Hi,
I am currently in discussion for purchase of land in Konkan. The area has laterite rocks. Around the area i have also seen a laterite quarry from where the Jambha / Chira / Laterite stone is being extracted. Seen a couple of cashew plantations around the area as well. I have read articles which suggest that cashew’s grow well in such places. The way to plant them is by blasting holes in the rock, filling the holes with soil and then planting cashew as well as mangoes. Blasting the rocks ensures the base gets fractured thus providing enough space for roots to go deep in.
Would like to know if anyone has experience in such plantations, and if yes, how successful these plantations are. Unfortunately couldnt speak to the people who have plantations around, as the farm help didnt have much info and the owners are proxy farmers.
Another query i have is around water for cashew plantations. Cashew is majorly grown as rainfed crop. Would the 1 year old plants too survive the harsh summers with little or no water ?
Thanks in advance !!
Hi Parag,
Raise the saplings for 1-2yrs in big size polybag then transfer to soil.
If land is 100% kaatal/rock then cashew plantation not advised(not economical , each blasted pit is abt 600-700/- + one tractor soil 600/- . Make your calculations ) - rather do mango(better returns). Mango tree fruits early in kaatal area.
If at all you want to go ahead with cashew I wud suggest drip .
Choose a good variant of cashew.
Vengurla4- profuse yeild.
Vengurla7- big size kernal,less yeild.
Vengurla8- big size kernal, less yeild.
Vengurla9-new launch, no feild reports yet.
Call me if you need more guidance .
By the way whic area are you planning plantation. How many acres ?
Do you have an agri background .
Regards .
Rafiq.
9892677525.
Thanks a lot Rafiq.
I am looking at land between Chiplun and Guhagar. Approx 10 acres.
No agri background, apart from reading the material available online.
The cost of blasting would make the entire project uneconomical, specially when i am thinking about ultra high density plantation [400 plants in an acre].
The land is not complete 100% kaatal. There are rock patches (would say approx 30%), but i am assuming, when i dig into the soil for 2-3 mtrs, i would get kaatal.
For mango and cashew, the advise generally is to dig a pit of about 3 x 3 x 3 (ft) so that the roots find it easy to proliferate in this zone. After that the roots can find their way through rough stony or rocky soil.
Your assumption is that you will get rock after 2 - 3 metres! How is your planting connected with this?
Please follow normal practices. If you are very inclined to lend a laterite tang to your mangoes/cashew, then cover the top soil with 1 feet of laterite small gravels/powder. You may want to follow organic methods of farming.
Ultra high density planting demands dedication and full-time presence not to mention increased capital costs (drip, fertigation, labour).
Since you have asked for costs of electricity connection from 1 km away (or is this another place?), here itself you will incur heavy costs. The cement poles have to be erected every 150 feet; not to mention the wires and the cost of the transformer, if you are the only person taking the connection. Can’t say if they will give you the connection in the first place.
If you are buying land, this itself is a huge investment. Plan to get land which is ready in most respects. Please be careful. Check and double check.
Thanks a lot for your inputs.
Yes the electricity costs are beyond my wildest dreams. Almost 20 lakhs for a 1.25 km line + a transformer. That was the proverbial nail in the coffin. Have given up thinking about this land. So the search still continues.
Hi, I’m planning for ultra high density planting. What would be the success rate?( assuming all the resources and plan is in place). Do you have any info regarding this?
The advantage in UHD planting is that your yield will be higher in the early years. You will be getting fruit of the trees which would have otherwise not been in the vacant space (if it was conventional farming).
Your yield and profits will be directly proportional to your efforts (as in any venture) and favourable weather. In my case, even after my efforts, the rain has played havoc at the time of flowering, growth and harvesting, with the result that i am just breaking even (zero profits) on my mango & cashew crop. I am seriously considering chikoo farming as an alternative or short duration veggies and fruit crops (watermelon etc).
to your mangoes/cashew, then cover the top soil with 1 feet of laterite small gravels/powder. You may want to follow organic methods of farming.