4.2 Farming requirements

4.2 FARMING REQUIREMENTS

The farming requirements are governed by the geographical location and climate of the particular region and hence varies from place to another. Climate of India is very different from the western countries which are major orange producers, hence the difference in varieties can be seen. The quality of the crop is highly dependent on the weather conditions, therefore it is very crucial to provide the crops with the favourable requirements, using efficient methods and systems.

4.2.1 Climate suitability

Following are the requirements favourable on an average for cultivation in the country. • Climatic zone suitable in India for orange cultivation is arid and semi-arid regions in the southwest and humid tropical regions in the northeast. • Favourable temperature range lies between 13-37˚C for orange cultivation. The plants cannot withstand high humidity and frost. • The soil type best suited should be light and well drained. Soil types such as sandy loam, alluvial, clay loam, lateritic etc. are the preferred ones. • The pH range of the soil varies from 4 to 9 but ideally deep soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5 is beneficial. The soil should not have high calcium carbonate content otherwise the feeder root zone may be badly affected. • Average water requirement is between 900 to 1100 mm in a year and rainfall of at least 500mm annually is required. • Irrigation is required at an interval of 10-15 days during winter months and even more frequently during summer. A mature orange plant requires approximately 60-170 litres of water in a day. Drip irrigation is the most efficient and economical way of water supply for areas with low rainfall and also for proper growth of the plants.

4.2.2 Seasons

There are two main seasons for cultivation of mandarins and sweet oranges observed in India. • The Ambia bahar (mango flowering): This is the season when the flowering occurs in the month of January, the same time of the flowering of mango trees and hence the name.

The fruits of this crop are available between October-December. • The Mrig bahar (Monsoon bloom): This is the season when the flowering occurs in the month of June-July i.e. in monsoon and hence the name. The fruits of this crop are available during February-April. The productive life span of an orange tree is around 15 to 20 years and the full bearing capacity is attained only after 10 years. The period from flowering to bearing fruits is around 9 months for a tree.

Figure 23: Season and period from flowering to fruiting( Source: Author)

4.2.3 Intercropping

Intercropping is the method of growing other crops which are seasonal, simultaneously with the primary crop to support the farmer with initial or additional income. In case of orange farming it is done in the initial 3-4 years when the plant is yet to bear fruits. This is possible as the space between the rows of the grid are open accessible for sunlight to reach the plants, as the canopy of the orange tree is not grown fully. The common crops grown along with oranges are mostly leguminous crops like soyabean, gram, groundnut, cowpeas, French beans and some other vegetables can also be grown in this space.

Figure 24: Schematic representation of farming layout along with intercroopping( Source: Author)