Plum Cultivation
From Seed To Fruit Complete Crop information
Plum
About Plum
The commercially important plum trees are medium-sized, usually pruned to 5–6 meters (16-20 feet) height. Without pruning, the trees can reach 12 meters (39 feet) in height and spread across 10 meters (33 feet).
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Plums are delicious fruits that belong to the genus Prunus. Plum re m a i n s h ave b e e n found in Neolithic age archaeological sites along with olives, grapes and ďŹ gs. Plum trees are grown on every continent except Antarctica. They are most commonly planted in temperate zones.
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The name “plum” comes from Old English “plume”, which extended from the Germanic language or Middle Dutch, and Latin, “prunum ”.Plum has many species, and taxonomists differ on the count. Depending on the taxonomist, between 19 and 40 species of plum exist. From this diversity only two species, the hexaploid European plum and the diploid Japanese plum, are of worldwide commercial significance.
Plum is a deciduous tree that belongs to the family of roses (Rosacea). There are more
than 200 varieties of plums that are derived
from two basic types: Eu ro p e a n a n d Ja p a n e s e plum. Cultivation in Japan started 300 to 400 years ago. Plum is mostly cultivated in temperate and warm areas around the world.
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Plum
Farming requires the dedication of many of our natural resources,
Including land, water, and climate. So let’s talk about these important points.
Natural Resources for Plum Cultivation 4
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Farmers need natural resources , such as land, air, nutrients, water and sunlight for heathy crop. Every crop is highly dependent on the climate. Climate affects all components of crop production. The second key component is soil. It is a key element of agriculture Without it we wouldn´t be able to grow plants, which are used as food for both humans and animals. Like climate or soil Water is also very important for both livestock and for plants. It forms a large part of all plant tissues as well as being an essential component of all animal body cells. In crop agriculture, water is an important climatic factor. It affects or determines plant growth .
And the last process is harvesting. It is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. For maximum vase life of fruit, harvest f r u i t d a i l y a t t h e i r p ro p e r s t a g e o f development. Harvesting too early or too late sign efficiently reduces the vase life of the fruit. With these sources farmers can easily grow a healthy crop.
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Plum
Climate & Soil Requirement for Plum Cultivation
P l u m i s te m p e r a te i n nature and thus a major crop of hills, but in north Indian plains and particularly in Punjab it is a minor fruit crop of great importance. 6
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Plum prefers temperate climate. However, it has been
found growing from higher hills in Srinagar to Jaipur in Rajasthan and areas around Delhi. It requires less chilling hours that is temperature below 7.2°C. It can tolerate frost and high summers both, that is why it can be cultivated in both low temperature to 0°C and up, highest up to 47°C in summers. Some cultivars like Santa Rosa can only be cultivated in higher hills (700-1000 chilling hours) but low chilling requiring cultivators (250-300 chilling hours) are preferred for plains.
Plum is performing very well in soils with high pH where peach fails. That is why it is preferred as filler over peach. For good performance of trees well drained sandy loam to medium loam soils are most suited. Root stock plays a major role in the preference of soil. Own rooted plum cuttings and Kabul Green Gage plum rootstock prefer heavy soils, where as plum propagated on peach do well in sandy loams. Plum propagated on peach should not be planted as filler in Litchi orchards, because of high water requirements of litchi plants.
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Plum
Planting in Plum
Cultivation
Plum plants in the nursery shed their leaves in January. Hence, these are uprooted along with the roots and can be transported long distances bate rooted. While planting the plants in the prepared pits, the lowermost branches should be removed. Keep only 3-4 side branches and clip the tops of all shoots so that secondary branching could be initiated. Place in the small pit all the roots and put soil to cover the roots to the soil level.
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Press the soil around the newly planted plants gently. Apply light irrigation to the plants so that soil settles down. Level the soil at ‘wattar’ condition. Continue to apply light and frequent irrigation till rainy season. Apply 10ml of chloropyriphos in one litre of water to each plant in the root zone 20 days after planting for the control of white ants. The plants getting tilted with first irrigation should be straightened and root zone repressed.
Normally plums are planted as fillers; hence planting distance shall be according to the main fruit crop. This may vary from 3.5 to 5.0 m. However, if pure plum orchard is to be planted, then a spacing of 6m X 6m is enough, which will accommodate 256 plants in square system and 305 in hexagonal system of planting per hectare.
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Plum
Irrigation Requirement
Plums are shallow rooted and fast growing plants hence need suďŹƒcient moisture during growing period. Interval of irrigation may depend upon many factors such as soil type, climate and kind of main fruit trees. Frequent irrigation at weekly interval may be applied during April, May and June. No irrigation at full bloom stage and the ripening stage be given to avoid ower and fruit drop. During rainy season no irrigation is required. The interval may increase to 20 days in September, October and November. There should be no irrigation given during December and January months. 10
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Pest & Diseases Of Plum Every fruit tree has the future potential for disease and insect damage. Factors such as location and weather will play a part in which issues your tree encounters. Let’s talk about plum’s most destructive pest and hazardous diseases.
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Plum
Fruit Borer
Thrips Tiny, slender, fringed wing insects ranging from 1/25 to 1/8” long. Nymphs are pale yellow and highly active and adults are usually black or yellow-brown, but may have red, black or white markings. Feed on large variety of plants by puncturing them and sucking up the contents.
Leaf hopper Various colors and similar to aphids this small, active, slender-winged insects are usually found on the underside of leaves. Retard growth, leaves become whitened, stippled or mottled. Tips may wither and die. This insect carries virus of certain very harmful plant diseases.
Mite
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Harmful Pest & Japanese Beetle Appears as a thick, gummy substance (sap) leaking from round holes on the trunk or in a crotch of the tree. Worms with brown heads and cream-colored bodies tunnel thru trunks that will kill the tree.
Grey Weevil A small grey weevil feeds on the leaf edges giving ‘U’ shaped cuts. The weevil remains active throughout the flushing period. The larvae feed on roots which could be checked by deep hoeing before panicle emergence.
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AnthracnoseBlack KnotLichens Smoky black knots (galls) on twigs and limbs, which range in size from 1 to 30cm. Control: Plant resistant cultivars, such as ‘president’ and ‘shiro’. Prune off galls. Make sure to cut at least 10cm below swellings.
Diseases Bacterial Canker
Crown Gall
Appears on branches and trunk as gummy cankers and water-soaked areas. Fruit develops dark, deeply sunken areas, causing them to be more likely to get ‘ B row n Ro t ’. C o o l , we t weather after blooming favors development.
Trees appear stunted and slow growing; leaves may be reduced in size, little or no fruit. If tree is dead, inspect roots for hard, woody ‘tumors’. Note: many things can cause stunted trees.
Red Rust
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Plum
Fruit Borer
HPM’S CONTRIBUTION HPM is a highly focused research driven agrochemical company. Every day HPM touches thousand of lives. At HPM, we want make agriculture better for farmers and families. we pledge to do so in a transparent and sustainable way. In future we will do more than treat agricultural problems—we will aim to make a remarkable impact on farmer’s lives.
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24 Karat Dose : 1.2-2 ml in ltr of water 24 Karat is unique combination of Sea weed extracts and GA . Gibberellic Acid acts synergistically with plant metabolism and accelerates the growth functions of the plant. Also improves the physiological efficiency of the crop by stimulating the hormonal and enzymatic activities and increases the yield and quantity of the crop produce. 24 Karat mobilizes reserves in seed to germinating point leading to breaking of seed dormancy and faster germination 24 Karat stimulates cell division and elongation that causes internodes to stretch leading to better growth of the plant. Improves taste and quality of fruits , and enhances their marketability specific to crop. Improves photosynthesis and plant metabolism, Improves leaf area and root system. Regulates GA: ABA ratio leading to less flower and fruit drop. It increases stem length in flowers grown for export.
Aasra Dose : 5 ml in 15 ltr of water 24 Karat is unique combination of Sea weed extracts and GA . Gibberellic Acid acts synergistically with plant metabolism and accelerates the growth functions of the plant. Also improves the physiological efficiency of the crop by stimulating the hormonal and enzymatic activities and increases the yield and quantity of the crop produce. 24 Karat mobilizes reserves in seed to germinating point leading to breaking of seed dormancy and faster germination 24 Karat stimulates cell division and elongation that causes internodes to stretch leading to better growth of the plant. Improves taste and quality of fruits , and enhances their marketability specific to crop. Improves photosynthesis and plant metabolism, Improves leaf area and root system. Regulates GA: ABA ratio leading to less flower and fruit drop. It increases stem length in flowers grown for export.
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Plum
Fruit Borer
HPM Gold Dose : 4 kg / acre
HPM GOLD is unique product containing microbes as Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) and has broad spectrum action in granular form. It contains granular spores and other propagules of VAM Mycorrhizal Fungi in a granular carrier and has broad spectrum fertilizer activity. Due to high solubility in water it is absorbed rapidly through plants and roots, resulting maximum supply of compost and micronutrient to the crop. roots growth with excellent root setting, resulting greenness by vanishing yellowing in crop. It helps in greater utilization of nutrients, and provides plant protection from disease causing organism to the root and also makes insect resistant plant. It is completely safe to use HPM Gold. It also combats with the drought and stress loss by the crop. Its mycelial threads penetrate inward into the root, thereby increasing the surface area for absorption and translocation of essential plant nutrients including Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Sulphur, Calcium, Zinc and copper.
Heera Zinc Plus 250 gm per acre / 250 ltr. of water Zinc is most important nutrient in all the micro nutrient. It used manly in to improve nutrient growth in Soil. It improves the health and makes greenery in crops. It acts as resistant against disease and gives proper growth.
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Harvesting The plum fruits are mature when these have attained proper size and developed proper colour depending upon the cultivar. The plum fruits are harvested from second week of May in Punjab. For local marketing fruits should be harvested when ripe and ďŹ rm. For distant markets, fruits are picked when ďŹ rm but have developed 50% colour on the skin. Plum should be harvested along with pedicels avoiding any injury to the fruit.
Plum fruit is very perishable in nature, hence should be handled with care. The small baskets should be padded with rice trash or grass at the bottom and sides. Freshly harvested fruits are transferred in these baskets and covered with paper and tied in guny cloth.
The fruits should be graded before packing in basket or wooden boxes. Several pickings are made as the entire fruit on a tree do not ripen at one time. Fruit is borne on spurs also so care should be taken to the save the spurs from breakage, during harvesting.
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