Rejuvenation of old and unproductive guava orchards

  • Orchards lose their productivity beyond 25 years due to biotic stresses
  • CISH technology on rejuvenation involves heading back of trees to a level of 1.0-1.5 m from ground level
  • Emerging shoots are allowed to grow (40-50 cm) for 4-5 months after heading back
  • Shoots are further pruned to 50 per cent of their length to allow emergence of multiple shoots ; these shoots offer fruit bearing surface in the following season ; healthy and productive canopy develops
  • Profuse fruiting and yield increases to about 70-90 per cent over non-rejuvenated trees is observed in the very first year of operation
  • Additional income from pruned wood and intercropping with short duration vegetables and ornamental crops are the other advantage
  • Yield, fruit size and quality increase due to better light penetration into the canopy