Crop Regulation in Guava: A Review

Abstract

Guava (Psidum guajava L) is one of the most promising fruit crops of India and is considered to be one of the exquisite nutritionally valuable and remunerative crops. In recent years guava is getting popularity in the international trade due to its nutritional value and processed products. It is hardy, prolific bearer and highly remunerative fruit crop. Its cultivation is done on the commercial scale. There are mainly three bahar season of the guava fruit viz., Ambe bahar, Mrig bahar and Hasth bahar. Continuous bearing results in reduction of yield with small size fruits. The heaviest flowering is observed in rainy season cropping, but, the fruits of this season crop are rough, insipid in taste, poor in quality, less nutritive and are heavily attacked by many insects, pests, and diseases. In order to overcome this problem and to force a full crop in any of the three seasons, as required by the grower and the traders, bahar treatment is practiced. The main objective of crop regulation is to force the tree for rest and produce profuse blossom and fruits during any one of the two or three flushes. The methods to be followed for crop regulation depend on climatic factors, cropping pattern, extend of the damage by the disease and pests, market and industry demand, cultivar, etc. Crop regulation is achieved by the various techniques like water management to induce stress, pruning of shoots and roots at different levels and at different times, training of shoots and manual or chemical thinning of flowers.