Violet

  Maize requires very fertile , well drained loamy soils having pH range of 5.5 to 8.0 . The crop grows best on alluvial or red soils but can also by grown on well drained black soils . It does not thrive well on heavy soils , saline and alkali soils. After preparing a fine seed bed the crop must be sown in lines ( 20-30 cm apart ) by using seed drill or maize planter or by kera on para method . Sowing time varies from place to place . Maize has bold seed size . It requires 50-60 kg seeds depending upon size. Seed should be sown in lines spaced at 30 cm . For summer sowing in irrigated areas, last week of February to last week of March-April is the appropriate time. Rainy season crop is sown with the beginning of rains in June-­July . Rabi crop is sown in October-November particularly in eastern and southern parts of the country. In hills sowing is taken up in May .

  Maize is an important kharif fodder crop which gives highly succulent and nutritionally rich fodder. Maize grain is also an important feed component of dairy cattle and poultry feed . Maize is a rich source of starch , protein and edible oil. Maize produces good quality herbaceous fodder with high palatability . Hence by providing sufficient quantities of fodder instead of costly concentrates and feeds to the milch animals, the cost of milk production can considerably be reduced . Optimal growth conditions are 18-21°C average day-temperatures , annual rainfalls of more than 750 mm , and deep, well-drained rich soils. However, maize withstands annual rainfalls ranging from 230 to 4100 mm , a pH between 4.3 and 8.7 , and a great variety of soils. Frost kills the plants . Drought is detrimental at flowering as it affects pollination and impairs yield s. Maize has no tolerance to flooding .

  Maize responds well to the application farm yard manure and compost . Apply 10 tonnes farm yard manure or compost per acre one fortnight before sowing . In the absence of farm yard manure, it requires 110 kg bio-fertilizer  per acre. In addition to this in two split doses . Half of the fertilizer should be applied at the time of sowing and remaining half 25-30 day s after sowing

  Irrigate immediately after sowing and give life irrigation on the third day and thereafter once in 10 days . The maize crop is comparatively more to sensitive to excess moist and stress . It requires 5-6 times irrigation at 10-12 days interval during summer season Requires 3-4 times irrigation at 10-12 days during winter season And 1-2 times during rainy season when rainfall interval exceeds 12 days .

  Guava fruit will be ripe and ready for harvest about 120 and 150 days after pruning the Guava trees, . In warm year-round locations, guava can produce two crops each year, a large crop in summer followed by a smaller crop in winter . Ripe guavas will develop mature light green as they ripen ; These fruits  cannot be maintained on the tree longer in ripen stage. So, fruit picking should be done, as sooner as they attain maturity. The changing of the color from green to light  yellowish green is an indication of their tender age. There are several ways to harvest fruits. One can go for manual hand picking of fruits at an interval of few days. Fruit plucking machine is also available in the market to harvest fruits . The yield of this fruit crop depends on the plant age , soil fertility , soil type, frequency of irrigation , pest and disease control. Yield is always different from variety to variety. Add caption

  Guava tree  will take 2-3 years  to mature and start to form fruits . Guava tree at this stage would grow by 5-6 meters high on average , but if properly pruning it does not exceed the height of 3 m. Guava tree grows with mottled greenish bark and long 3- to 7-inch serrated leaves . Guava trees produce white, 1-inch flowers that yield to small round , oval or pear shaped fruits. Guava plants thrive in any soil with good drainage , and full sun for best flowering and fruit production . Keep the soil evenly moist for best fruit production; allow the top 2 or 3 inches of soil to dry before watering again. If the soil goes completely dry, flowering may be delayed or fruit may drop . Reduce water in winter .

  Normally weeding has to be done every 3 months in the guava farm so that guava trees maximum nutrients from the soil and the land is clear .  We can use hand labour to do the weeding work. But it will be time consuming and more expensive .   Normally do weeding for 1 acre farm we need at 10 hand labour and it will take at least 7 days to complete the work .  But using mini tractor with rotavator attachment, we can complete the work in 2 days    This rotavator has a series of blades and its cuts , pulverized mixes and level the soil in the farm  This improves the drainage , levels the area and makes the ground perfect for the guava trees .  Also using rotavator will minimize fuel consumption and time duration

We need to prune and trim the guava tree regularly to encourage the growth of large, high-quality guava at the edges of the trees. Normally guava trees has to be trimmed between November and December during winter season and between March and April during spring season . While pruning the guava tree we should select a single trunk , and 3 to 4 lateral branches and remove all other shoots Also Prune out crossing and inward-heading branches. While pruning the guava tree, make sure you cut the lateral branches in an angle so that so water doesn’t stand on it and cause damage to the branches . After completing  pruning for guava tree we can expect guava harvest in the next five months Prune your guava tree every six months to maintain its symmetry and remove excessive growth . Also remove diseased branches and suckers can be removed at any time of year.  

  The guava tree blooms in early spring , but may bloom all year in mild climates . Guava tree has perfect flowers with male and female parts in each flower . Honeybees pollinate the guava flowers. If there are no bees in your area, then you may hand pollinate the flowers. Use a very small paint brush and tickle the inside of flowers. Spray your guava tree a 5 % solution of urea mixed with a wetting agent just before flowering . When the urea spray dries, then water the plant. This will increase the duration of fruit production .

  Guava tree is heavy feeder, so it should be fertilized twice an year when it is young ; thereafter 3-4 times a year Time of fertilizer application depends on the region and crop variety . In first week of July for winter season crop. The plants are manured twice a year, first during June-July and second by during October . In case of young plants , the fertilizers may be applied in circular trench along the periphery of the root zone . In case of older plants the fertilizers may be broadcasted over a radius of 120cm from the base and forked in lightly without damaging the roots. A fertilizer high in potassium is the best fertilizer for guava trees  to increase fruit production . I feed my guava plant with a liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season . Always water your guava plant after fertilizing to minimize the risk of burns