Transcript PLANTATION CROPS

LECTURE 4
CASHEW
(ANACARDIUM OCCIDENTALE, L.)
Cashew
(Anacardium occidentale, L.)
 ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION
 Indigenous to South America. Introduced to North America,
Asia, Africa and Australia
by the Portuguese explorers
th
between 15th and 16 centuries.
 Commercially grown in many countries in 4 continents: Asia,
Australia, South America and Africa.
 Cashew was introduced as an erosion
controlling-plant in the
th
Eastern part of Nigeria in the 16 centuries.
 The potentials of cashew as a crop was recognized in the 20th
centuries.
 Commercial cultivations started in Nigeria in 1950s at Oghe,
Oji, Udi and Mbala by the Old Eastern Nigeria Development
Corporation (ENDC) and Iwo, Eruwa and Upper Ogun by the
Old Western Nigeria Development Corporation (WNDC).
Cashew in Nigeria
 Cashew is cultivated in all agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Thus, it
tolerates wide rainfall conditions of between 600 mm and 3, 000
mm per annum.
 In Nigeria, commercial plantations of the crop are found in 27
states: Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Edo, Oyo, Kogi, Benue, Ondo,
Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Lagos, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Cross
River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kaduna, Gombe, Kebbi, Nassarawa, plateau,
Taraba, Niger, Zamfara and Federal Capital Territory.
 Nigeria produces over 636, 000 tonnes of cashew nuts from 320,
000 ha.
 Cashew is currently being cultivated for its kernel, a repository of
all classes of nutrients which is traded world-wide.
Cashew thrives under harsh environmental conditions
that are unfavourable to other crops.
It is cultivated at altitude of between 170m and
1000m above sea level, but does not tolerate frost
It flourishes within rainfall ranges of 500mm-4000mm
per annum and temperature of 270C-400C.
It tolerates infertile soils. Ideal soil requirement is
deep, friable, well-drained sandy loam without hard
pans.
Cashew ranks 3rd in the world production of edible
nuts that are traded globally
The major cashew markets include USA, The
Netherlands, Germany, Japan, United kingdom,
South East Asia and Australia.
Price of cashew nut per ton depends on the nutsize: The bigger the nut-size the higher the price.
Various nut sizes of cashew nuts include: Jumbosize, Extra large, large, medium, small and Madras
nuts
Plate 1: Variations in Cashew nut sizes.
Table 1. The International (Commercial) Grading of Cashew Kernel.
Grading/Classification
White wholes:
W180 (Super large or jumbo)
W210 (Large)
W240
W280
W320
W450
White pieces:
Butts
Splits
Pieces
Small pieces
Baby bits
Scorched grades:
Wholes
Specifications
Between 266 and 295 per kg
Between 395 and 465 per kg
Between 485 and 530 per kg
Between 575 and 620 per kg
Between 660 and 706 per kg
Between 880 and 990 per kg.
Kernel broken cleanly across the section of the
nut.
Kernel broken down the natural line of
cleavage.
Kernel broken into pieces smaller than splits.
As above but smaller
Very small pieces of kernel, white in colour.
Whole kernels slightly scorched during
processing but otherwise sound.
Plate 2: Roasted Cashew kernel of W180 grade.
Raising Cashew in the Nursery
• Cashew seedlings are raised in the nursery through the nuts
• Heavier nut-size are preferably used for seedlings production.
• Seedlings produced by lighter nuts are less vigorous and
hardly survive transplanting shock when eventually
transplanted.
• Cashew nuts become ripened between 9th and 10th week
after pollination - colour of nuts changes from green to grey.
• Freshly harvested nuts of cashew readily germinates when
sown than stored nuts.
Raising Cashew in the Nursery Contd.
• Cashew is not as exact in nursery requirement as coco / kola.
• Polythene bag of 25cm x 12cm in dimension is suitable for the
crop seedlings
• Germination in cashew nuts falls within 2nd and 4th weeks
after sowing in the nursery, provided it is given adequate
watering after sowing.
• Its nursery can be sited in an open environment because
cashew is not a shade-loving crop.
• If sited under a shade, immediately after germination, the
tender seedlings assume phototropic growth response. This
shows its zero shade tolerance.
Raising Cashew in the Nursery Contd.
• Cashew seedlings are ready for transplanting into the
field between 8 and 12 weeks nursery periods.
• In a delayed transplanting, the seedlings become
overgrown, its tap-root outgrows the rhizosphere into
the soil, breaking of this root during transplanting
operations results in transplant mortality.
• Transplanting at a lesser nursery period, results in
weakening of the seedlings, because their cotyledons
are yet to wither. Breaking of these cotyledons causes
loss of vigour in cashew seedlings.
Plate 3: Six-week old cashew seedlings. (Note the cotyledons and performance)
Transplanting of cashew seedlings into the
field.
• Cashew seedlings are transplanted into a clear-fell field
after a period of 8 – 12 weeks in the nursery.
• Only vigorous seedlings are transplanted.
• No nurse plant nor shade trees needed in a cashew
plantation. Moisture availability must be adequate.
• The crop is transplanted at a spacing of 9m x 9m. Closer
spacings of 6m x 6m, 4.5m x 4.5m are possible, but, the
trees have to be later thinned to a wider plant spacing
when the canopy becomes bigger.
Peculiar maintenance operations in cashew
• Weeding: Wider planting spacing affords stiff competition by
weeds especially broad leaf weeds.
• Pruning: A continuous maintenance operation in cashew. Two
adjacent cashew trees touching one another will cease to
flower nor fruit.
• Selective thinning: A densely planted cashew trees will be
thinned at a shorter period than cashew trees planted at a
recommended spacing.
• Protection from rodents/marauders: Grass-cutters, bush-rats
and lizards are destructive to cashew seedlings especially in
the dry season. Protect seedlings with wire-netting or plastic
paint containers opened at both ends.
• Protection against fire outbreak.
Plate 4: An Interlocked (Unpruned) cashew plot.
Plate 5: Transplanted cashew seedlings protected with paint containers against
marauders.
Insect Pest of Cashew
Root and stem borer (Plocaederus ferrugineus):
The insect bores holes into the root and stem of cashew
plant.
Tunnel from the root up to the upper part of stem.
Gum exudates form the base of cashew stem.
Yellowing of the plant’s leaves.
Eventual death of cashew plant
Control measures:
Rub the base cashew trees with a mixture of coal tar and
kerosene to prevent the infestation.
Uproot the infested cashew trees and burn outside the
plantation.
Plate 5a: A young cashew tree infested by root and stem borer (Plocaederus ferrugineus)
Plate 5b: An old cashew tree infested by root and stem borer (Plocaederus ferrugineus)
Plate 6: A cashew tree killed by Plocaederus ferrugineus infestation.
Stem girdler (Analeptis trifasciata):
The insect chews round the stem (lateral and horizontal)
in form of a girdling.
The affected branch becomes withered and dies.
Infestation occurs during the fruiting period of cashew.
Control measures:
Remove and burn the infested branches.
Hand-pick and kill the insects.
Remove spondia mombin in and around cashew
plantations because it is an alternative host.
Plate 7: A young cashew plant girdled by Analeptis trifasciata.
Plate 8: Analeptis trifasciata infesting a branch of cashew (gnarled portion contains the
insect’s eggs).
Harvesting
• Cashew nuts are ready for harvesting between 9
and 10 weeks after pollination.
• Harvesting in cashew is by picking the fallen nuts.
Post harvest handling:
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Removal of foreign bodies.
Sorting
Sun-drying
Bagging