ANNONA – Cultivation to Harvesting Full Guide

INTRODUCTION

 in this article, I’m going to tell you about the Annona Cultivation

• Kingdom:- Plantae
• Order:- Magnoliales
• Family:- Annonaceae
• Genus:- Annona Corr.Serr
• popular all over the world as delicious and fruitful fruit.
• Annona is native to Central America.
• 50 varieties of isolates in the world.
• 5 species of Annona in Sri Lankan.
• species are tap-rooted, evergreen or semi-deciduous, tropical trees or shrubs.
• This fruit typically grows in areas where the temperature does not drop below 28 F (-2°C). Especially Cuba, Jamaica and the Philippines.
• Most distributed areas in Sri Lanka,
  • Soursop and bullock’s – low country wet zone and intermediate wet zone.
  • Sugar apple                          –   low country dry zone and littoral areas.
  • Cherimoya                            –     Mountainous regions

IMPORTANCE

• To use make ice-cream, juice.
• biologically important chemical composition is due to diarrhoea, constipation, joint swelling, food poisoning, vomiting, liver failure, skin diseases, diabetes and kidney-related ailments.
• the roots and leaf chemicals have been found to be a source of cancer prevention.
• roots, leaves and seeds have been identified as bio-pesticides.
• It is a good treatment for stress and neurological disorders.
• effective anti-cancer drug that helps the immune system to prevent weight loss and hair loss.
• As a preventive treatment for diarrhoea and fever.
• the mother’s milk improves after childbirth.
• Dessert is a refreshing fruit drink with sugar washes.

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES

• There are 4 (four) species in Annona.
  • Cherimoya          :-  Annona cherimola Miller.
  •  Soursop                              :-  Annona muricata L.
  • Bullock’s heart  :-  Annona reticulata L.
  • Sugar apple        :-  Annona squamosa L.
• There are one hybrid species.
  • Atimoya

Cherimoya

• It has a heart shape fruit.
• The exposure is light green.
• The bruising there is mildew.
• The gemish is creamy color in nature.
• It is a delicious fruit.

Soursop

• Local name – katu anode, katu athaa
• The fruit is green color.
• It is often oval shape or irregular shape.
• There are thorn-like scratches on the surface.
• The idea of having a sweet curry with a sweet sour juice is very interesting.

Bllock’s heart

• Local name – waeli athaa
• fruit shape is heart.
• Discoloration is brownish yellow.
• Output is marked in oval shape.
•  No scratches.
• Colorless version is creamy and sand-like surgical elements.

Sugar apple

• Local name – sini anode, sini athaa, Seethappalam.
• fruit is round shape.
• Two colors of fruits.
  • Green color
    • Purple color
• Outside of fruit clear round or oval shape.

Atimoya (Hybrid variety)

• It’s give intermediate features between cherimoya and sugar apple.
• Most popular as a fresh fruit.
• It is highly nutritious.

NUTRITION OF ANNONA

• Energy                  – 104.0 KCal
• Protein                 – 1.6 g
• Fat                          – 0.4 g
• Carbohydrate    – 23.5 g
• Calcium                                – 17.0 mg
• Prospers              – 47.0 mg
• Iron                        – 1.5 mg
• Vitamin C             – 37 mg

CULTIVATION

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT

• Most suitable for tropical and subtropical climates.
• Ideal areas- up to 1500m.
• Temperature- >18°C
• Rainfall- 1500mm

SOIL REQUIREMENT

• Soil PH: – 5-10.
• Suitable for well-aerated and well-drained soils.
•  well cultivated in infertile soil.
• Soursop and sugar apple – cultivated in a wide range of soil from sand to clay.

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES

Propagation

• Seedlings
  • takes a month to sprout due to heavy seeding.
  • Germination can be hastened by soaking in water 3 days.
  • Germination percentage- 90-95%.

• Budding plant
  • All varieties can be propagated in budding.
  • Wedge drafting is most suitable.

Spacing

• Spacing:– (5m * 4m)
  • Needed of plant: – 500 plants / ha , (200 plants / ac).
  • Hole size:-  (60*60*60) cm

Fertilizer application

• Urea, TSP, and MOP are used as fertilizer.
  • Compost is used as organic fertilizer.

Irrigation

• Water is applied daily until one year for plants.

Weed management

• Weeds should be removed in a circle of about 1m around the tree.

PEST AND DISEASES MANAGEMENT

Dieback

• This is the most visible disease in Annona cultivation.
  • Control:-  pruning, Apply fungicide

Anthracnose

• Damage the quality of fruits.
  • Control:- pruning. Apply water and fertilizer properly

Scale insect

Control: – Field sanitation, Removal of excise, Apply pesticide.

• Mealybug, fruit fly, squirrels and bats damage to the Annona cultivation. 

SPECIAL PRACTICES

Pruning

• Not fruiting branches and dead branches should be removed by using pruning.

Pollination

• Fruiting is weak in Annona cultivation due to flowers don’t pollinate incorrectly.
  • To avoid this, artificial pollination must be done. But this is a difficult task practically.

HARVESTING

• Get yield in 3-4 years from seed born plants.
• Get yield in 2 years from budding plants.
• Potential Yield: –
  • Seedling -15-25 fruits/ plant/ year.
  • Buddings-25-40 fruits/plant/ year.

check out my other article:Wood Apple Cultivation