Custard Apple Farming: Complete Guide to Climate, Planting, Spacing, Yield, and Profit in India
Custred Apple Farming is one of the most popular crops among farmers because it is a low-investment crop and can be easily grown by any farmer. Drought-resistant, dry soils and shallow soils with good drainage are suitable for Custred Apple Farming. Its fruits are good for fresh consumption and processing (pulp, ice cream, jam, jelly). Improved varieties have the ability to fruit early and produce stable yields in variable climates.
Table of Contents
Why Choose Custard Apple
- Custard apple plants are drought-resistant, preferring dry soils and shallow, well-drained soils.
- Custard apple yields are good for fresh consumption and processing (pulp, ice cream, jams, and jellies).
- Improved custard apple varieties bear fruit early and provide stable yields in variable climates.
Custred Apple Farming: Best Climate and Soil
- Ideal climate: warm and humid tropical with mild winters; optimum temperature 20-35°C.
- Altitude: performs from sea level up to ~1000 m MSL under Indian conditions.
- Rainfall: performs well in 500–750 mm zones if drainage is assured.
- Soil: adaptable to shallow, sandy or even saline-prone soils, but absolutely requires well-drained conditions; deep black soils are fine if drainage is good.
Recommended Varieties and Planting Material
- Notable selections used in India include Balanagar, Purandhar (Pune), Washington, Red Sitaphal, and hybrids; local seedlings used as rootstock for grafts.
- Thar Amrit: a new high-yielding drought-hardy variety with ~320 g fruits, high pulp (≈63.6%) and high TSS (≈29 °Brix); bears from year 2.
- Arka Sahan and Phule Janaki are recommended for certain zones due to yield and adaptability.
Custred Apple Farming: Propagation
- Common: seeds for rootstocks; commercial orchards should use grafted plants for uniform yield and fruit quality.
- Seed pre-treatment (e.g., GA-based treatments) can improve germination uniformity if raising rootstocks.
Custred Apple Farming: Land Preparation and Pit Filling
- Thorough land preparation with ploughing and leveling; avoid waterlogged, low-lying fields.
- Dig pits of about 60×60×60 cm; keep open 2–3 weeks for solarization and to settle clods.
- Refill pits with topsoil mixed with 15–20 kg FYM plus neem/karanj cake; incorporate single super phosphate where recommended.
Custred Apple Farming: Planting Season and Spacing
- Plant during monsoon (June–July) when soil moisture is adequate for establishment.
- Spacing: 5×5 m is widely adopted; 4×4 m to 6×6 m used depending on soil and system; drip-based layouts at 6×4 m show good growth and fruit set.
- High-density trials exist (e.g., 4×2.5 m) but must be managed with pruning and fruit load regulation.
Custred Apple Farming: Irrigation Management
- Drought tolerant, but young plants need regular watering; irrigate about once in 7–8 days in dry periods with good drainage.
- Drip irrigation is preferred for efficient moisture use and better fruit set under dry spells.
Custred Apple Farming: Nutrition Schedule
- Mature bearing trees: guidance includes FYM 10–15 kg per plant per year and NPK roughly around 250 g N, 125 g P2O5, 125–250 g K2O per plant per year, split around monsoon and post-monsoon.
- Apply full FYM and half chemical fertilizer before monsoon; remaining half towards end of monsoon (October).
Custred Apple Farming: Canopy Management and Pruning
- Light framework pruning after harvest improves light penetration, flowering, and fruit set; pruning plus defoliation is used to manipulate off-season flowering in commercial systems.
- Maintain a sturdy open canopy with 3–4 primary branches to reduce disease and improve hand pollination access.
Pollination and Fruit Set
- Flowers are hermaphroditic with protogynous dichogamy, limiting natural self-pollination and reducing fruit set if unmanaged.
- Hand pollination significantly increases fruit set, uniformity, and can help schedule harvest windows for market timing.
'सीताफळ माझ्यासाठी वरदानच आहे' सीताफळाचं पेटंट घेणारे भारतातले पहिले शेतकरी#CustardAppleFarming #NMKGolden #custardapple @rahulransubhe@Dev_Fadnavis @ChouhanShivraj pic.twitter.com/p5gv5xisMn
— BBC News Marathi (@bbcnewsmarathi) December 10, 2024
Intercrops and Orchard Floor Management
- Keep the basin weed-free; shallow cultivation to avoid root injury.
- In early years, intercrop with legumes or short-duration crops in alleys; agroforestry models enhance biodiversity and reduce erosion.
Pests and Diseases: IPM Essentials
- Follow stage-wise IPM; typical bearing-tree recommendation around 250 g N:125 g P2O5:125 g K2O is integrated with sanitation and monitoring.
- Use cultural controls (sanitation, canopy opening), biologicals where feasible, and need-based safe chemistries aligned with local advisories.
Custred Apple Farming: Yield Expectations
- Average yields often reach 80–100 fruits per mature tree per year after 4–5 years, varying with variety, pollination, and management.
- Variety performance differs; trials report significant differences among selections, stressing the importance of planting tested varieties.
Harvest and Post-Harvest
- Harvest at mature green with characteristic scale separation and fruit size advancement; avoid delay to minimize cracking and losses.
- Value addition options include pulp extraction, ice cream, jam, and jelly; new browning-free pulp extraction technologies support better processing quality.
Value Addition and New Opportunities
- Browning-free pulp extraction improves shelf life and marketability of processed custard apple pulp for ice creams and desserts.
- Drought-hardy varieties like Thar Amrit support reliable supply chains for processing in low-rainfall belts.
Practical Planting Checklist
- Site: sunny, wind-sheltered, well-drained, non-waterlogged.
- Pits and manure: 60×60×60 cm with 15–20 kg FYM plus basal P and neem cake.
- Spacing: 5×5 m standard; consider 6×4 m under drip or local recommendations.
- Planting time: June–July monsoon.
- Pollination: plan hand pollination for higher fruit set and uniformity.
- Nutrition: FYM 10–15 kg + about 250:125:125–250 g NPK per plant per year in splits.
- Irrigation: once every 7–8 days in dry spells; avoid waterlogging.
- Pruning: light annual pruning; use pruning/defoliation to manage off-season flowering when needed.
Conclusion
Custard Apple Farming is a resilient, profitable option for Indian growers when matched with warm, humid climates, well-drained soils, correct spacing, hand pollination, and basic IPM, with strong opportunities in value-added pulp markets. Selecting improved varieties like Thar Amrit and managing nutrition and pruning strategically can stabilize yields and income.
FAQs
1. What is the best temperature for custard apple farming?
A- Ideal is 20–35°C in warm, humid tropics with mild winters.
2. What spacing gives good yields?
A- Commonly 5×5 m; 4×4 to 6×6 m used; drip at 6×4 m is proven; high-density requires strict pruning.
3. How to increase fruit set?
A- Hand pollination is the most reliable method due to protogynous dichogamy.
4. When do trees start bearing?
A- Many commercial orchards bear economically from year 3–4; some improved varieties like Thar Amrit bear in year 2.
5. What is a typical yield?
A- About 80–100 fruits per tree per year at full bearing under good management.