Efficacy of plant density and nutrient management in cashew (Anacardium occidentaleL.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted under All India Coordinated Research Project on cashew at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India from 2000 to 2014 to study the efficacy of planting density and nutrient management on growth and yield of cashew variety BPP 8.The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three planting densities [S1=10mx5m (200 plants/ ha); S2=6mx4m (400 plants/ ha) and S3=5 mx 4 m (500 plants/ha)] along with three levels of fertilizer (M1=75-25-25, M2=150-50-50 and M3=225-75-75 kg NPK ha−1) and replicated four times. The overall results indicated significant influence of both planting density and nutrient management on growth and yield of cashew, however, non significant effect was observed in their interactions. Among the planting densities, adoption of wider planting density (200 plants/ha) not only realized significantly better vegetative growth, i.e., plant height (6.64 m), trunk girth (86.68 cm), mean canopy diameter (9.03 m), canopy surface area (63.99 m2) but also nut yield attributing parameters such as number of panicles m−2(15.44), average nut weight (8.32 g) and apple weight (66.49 g) as well as nut yield per plant basis (5.19 kg). The result also revealed that highest nut yield was produced under high density planting @500 plants ha−1(1099.58 kg ha−1) as well as cumulative yield at 12th harvest (15197.03 kg ha−1). Similarly, moderate to higher nutrient application (M2 and M3) resulted significant influence for these parameters. Considering all the parameters under study, it may be concluded that adoption of high density planting accommodating 500 plants ha−1 with normal application of nutrient @ 150: 50: 50 kg NPK ha−1 over a period of 12th harvest significantly increased nut yield on hectare basis (1237.29 kg ha−1) having higher B: C ratio (4.28) under Odisha conditions.