Guava Farming
🌿 Guava Farming: High Profit with Low Investment
Guava is one of the most popular fruits among all age groups. It is also called “The Apple of the Poor” because it is cheap, nutritious, and easily available. Guava farming is done in almost all states of India. The guava plant can survive in harsh conditions and tolerates both heat and drought very well.
Guava fruit is rich in nutrients – Protein (1.5%), Fat (0.2%), Carbohydrates (14.5%), Minerals (0.8%), and Vitamin C (299 mg/100g), which is more than apple and orange. Apart from fresh fruit, guava is also used to make jelly, juice, jam, and cheese.
🌱 Importance of Guava Farming
Guava farming has both economic and nutritional importance in India. It gives high returns with very low input costs. The best part is that guava trees bear fruit twice a year – during monsoon and winter seasons. Winter fruits are sweeter and of higher quality than rainy-season fruits.
🌾 Origin and Significance
The botanical name of guava is Psidium guajava, and it belongs to the Myrtaceae family. Scientists believe that guava originated in South America and the West Indies, and it was brought to India in the 17th century. Today, India is one of the largest guava producers in the world.
In Sanskrit, the word Amaruddha means “the fruit that removes the effect of mango,” from which the Hindi name Amrud was derived.
🌤️ Climate and Soil
Guava grows in almost all soil types, but deep sandy loam soil with good drainage is best suited.
- Soil pH: 6.0–6.5
- Temperature: 25°C to 35°C ideal
- Rainfall: 100–125 cm per year
- Frost: Young plants are sensitive, so protection is necessary.
Guava thrives well in tropical and subtropical climates. Fully grown trees can tolerate up to 44°C temperature.
🍃 Popular Varieties of Guava
🔸 Main Varieties
- Allahabadi Safeda: Famous for sweetness and large yield.
- Sardar (Lucknow-49): Excellent commercial variety.
- Allahabadi Surkha: Red pulp, attractive and tasty.
- Chittidar, Lal Guda, Bedana, Harija, Kerala: Local varieties grown regionally.
- Seb Numa Guava: Apple-shaped and delicious.
🌱 Plant Propagation
Guava plants are propagated vegetatively, as plants grown from seeds lose their parent characteristics.
Methods of Propagation
- Air Layering (Gootee): Common in Bihar; plants have weak roots.
- Inarching: Produces strong plants, widely used in commercial farming.
- Budding and Grafting: Best for high yield and quality fruits.
🌿 Planting Time and Method
🕒 Best Time
- June–July: Start of monsoon is ideal.
- February–March: Possible where irrigation is available.
🌾 Planting Steps
- Plough the field 2–3 times and level it properly.
- Dig pits of 60×60×60 cm at a distance of 6×6 meters.
- Fill each pit with:
- 30 kg Farmyard Manure (FYM)
- 1 kg Single Super Phosphate
- 2 kg Wood Ash
- Water the plant immediately after planting.
💧 Irrigation
Regular irrigation is needed for healthy plant growth.
- Young Plants: Every 10–15 days.
- Mature Trees: 2–3 irrigations in winter are enough.
- Avoid watering during flowering time to prevent flower drop.
After irrigation, loosen the soil around plants to remove weeds and retain moisture.
🌾 Manure and Fertilizer Schedule
| Plant Age (Years) | FYM (kg) | Nitrogen (g) | Phosphorus (g) | Potash (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 10–15 | 60 | 30 | 30 |
| 3 | 20 | 120 | 60 | 60 |
| 4 | 30 | 180 | 90 | 90 |
| 5 | 40 | 240 | 120 | 120 |
| 6 | 50 | 300 | 150 | 150 |
| 7+ | 60 | 360 | 180 | 180 |
- Apply nitrogen in two splits — half in June, half in October.
- Phosphorus and Potash should be given in October.
- If zinc deficiency appears, spray 0.5% zinc sulphate twice a year.
🌿 Training and Pruning
- Train the plant to form a single trunk up to 60 cm in height.
- Remove diseased and dry branches every year.
- Light pruning of old trees helps in new flowering and fruiting.
🪴 Intercropping
During the initial years of guava plantation, farmers can grow intercrops like:
- Banana, Papaya, Tomato, Brinjal, Pea, and Groundnut.
If irrigation is not available, grow legume crops – they improve soil fertility naturally.
🍈 Flowering, Fruiting & Yield
Guava bears fruits twice a year:
- Rainy Crop: Flowers in June–July; fruits in November–January (best quality).
- Spring Crop: Flowers in February–March; fruits in July–September (poor quality).
- Winter Crop: Flowers in October–November; fruits in February–April (low yield).
A 8–10 year old tree can produce 200–250 kg of fruits per year.
🐛 Pest and Disease Control
🔸 Major Pests
- Fruit Fly: Damages fruits during rainy season.
- Control: Spray Rogor (0.05%) every 10 days.
- Bark Borer: Makes holes in stems.
- Control: Fill holes with cotton soaked in petrol.
🔸 Major Diseases
- Wilt Disease: Branches start drying up.
- Control: Remove affected branches and apply 1% Copper Sulphate near roots.
- Anthracnose (Fruit Spot): Spots on fruit during rainy season.
- Control: Spray Cosen (300 g/100 L water).
🌸 Flower Regulation Techniques
To get more and better quality winter fruits, rainy-season flowers must be controlled.
Methods:
- Withhold Irrigation: Stop watering from February to May.
- Expose Roots: Remove soil around roots in April–May, refill after 20–25 days.
- Branch Bending: Bend branches and tie them; new flowering starts after 40–45 days.
- Flower Thinning: Spray NAA (1000 ppm) or 10% Urea to reduce unwanted flowers.
🌿 Weed Control
Do weeding around young plants every 10–15 days.
For mature trees, plough the field after monsoon to remove weeds completely.
🧺 Harvesting and Storage
Fruits mature 120–140 days after flowering. Harvest when the fruit turns light yellow.
- Rainy-season fruits should be sold quickly as they spoil fast.
- Winter-season fruits are sweeter and can be stored longer.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What type of soil is best for guava farming?
Deep sandy loam soil with good drainage is ideal.
2. When is the best time to plant guava?
June–July during the monsoon season.
3. What spacing should be kept between plants?
Maintain 6×6 meters distance between plants.
4. How much yield can a guava tree give?
A mature tree can give 200–250 kg fruits per year.
5. Which guava varieties are most popular?
Allahabadi Safeda and Lucknow-49 (Sardar) are highly popular.
6. What are common guava diseases?
Wilt, fruit fly, and fruit spot are major problems.
7. Why do worms appear in guava fruits?
Because of fruit fly infestation during the rainy season.
8. When should pruning be done?
After harvesting, remove diseased and dry branches.
9. How much fertilizer should be applied?
For 7+ year-old trees, apply 60 kg FYM, 360 g Nitrogen, 180 g Phosphorus, and 180 g Potash.
10. How profitable is guava farming?
With proper management, farmers can earn lakhs of rupees per hectare annually.
🌾 Conclusion
Guava farming is a golden opportunity for Indian farmers. It needs low investment and gives high yield. With proper variety selection, irrigation, fertilization, and pest management, farmers can easily double their income.
👉 Motivational Message:
“When a hardworking farmer grows guava, he not only turns his soil into gold but also strengthens India’s fruit production. Grow guava, earn health and wealth together!” 🌱🇮🇳