tree along with Urea@155-200 gm, SSP@500-1600 gm and MOP@100-400 gm per Tree.
• For 4-6 year old crop, apply cowdung@25-40 kg, Urea@300-600 gm, SSP@1500-2000 gm, MOP@600 gm-1000 gm per tree.
• When crop become 7-10 year old, apply Cowdung@40-50 kg, Urea@750-1000 gm, SSP@ 2000-2500 gm and MOP@1100-1500 gm per Tree.
• When crop age is above 10 year, apply Cowdung@50 kg per tree, Urea@1000 gm, SSP@ 2500 gm and MOP@ 1500 gm per Tree.
• Apply half of dose of Urea, SSP and MOP and full dose of cowdung, in May-June month and remaining half dose in September – October.

Spraying a combination of micro nutrients viz., ZnSO4, MgSO4 and MnSO4 @ 0.5 % and CuSO4 and FeSO4 @ 0.25% plus Teepol @ 1ml per 5 lit of solution at following growth stages:
1. During new flush
2. One month after first spray
3. During flowering
4. During fruit set

• During initial 3-4 years, grow vegetable like carrot, okra, brinjal and radish can be taken as intercrop.
• Also legumes crop like gram, beans can be sown as intercrop.

• Training and Pruning is necessary to provide stronger frame work to guava tree. Stronger frame work helps to support high yield.
• To maintain the productivity of trees, light pruning at time of first harvesting is necessary.
• Regularly remove dead and diseased infected branches.
• Modified leader system of training is followed.
• Flowers in guava are borne on current seasons growth so carry out light annual pruning and remove upto 10 cm tip, it will encourage new shoots after harvesting.`

Bahar Treatment 

• There are three distinct flowering seasons with corresponding harvesting periods-rainy, winter and  spring.
• It is desirable to take only one crop in a year.
• In South India the rainy season crop is preferred  even though it is of poor quality, since the price is high at this time.
• In North India, winter crop is of better  quality and the fruits also escape the attack of white flies. 
• In Western India, root pruning of guava to regulate the season of harvesting, as is done in the case of  mandarins, is recommended in heavy soils only.
• In lighter soils, withholding of water serves the  purpose.
• This practice is known as bahar treatment. 

1) Fruit Fly: 

• It is serious pest of guava.
• Females lay eggs below epidermis of young fruits.
• Later on maggots feed on pulp afterward fruits starts rotting and get drop.

Management-

• If orchards are having history of fruit fly, avoid taking rainy season crop.
• Remove and destroyed infested branches, fruits away from field.
• Take spray of Fenvalerate@80ml in 150 Ltr of water at weekly intervals on fruit ripening.
• Harvest should be done after third day of spraying.

2) Mealy Bug : 

Symptoms-

They suck sap from different plant parts and thus weaken plant.

Management-

• If infestations of sucking pests like Mealy bug is observed then to control spray with Chlorpyriphos 50 EC @300 ml/100Ltr of water.

3) Guava Shoot Borer : 

Symptoms-

• It is a serious pest of nursery.
• Infested shoots get dry up.

Management–

If infestation is observed, take spray of Chlorpyriphos@500ml or Quinalphos@400ml in 100Litres of water per acre.

4) Aphid : 

Symptoms-

• Serious and common pest of Guava.
• Curling and deformation of young leaves.
• They secrete honey dew like substance and Sooty, black mould is developed on affected parts.

Management-

If infestation is observed to control takes spray of Dimethoate@20ml or Methyl Demeton@20ml per 10Ltr water on new flush.

1.Nitrogen

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Stunted growth.
• Pale green to light yellow color (chlorosis) appearing first on older leaves, usually starting at the tips.
• chlorosis could result in the death and / or dropping of the older leaves.

Foliar spray of Urea 1-2 % at fortnightly intervals.

2.Phosphorus

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Slow, weak and stunted growth with dark to blue-green coloration to appear on older leaves of some plants.
• Purpling in leaves and stems may appear.
• Delayed maturity and poor seed and fruit development.

Foliar spray of DAP 2% at fortnightly interval.

3.Potassium

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Chlorosis along the edges of leaves  occurs first in older leaves.
• Plants lacking K will have slow and stunted growth.
• Stems are weak.
• The size of seeds and fruits and the quantity of their production is reduced

Foliar spray of K2SO4 2% at fortnightly interval.

4.Calcium

Deficiency Symptoms :

• The growing tips of roots and leaves turn brown and die.
• Newly emerging leaves may stick together at the margins, which causes tearing as the leaves expand and unfurl.
• Younger leaves may be cupped and crinkled, with the terminal bud deteriorating.

Correction Measure :

Soil application of gypsum @ 20 kg /ha.

5.Magnesium

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Interveinal chlorosis first appears in older leaves.
• Leaf tissue between the veins may be yellowish, bronze or reddish, while the leaf veins remain green.
• In severe cases, symptoms may appear on younger leaves and cause premature leaf drop.
• Symptoms occur most frequently in acid soils and soils receiving high amounts of K fertilizer or Ca.

Corrective Measures

Foliar spray of MgSO4 2% at fortnightly interval.

6.Sulphur

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Younger leaves are chlorotic with evenly, lightly colored veins.
• Growth rate is retarded and maturity is delayed.
• Plant stems are stiff, thin and woody.
• Symptoms may be similar to N deficiency and are most often found in sandy soils that are low in organic matter and receive moderate to heavy rainfall.

Corrective Measure :

Soil application of gypsum @ 20 kg /ha.

7.Boron

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Stunted growth, first showing symptoms on the growing point and younger leaves.
• The leaves tend to be thickened and may curl and become brittle.

Foliar spray of Borax 0.5% at fortnightly interval.

8.Iron

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Interveinal chlorosis in younger leaves.
• The youngest leaves become pale yellow.

Soil application of FeSO4 @ 10 kg/ha.

9.Manganese

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Symptoms first appear as chlorosis in young tissues.
• Unlike Fe chlorosis symptoms, Mn chlorosis shows up as tiny yellow spots.

Foliar spray of MnSO4 1% at fortnightly interval.

1) Wilt :

Symptoms-

• Serious disease of Guava crop.
• Yellowing, wilting of leaves along with defoliation are symptoms of wilt infestation.

Management-

• Keep field well drained; avoid water logging condition in field.
• Remove and destroyed infected plants away from field.
• Drench nearby soil with Copper oxychloride@25gm or Carbendazim@20gm/10Ltr of water.

2)Anthracnose or Dieback: 

Symptoms-

• Dark brown or black spots are observed on shoots.
• On fruits also small, raise, dark spots are observed.
• Fruits rot completely within 2 to 3 days after infection.

Management-

• Keep field clean, destroyed infected plant parts, fruits also avoid water logging condition in soil.
• After pruning take spray of Captan@300gm in 100Ltr water.
• At fruit set repeat the spray of Captan and continue till fruits get mature with interval of 10-15days.
• If infestation observed in field take spray of Copper oxychloride@30gm/10Ltr on infected trees.

Training and Pruning 

• Training is done primarily to give form to the tree.
• For development of a strong framework the first 60 to  90 cm from the base of the trunk should be cleaned followed by 4 to 5 scaffold branches at an interval of  20-25 cm.
• When the plants attained a height of about 1.5m to 1.8 m, it is headed back to make the  center open.
• In some parts of India (Maharashtra and South Bengal), the branches are bent downward  and tied to each other.
• Thus forcing the dormant buds to grow. This results in increased yields.  
• The trees are rarely pruned in North India, but light annual pruning after harvesting to promote  vegetative growth and flowering is desirable.
• All dead, diseased, crowded growth and suckers  sprouting from the base and sides of the framework are pruned back annually.
• Pruned trees give larger  fruits and early ripening

 Spray mancozeb 75% WP @ 2 g/l or zineb 75% WP @ 2 g/l or metiram 55% +
pyraclostrobin 5% WG @ 3 g/l

• The propagating materials such as ground layers, grafts, rootstocks used for grafting, clones and rooted cuttings infested with root knot nematode, M.enterolobii in guava act as sources for dissemination into main field.
• Use of air layers and sterilized soil media or adopting soil less media (vermiculite and coir pith) can keep the nematodes from entering the root system at nursery stage.
• Intercropping with marigold around the basin of the tree.
• Apply Purpureocillium lilacinum @ 60 g mixed with FYM 5 kg and neem cake @250 g per tree once in three months.

• Within 2-3years after planting comes to bearing.
• Harvesting should be done when fruits get mature.
• On maturity, fruits changes color from dark green to greenish yellow.
• Do harvesting at proper time and avoid over-ripening of fruits as it deteriorates quality and test.

• After harvesting, carry out cleaning, grading and packing operations.
• As gauva is perishable fruits, it should be marketed immediately after harvest.
• For packing use CFB, corrugated fibre boxes or bamboo baskets of different size. 

Use of Growth Regulators 

Fruit-Set 

1.March-April

2.November December 

• About 80-90 per cent flowers of guava set fruit initially of which 35 to 60 per cent reaches maturity.
• The  formation of fruit-set is noticed after 10-12 days of flowering.
• Spraying of GA3 at 15 to 30 ppm  increased the fruit-set. 

Crop Regulation 

• Different thinning chemicals, like NAA, NAD, 2,4-0, DNOC and urea are effective in de-blossoming  rainy-season flowers and fruitless and subsequent increase of winter crop.
• Spraying of NAA (50-100  mg/l) 2,4-0 (50-100 mg/l)\ ONOC (5-10 mg/l) or urea at 10 per cent during April was effective to thin the  summer seasons flowers and increased yield in winter. 

25 t / ha.

Growing Districts:    Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar,Villupuram, Vellore,Tirunelveli

Major Markets in Tamil Nadu:      Palani, Madurai, Koyambedu, wholesale market, Chennai