Maintaining a combined cashew orchard with annual crops results into high yields and increased income as cashew trees are socially, economically and environmentally important grown for nuts and juice consumed both as grilled and in juice form.
Managing cashew orchard
Remove bushes and weeds before ploughing for easy ploughing. Also after harvesting cut unproductive and interwinding cashew branches for more sunlight. Air needed for proper sprouting and flowering for increased yields.
Avoid deep ploughing cashew fields to avoid cutting roots that nourish plants and preferably plant groundnuts or soya at recommended period, density to enrich soil with nitrogen. Similarly avoid cotton, pigeon peas and cowpeas as these have the same pests with cashew.
Ensure proper and regular weeding to increase air circulation, reduce nutrient competition for increased yields. Leave part of mixed crop in field during harvest to rot and increase soil fertility. Lastly collect nuts as soon as they fall to avoid loss of quality and increased yields.
