Yield Of Cashew Research Articles

Effect of plant bio regulators on fruit set and yield of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) cv. BPP-9

Effect of plant bio regulators on fruit set and yield of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) cv. BPP-9

Nutrient responsiveness and correlation analysis of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) cv. Balabhadra for vegetative, reproductive traits and nut yield under coastal Odisha condition

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of nutrient management approaches on vegetative, reproductive growth and yield of cashew, Anacardium occidentale L. cv. Balabhadra. Methodology: Trial was conducted during 2021-22 to 2022-23 to study the foliar application of different macro, secondary and micro- nutrients of cashew plant. The experiment was designed in RBD with six treatments and four replications. Foliar spraying was done at three stages viz., pre-flowering, flowering and nut set stages. Results: Treatment schedules i.e., 100% RDF+10 kg FYM/plant /year+ foliar spray of major nutrients (3% urea+0.5% MAP+1% K2SO4)+ foliar spray of secondary and micro-nutrients (0.5 % ZnSO4 + 0.1 % Solubor + 0.5 % MgSO4) witnessed better performance of cashew for most of the vegetative and reproductive traits under study. Multivariate analysis showed formation of five principal components, where PC1 contributed maximum (97.80 %) towards total variance. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis revealed positive association of yield relevant traits (P < 0.001) and negative correlation for number of flowering laterals and nut drop (%). Interpretation: Foliar spraying of macro, secondary and micronutrients in combination significantly influenced the vegetative and reproductive traits which may influence the nut yield of cashew. Key words: Cashew, Foliar spray, Nutrients

Optimasi Ekstraksi Minyak Kulit Biji Mete Dengan Metode Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE)

In the processing of cashew nuts (Anacardium Occidentale L.) cashew seeds will be produced and the by-product is cashew nut shell. Cashew nut shells contain oil or cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). Cashew nut shell oil is used in the pharmaceutical industry as an anti-cancer agent and also in the industrial sector as a raw material for car brake oil. The purpose of this study was to study the optimum conditions for extracting cashew nut shell oil using microwave assisted extraction (MAE). Optimization is determined by the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) method to see the relationship between the influential variables, namely temperature (50, 63, 75oC) and time (2, 6, 10 minutes). Anarchic acid contained in cashew seed oil at optimum conditions was analyzed using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectroscopy (GC – MS). From the optimization of the yield of cashew seed shell oil extraction, it was found that the optimum conditions were at extraction time of 31.7 minutes and temperature of 68.50C with cashew seed oil yield of 41.27%. Analysis of cashew seed oil at optimum yield using GC-MS found that the anarchic acid content was 30.11%.

Estimation of the extent of phenotypic diversity among cashew (Anacardium occidentaleL.) genotypes based on agro-morphological and physicochemical traits

AbstractCashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is cultivated in more than 30 countries because of its economic and nutritional importance. Despite having a significant agronomic role, little is known about the genetic and phenotypic diversity of cashew populations in Brazil. Thus, we aimed to characterize and estimate the diversity among cashew genotypes based on agro-morphological and physicochemical traits, with an objective of selection of varieties for breeding programmes. Forty-three cashew trees were evaluated based on 13 morphological traits and three physicochemical traits. A wide range of variations was recorded for the phenotypic characteristics, including total weight, fruit weight, pseudofruit length, kernel weight and total acidity, suggesting the existence of considerable variations for potential use in breeding programmes. Principal component analysis explained 79.74% of the total variation in the first two principal axes. The dendrogram based on the UPGMA method classified the 43 genotypes into six groups. Groups IV and VI were the most dissimilar, with emphasis on the genotypes 28 and 43, which were observed to be most divergent based on the Euclidean distance matrix (3.054). This makes it possible to select genotypes for hybridization with F1generation gains. Based on cluster analysis and comparison of means among the six groups, promising genotypes were identified with superior traits, such as fruit weight, pseudofruit length, kernel weight and total acidity. This suggests the importance of phenotypic characterization for cashew breeding programmes. In addition, the observed vast diversity is an important genetic basis for improving cashew yield in northeastern Brazil.

Novel combination artificial neural network models could not outperform individual models for weather-based cashew yield prediction.

Cashew is an important cash crop which is ecologically sensitive, making it vulnerable to climate change. So, the present study compares the performance of stepwise linear regression (SLR), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), elastic net, and artificial neural network (ANN) individually against the ANN model combined with SLR, LASSO, elastic net, and principal components analysis (PCA) for prediction of cashew yield based on weather parameters. The model performances were evaluated using three approaches: (1) Taylor plot; (2) statistical metrics like coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and normalized RMSE (nRMSE); and (3) ranking followed by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's post hoc test. The results revealed that during calibration, the R2 and RMSE ranged from 0.486 to 0.999 and 2.184 to 88.040kgha-1, respectively, while RMSE and nRMSE varied from 3.561 to 242.704kgha-1 and 0.799 to 89.949%, respectively, during validation. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's post hoc test revealed LASSO as the best model which was at par with ELNET, SLR, and ELNET-ANN. So, these models can be used for cashew yield prediction for the study area well in advance.

Enhancement of cashew yield through foliar feeding of nutrients

The experiment, conducted to access the effect of water soluble nutrients on growth and yield of cashew under rainfed conditions at farmer’s field during the years 2017-18 and 2019-20 with nine treatments viz., control (no spray), urea (2%), 0:52:34 (1% and 2%), 13:0:45 (1% and 2%), 19:19:19 (1% and 2%), using 6 years old trees of cashew cv. Vengurla-4 planted at 7m x 7m spacing, showed that three foliar applications of nutrients at 19:19:19 @ 2 per cent recorded the highest sex ratio (0.24), nut weight (8.50g) and yield (8.58 kg tree-1 and 1.75t ha-1) and appeared best for cashew yield enhancement.

PRESENT STATUS, PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS OF CASHEW CULTIVATION IN BANGLADESH

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) remained underexploited in Bangladesh, though it is a vital crop in many countries. This study was conducted to reveal the present scenario, explore the prospects, and identify the problems of cashew cultivation in Bangladesh. Data were collected from randomly selected 63 cashew-producing farmers from three hilly districts, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari, under the Chittagong division of Bangladesh, using a structured interview schedule from February to April 2019. The majority of the farmers (65.1%) owned medium-size farms (1.01-3ha) and about half of them (46.0%) belonged to the higher annual income (>1,50,000 BDT; equivalent to 1,750.55 USD) group. The cashew yield was medium (1.40 to 1.80t ha-1) and an individual tree yield ranged from 3 to 8 kg with an average of 6.24 kg. More than two-thirds (68.3%) of the farmers earned 1,20,001-1,80,000 BDT ha-1 from cashew cultivation with an average of 1,68,000 BDT (equivalent to 1,960.62 USD). An average of 0.89 ha of land could still be taken under cashew cultivation. The net profit potential of 8,34,242 BDT ha-1 (equivalent to 9,706.69 USD) is possible from cashew cultivation which is much higher than other crops. The farmers confronted low (79.4%) to medium (20.6%) problems and among the 16 identified problems, ‘lack of processing for nut and apple’ was the most serious severe problem, followed by ‘lack of quality seeds or seedlings. The findings suggest that the government should take initiatives to overcome the prevailing problems regarding cashew cultivation.

Influence of weather variability on nut yield of cashew under Bastar region of Chhattisgarh

Influence of weather variability on nut yield of cashew under Bastar region of Chhattisgarh

Assessment of yield enhancement in cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) by the pollinator sharing effect of magnetic bee-friendly plants in India

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that pollinator sharing among cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) and co-blooming magnetic bee-friendly plants facilitate higher productivity of cashew nuts. We examined the reproductive efficacy of cashew in three sites with distinct vegetation pattern (site I: sparsely distributed individuals, without association of co-blooming magnetic bee-friendly plant; site II: densely distributed individuals, without association of co-blooming magnetic bee-friendly plant; site III: densely distributed individuals, associated with co-blooming magnetic bee-friendly plants). Floral traits (including flowering time, flower architecture, number of flowers per panicle, hermaphrodite- male flower ratio, floral rewards, anthesis time and longevity of flower) does not differ among the study sites. According to the value of relative pollinator service (RPS), Apis dorsata was the primary pollinator of cashew and also shared by the co-blooming bee-friendly plants. The abundance of pollinators was the highest in site III and the lowest in site I. The nut yield was also significantly higher in site III cashew orchard which was in association with magnetic bee-friendly plants. Therefore, we can conclude that the association of co-blooming magnetic plants increased nut yield of cashew through the enhancement of pollinator's services.

Assessment of Juvenile Growth and Yield Relationship Among Dwarf Cashew Types in Ghana

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an important tropical cash crop cultivated in Ghana. It provides livelihood for about 200,000 people and contributes 6.1% to Ghana’s gross domestic product (GDP). Four Brazilian dwarf accessions were introduced to improve nut yield. Objectives of this study were to (1) assess the agronomic performance of the accessions across two contrasting ecologies, (2) determine environmental influence on juvenile growth, (3) determine the relationship between early vegetative growth and yield and (4) explore heritability and genetic advance for the measured agronomic traits. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Results revealed significant (p < 0.05) environmental influence on growth and yield of cashew. Transitional savanna agro-ecology is more suitable for cashew growth and development. Crop year, location and crop year × location interactions also influenced most of the agronomic traits. Early growth characteristics alone were not enough to predict yield. Genotype B2 ranked highest yielding across the agro-ecologies. Moderate to high heritability and genetic advance estimates were observed for nut yield, plant height and girth, an indication of variability among accessions needed for cashew improvement in Ghana.

Nitrogen management strategies to improve growth and yield of cashew

Nitrogen management strategies to improve growth and yield of cashew

Association of controlled-release and foliar fertilizers in the production of grafted dwarf cashew seedlings

Cashew yield in Brazil is considered as unstable due to the heterogeneity of the orchards. With the availability of clonal seedlings of superior genotypes and modernization of cultural practices, the national yield of cashew nuts is expected to increase. This study aimed to evaluate the application of controlled-release and foliar fertilizers on the production of the “CCP 06” rootstock and on the grafted seedling of “BRS 226” dwarf cashew. Two complementary experiments were carried out at the Experimental Field of Pacajus, belonging to Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, located in the municipality of Pacajus-CE, Brazil. The first one relative to the production of the “CCP 06” rootstock with application of a controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) in the substrate at rate of 3.70 kg m−3 or with spraying of foliar fertilizer (FF) at rate of 2.5 g L−1 at 30 days of sowing (DAS). In the second experiment, relative to the production of grafted seedlings of “BRS 226” dwarf cashew, treatments consisted in the application of CRF to the substrate at sowing (CRF S); FF at 30 days after sowing (FF 30 DAS); CRF after grafting (CRF AG), FF applied at 45 days after grafting the seedlings (FF 45 DAG); and associations of CRF S + FF 45 DAG, and FF 30 DAS + FF 45 DAG. The CRF applications after grafting, at sowing associated with FF 45 DAG and FF 30 DAS + FF 45 DAG led to increase in the total dry matter of the grafted seedlings of “BRS 226” dwarf cashew.

Powdery mildew damage to the production of BRS 189 cashew plants

ABSTRACT Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Pseudoidium anacardii, is currently the most important cashew disease, affecting leaves, inflorescences, and fruits. However, there is a lack of detailed reports associating the effects of P. anacardii to cashew yield. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the damage caused by powdery mildew to BRS 189 cashew clone nut, kernel, and peduncles. One experiment was conducted at the Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical Experimental Field in Pacajus, state of Ceara, Brazil, from July to December 2014, with BRS 189 cashew clone, with eight sulfur doses needed for achieving a disease gradient, distributed in a randomized block with four replications. The incidence (%) and severity of powdery mildew in cashew plants were estimated in a scale ranging from 0 to 4, and then correlated with plant yield and biometric characteristics of cashew nuts, kernels, and peduncles. The results showed that powdery mildew did not reduce productivity of nuts on this clone, although it caused a reduction in the mass and size of the kernels. On the other hand, powdery mildew affected mass, size, and quality of cashew peduncles at the lack of control.

Effect of plant growth regulators on leaf area, chlorophyll content, carotenoids, stomatal count and yield of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) var. Bhaskara

<p>An experiment was conducted to study the effect of exogenous application of growth regulators at three important growth stages<br />(flushing, flowering and fruiting) on leaf area, chlorophyll content, carotenoids, stomatal count and yield of cashew var. Bhaskara.<br />Irrespective of growth stages, foliar application of GA3 @ 50 ppm and ethrel @ 50 ppm was found to be superior in all the<br />parameters and on par with each other compared to other growth regulators. Out of nine treatments of different growth regulators;<br />the highest leaf area was recorded in trees sprayed with GA3 @ 50 ppm and ethrel @ 50 ppm. At flushing stage, spraying with GA3<br />@ 50 ppm resulted in highest stomatal number (21.9) and carotenoids (0.41) whereas unsprayed (control) trees recorded least<br />stomatal number (11.6) and carotenoids (0.19). Thus, leaf area, chlorophyll content, carotenoids and stomatal count increased in<br />trees sprayed with growth regulators than unsprayed trees. Spraying of ethrel @ 50 ppm recorded highest nut yield<br />(14.3 kg tree-1) followed by NAA @ 25 ppm + GA3 50 ppm (12.9 kg tree-1). This study demonstrated the potential of ethrel as well<br />as GA3 in improving various biochemical parameters viz., chlorophyll ‘a’, chlorophyll ‘b’, carotenoids and leaf area in cashew<br />which are important determinants in increasing nut production.</p>

Potential of Oecophylla longinoda Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in managing major insect pests in organic cashew production systems

Cashew production in Tanzania is severely constrained by sucking insect pests such as the coreid coconut bugs (Pseudotheraptus wayi Brown), the mirid bugs, Helopeltis spp. and thrips spp. These pests damage flushing foliar and floral shoots as well as young cashew fruits and nuts. Farmers rely heavily on insecticides in controlling these pests and there are no suitable alternative control methods compatible with organic cashew production. Weaver ants, Oecophylla longinoda Latreille have for long been considered as effective biological control agents against sap-sucking pests of cashew, but studies on their effectiveness as compared to conventional insecticides had never been conducted. The current study evaluated the efficiency of O. longinoda as compared to the recommended conventional insecticide, lambda cyhalothrin (Karate®) in controlling major cashew insect pests and compared the resulting cashew yield. The damage caused by each pest was significantly lower (P 0.05) in the damage between O. longinoda and Karate® treated trees suggesting that the two treatments are equally effective. The difference in the damage levels was directly reflected in the mean cashew yield. The two season’s results showed an average yield increases of 58.2 and 60.7 % in the insecticide-treated and in the O. longinoda-protected trees, respectively, in relation to untreated control plots. Thus, O. longinoda can serve as an alternative to chemical insecticides in Tanzanian cashew protection.

Comparative analysis of various organic amendments on tree growth and nut yield of cashew (Anacardium occidentaleL.)

An experimentwas carried out on “Comparative analysis of various organic amendments on tree growth and nut yield of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)” var. BPP8 (H 2/16) at Cashew Research Station under AICRP on Cashew, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar during 2013–14 and 2014–15 adapting randomized block design (RBD) having eight treatments replicated thrice. The treatments wereT1–100 per cent N as FYM, T2–100 per cent N as FYM + Biofertilizers (Azotobacter + Azospirillum + PSB) 200 g, T3–50 per cent N as FYM + Biofertilizers (200g), T4–100 per cent N as Vermicompost + Biofertilizers (200g), T5-Recycling of organic residue with the addition of 20 per cent cow dung slurry, T6-In situ green manuring to meet 100 per cent N, T7–25 per cent N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Biofertilizers (200g) and T8-RDF + 10 kg FYM (Control).Biometrical observations on vegetative characters, were recorded during 2013–14 and 2014–15. Application of RDF along with 10 kg FYM recorded maximum value in plant height (5.05 m), canopy spread (7.88 m), production of laterals (26.91) and flowering laterals (22.48) and nut yield (14.06 q/ha). The recommended dose of fertilizer and an addition of 10 kg FYM is most beneficial and economical, but 25 per cent N as FYM, recycling of organic residue, in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring and biofertilizers must be recommended from the view point of environmental sustainability and equity.

Assessment of Factors Associated with Low Yield of Cashew among Farmers in Growing Areas of Nigeria

The study assessed the factors affecting low yield of cashew among farmers in Kwara and Edo States between March and April, 2014. It examined the socio - economic characteristics, factors contributing to cashew low yield, sources of cashew planting materials and sources of information on cashew cultivation among farmers in the stud y areas. Data collection was through structured questionnaire administered on 160 respondents selected through multistage sampling procedure . Descriptive statistics and chi - square were used in data analysis. Results showed that majority of the farmers were ageing with a mean age of 52 years and 60% of them had more than 16 years of cashew farming experience. Most (69%) cashew farms were less than 15 years indicating that the cashew trees were of average age and are still in their productive years. The mean yield of respondents was 10 bags using 80kg bag which was low because this number is not economical considering other inputs of production. Majority of respondents obtained cashew planting materials from fellow farmers and their own farms and got informati on on cashew cultivation from fellow farmers. Chi - square results revealed that there was significant relationship (p<0.05) between insect pest attack, poor cashew price, lack of improved variety, farm abandonment, high cost of farm

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

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.

Foliar application of the exogenous plant hormones at pre-blooming stage improves flowering and fruiting in cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)

The problem of declining tree yield has led to an investigation into the effectiveness of foliar application of exogenous hormones to improve flowering, fruit set, and fruit retention in cashew. Five exogenous hormones, one Gibberellic Acid (GA3) and four Auxins (IAA, IBA, NAA, and 2,4-D) at seven different rates of application (0 mg L−1, 10 mg L−1, 25 mg L−1, 50 mg L−1, 100 mg L−1, 250 mg L−1, and 500 mg L−1) were tested on six yield-related components of the two Brazilian cashew genotypes. This trial was a factorial split-split-plot design with each treatment replicated five times within a tree and three replications (three trees) per genotype. Responses varied significantly between exogenous hormones, concentrations and genotypes. The cashew plants used showed hormone-specific and optimum concentration response patterns. Of the five exogenous hormones tested, GA3 was most effective as its application at 50–100 mg L−1 gave five-fold improvements in flowering (precocity and number of hermaphrodite flowers) and fruiting, and about 69% increase in fruit retention ability and 25% in nut size. Panicles treated with GA3 also produced relatively bigger nuts compared to the untreated. Days to flowering was found to be hormone sensitive, while production of hermaphrodite flowers, fruit set, and nut development tended to be concentration specific. The GA3 exhibited a broad concentration tolerance among the five exogenous hormones investigated. Our data showed that using GA3 at 50 mg L−1 will enhance flowering precocity, shorten flowering duration, increase production of hermaphrodite flowers and fruit set significantly, and resultant nuts develop optimally with high percentage retention. Thus, it suggests cashew yield could be increased by exogenous foliar application of GA3 at 50–100 mg L−1 at pre-blooming stage.

Soil and water conservation techniques in cashew grown along steep hill slopes

Cashew ( Anacardium occidentale L.), the highest foreign exchange earning perennial horticultural crop in India is generally grown as a rainfed crop along steep slopes of hills or on neglected land unsuitable for any other crop. In India, cashew experiences severe moisture stress from January to May, adversely affects its flowering and fruit set. In order to harvest the rainwater and to make it available to the cashew plant during critical period, an in situ soil and water conservation experiment was conducted at Directorate of Cashew Research, Puttur, Karnataka, India during 2003–2010. This experiment was laid along contour with five treatments namely, modified crescent bunds, coconut husk burial, reverse terraces, catch pits and control plot without any soil and water conservation. Among the treatments, modified crescent bund and coconut husk burial were superior. These two treatments reduced the annual runoff (22.3 and 20.4% of the annual rainfall compared to 36.9% of the annual rainfall in control), soil loss (47 and 49% of control) and nutrient loss. Also it increased the mean soil moisture content, growth of plants, yield of cashew (6.45 and 6.60 t/ha respectively compared to 4.88 t/ha in control for the first 5 harvests) and net profit from cashew garden (40% more than control). In addition to this, the groundwater level in nearby wells and ponds increased. Hence, the barren land even in steep slopes with proper soil and water conservation measures can be effectively utilized for cashew cultivation.