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Custard apple / Sitaphal
Botanical Name – Annona squamosa
Family -Annonaceae

Varieties

Balanagar, Mammoth, Atemoya, APK-1, Arka Sahan, Dharur 6 and Roydurg

Planting

  • The land should be ploughed well and pits of 60 m3 should be dug out.
  • In Goa, it is cultivated in most of the backyards.

 

Soil and Climate

Soil – 

  • The Custard Apple is not very particular about soil conditions and flourishes in all types of soils like sahllow, sandy, but fails to grow if the subsoil is ill drained.
  • It can grow well in deep black soils provided they are well drained.

Climate – 

  • Custard apple requires warm and humid tropical climate, with mild winters.
  • The optimum temperature requirement is 20 to 35 C.
  • It can be successfully cultivated from sea level to even 1000 M above MSL.
  • A well drained soil is ideal for the crop.
  • Crop is suitable for soils of shallow depth and also saline nature.

Method of Propagation
Seedlings
/ grafts
Planting

  • The pits should be kept open for 2-3 weeks.
  • Later on, 15-20 kg of manure should be mixed with the dug out or top soil and then, filled back into the pit.
  • Well established grafts should be planted in the centre of the pit.
  • Spacing of 5 x 5m can be followed.
  • Staking need to be provided to avoid lodging.

 

Spacing
6 x 6 m
Nutritional Deficiency

1.Phosphorus

Phosphorus

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Plants look lush blue-green or purplish in color.
  • Mature leaves to be small, initially purplish tints and scorched areas, later become yellow with purple veins and died prematurely.
Correction Measure

Soil application of single super phosphate

2.Potassium

Potassium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Yellowish spots in the margins of new leaves which later spread over the surface and subsequently turned brown, starting with the older leaves.
  • Leaves first become grey at the margin and later interveinally.
Correction Measure

Soil application of KCl@300-500g/tree.

3.Calcium

Calcium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Upper leaf coloration initially was darker green, but, later turning yellow at the edges and died.
  • Fruit showing blossom end rot were found to ripen less rapidly
Correction Measure

Application gypsum@ 50 kg/ha

4.Magnesium

Magnesium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Chlorosis of leaves.
  • Interveinal areas became yellow or greenish yellow while leaf margins remained green.
Correction Measure

Soil application of dolomite

5.Sulphur

Sulphur

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Symptoms are somewhat similar to nitrogen deficiency.
  • Younger leaves are affected.
  • Older leaves developd necrosis at tips and margins with development of small purple spots between the veins.
Correction Measure

Soil application of gypsum@2-5kg/tree/year

6.Boron

Boron

Symptoms-

  • High uptake of boron from the soil.
  • Generally caused by applying boron unevenly or at high rates.
  • Leaves near growing point yellowed, growth bud appear white or brownish dead tissue.

Management-

  • Apply boron at 2.0gm /m2 and broadcast over the ground area under the canopy.
  • Boron and calcium sprays during flowering and early fruit set are beneficial in reducing internal fruit browning
  • Do annual leaf and soil analyses to monitor boron levels.
  • Take particular care to apply boron at the correct rates.

7.Iron

Iron

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Symptoms are first seen in the youngest leaves.
  • Initially the smallest veins remani green, which produces areticulate pattern of green veins on yellow leaves.
  • The leaves turn completely chlorotic but there is no associated necrosis.
Correction Measure

Soil application of [email protected] kg /tree

8.Zinc

Zinc

Deficiency Symptoms

Interveinal chlorosis; shortened internodes; epinastic curvature of leaves

Correction Measure

Soil application of ZnSO4@ 20kg/tree/year or foliar spray of [email protected]%

Plant Protection

1.Fruit borer: Heterographis bengalella

Symptoms of damage

  • Caterpillar bore into the fruits making tunnels and feed on the internal content of the fruits
  • Affected fruits fall to ground

Management

  • Collect and destroy the damaged fruits
  • Spray malathion 0.1% two times once at flower formation and second at fruit set

2.Fruit fly: Bactrocera zonata

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pdep/images/pfflarge.jpg

Symptoms of damage

  • Maggot bore into the semi ripened fruits
  • Feed on the inside fruits
  • Affected fruits gets shriveled, malformed, rot and fall off

Management:

  • Collect fallen infested fruits and dispose them by dumping in a pit and covering with soil
  • Immersion of fruits in hot water (45 to 47 °C) for 60 minutes to kill eggs and maggots
  • Monitor the activity of flies with methyl eugenol sex lure traps.
  • Use bait spray combing any one of the insecticides and molasses or jaggery 10 g/l,
    • Fenthion 100 EC 1ml/l
    • Malathion 50 EC 2 ml/l
    • Dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/l
    • Carbaryl 50 WP 4 g/l

3.Tailed mealy bug: Ferrisa virgata 

Symptoms of damage:

  • Adults and crawlers are found on leaves, young shoots and fruit (between segments)
  • Yellowing of leaves
  • Reduction of fruit size and do not fetch premium price in the market

Management:

  • Collect and destroy the mealy bug infested leaves, shoots and fruits
  • Spray dichlorvos 0.05%, two times at new flush and shoot formation and second at fruit set.
  • Release Cryptolaemous montrouzieri beetles @ 10/tree

Manures and Fertilizers

  • A dose of FYM @ 10-15 kg and NPK @ 250:125:250g/plant/year should be applied in two split doses. 
  • Full dose of FYM and half of chemical fertilizers should be applied at the beginning of monsoon season (April-May) and remaining half towards the end of the monsoon (October).

Irrigation

Irrigate once in 7-8 days

Weeding

 

Weeding as and when required to keep field clean

Harvest

 After 4-5 years of planting. 

Yield

Average yield of 80-100 fruits/tree/year