Cashewnut (Anacardium occidentale L.)
Anacardiaceae

Varieties
VRI 1, VRI 2, VRI 3, VRI 4, vengurla 4, Vengurla 7 and BPP – 8 (H2/16) are the popular varieties

Soil and climate
It grows up well in all soils. Red sandy loam is best suited. Plains as well as hill slopes upto 600 - 700 feet elevation are suitable.

Season
June – December is optimum for cultivation.

Propagation
Mainly propagated by soft wood grafting, air layering and epicotyl grafting

Requirement of plants
About 200 plants/ha can be planted.

Preparation of field
Pits of 45 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm size are dug and filled up with a mixture of soil + 10 kg FYM + one kg neem cake and 100 g Lindane 1.3 %.

Spacing
A spacing of 7 m either way is adopted

Manuring (per tree)

Fertilizer application may be done during November - December in the East Coast areas. Wherever possible the fertilizer can be applied in 2 equal split doses during June-July and October-November periods.

Intercropping
Plough the interspaces after the receipt of rain and raise either groundnut or pulses or minor millets till the trees reach bearing age.

Training and pruning
Develop the trunk to a height of 1 m by removing low lying branches. The dried twigs and branches should be removed every year.

Rejuvenation of old cashew orchard by top working
Old and senile cashew orchards with poor yielder are cut down leaving a stump of 1 – 3 m height from the ground level. The emerging new sprouts are used as rootstock for epicotyl grafting. Suitable scions are collected and grafted on to the new sprouts.

Plant protection
Pests
Stem borer
1. Collection and destruction of affected shoots
2. Swabbing the bark of exposed roots and shoots with Carbaryl 50 WP 2 g/lit. Twice a year before the onset of South West Monsoon (March – April) and after cessation of monsoon (November) painting of coal tar + kerosene mixture (1:2) or swabbing with a suspension of Carbaryl 50 WP (4 g/lit) can be done up to one metre length in the exposed trunk region after shaving the bark.
3. Root feeding with Monocrotophos 36 WSC 10 ml + 10 ml of water kept in a polythene bag on one side of the tree and keep the same amount on the other side of the tree (Total 20 ml/tree) divided into two equal halves will give protection when there is moderate incidence.
4. Swab the trunk with Lindane 20 EC 1 ml/lit or Carbaryl 50 WP 500 g in 20 lit of water.

Tea mosquito bug
Tea mosquito bug can be controlled by spraying Endosulfan 35 EC @ 2 ml/lit. The first spray can be done at the time of emergence of new flushes, the second at floral formation and the third at fruit-set.

Shoot caterpillars
Shoot caterpillar can be controlled by spraying Endosulfan 35 EC @ 2 ml/lit.

Root borer
Root borer can be controlled by pouring Monocrotophos 10 ml/tree in the bore holes (Insecticide 5 ml + 5 ml water).

Leaf miner
1. Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts
2. Spray NSKE 5% two rounds, first at new flush formation, second at flower formation

Diseases
Die back or Pink disease
Prune the affected shoots just below the affected portion and apply Bordeaux paste. Spray 1 % Bordeaux mixture or any copper fungicide like Blitox or Fytolan 0.25 % twice i.e. in May - June and again in October as a prophylactic measure.

Anthracnose
1. Remove the affected portions of plant/branches
2. Spray 1 % of Bordeaux mixture + Ferrous sulphate at the time of flush initiation

Harvest
The peak picking months are March and May. Good nuts are grey green, smooth and well filled. After picking, the nuts are separated from the apple and dried in the sun for two to three days to bring down the moisture content to 10 to 12 %. Properly dried nuts are packed in alkathene bags. This will keep for 6 months.

Yield
About 3 - 4 kg/tree/year can be obtained.

State Horticulture Department
State Horticulture Farms
Commodity Boards