Tropical fruit production for small land holders

Dr. Jonathan H. Crane, Tropical Fruit Crop SpecialistUniversity of Florida, IFAS

Tropical Research and Education CenterHomestead, FL

Matching the fruit crop with the climate and micro-climate• Perhaps the most important factor to successful fruit production is

selecting fruit crop(s) which are adapted climatically to the specific region and micro-climate.

• Plants grown out of or near the edge of their adaptable area will experience more problems (e.g., poor growth, fruit set, and yields) than plants suited to the micro-climate.

• Some fruit crops require cold or cool (59°F/15°C or below) period of weather in order to properly flower and fruit.

• Other plants are susceptible to cool and cold weather and are injured or killed by chilling and/or freezing temperatures.

Strategy

Factors in planting site selection• Temperature extremes and means• Rainfall extremes and means• Access, availability, and quality of water• Soil type, depth and drainage• Prevailing winds, wind extremes and means and “natural” protection• Topography – elevation, direction

Within farm site selection for fruit trees• Temperatures are effected by elevation – lowland to upland; hotter to cooler• Directional aspects – compass effects – e.g., northern vs southern exposure,

location within the farm site• Wind effects – trade winds, seasonal directions and intensities; nearness to

wind breaks or native areas• Light exposure – nearness to other trees and structures; hours of full-

sunlight• Neighboring plants – size, spread, and pest problems• Soil type and depth, fertility and soil drainage characteristics

Temperatures and elevation

Increasing elevation

Decreasing average temperature

Directional aspectsEffects• Temperatures

• Maximum, minimum and average• Duration

• Light• Intensity• Duration

• Wind• Speeds• Durations

• Nearness to large bodies of water

Examples

Wind effects – trade winds, seasonal directions and intensities; nearness to wind breaks

Negative effects of sustained winds• Prohibit or prolong the time for tree

or plant establishment• Constant winds• Increasing wind speed

• Increase the time to production• Affect on tree growth (size)• Delay flowering

• May decrease fruit set and production• Dry out stigma on female flower parts• Knock off young fruit

Examples – mechanical damage

Photo credits: JHCrane© and USGS.gov and www.countrylife.co.uk

Canopy distortion

Wind breaksPositive effects• Improved young tree

establishment – faster• Increased growth, decreased time

to flowering and fruiting• Potential increased fruit set (less

mechanical flower and fruit damage - drop, prolonged female receptivity to pollination)

• Reduced wind-scar – mechanical damage to fruit

Man-made and artificial wind breaks

Natural Man-made

Light exposure – nearness to other trees and structures; hours of full-sunlight

Effects• Light exposure – hours of shade• Less light usually results in –

• Loss of lower tree canopy (production)

• Reduced flowering + fruit production

• Potentially more insect and/or disease problems

Shading, tree structure

Neighboring plants – size, spread, and pest problems

Considerations• Light competition - shading effects• Water and nutrient competition• Reduced amount of any one crop

Cautions• Just be aware

• Some plants act as alternative hosts to some insects and/or diseases

• For example, some viruses and insects may move from cucurbits to papaya

• However, plant diversity (multi-cropping) tends to decrease pest and disease problems

Positive effects

• Diversity of crops – stability, sustainability• Reduced pest problems• Increased beneficial insects and microbes

Soil type and depth, fertility and soil drainage characteristics

Soil types• Most soil types are okay

• Sandy• Loam• Clay

• Crops that benefit from highly fertile soils – avocado, papaya, banana, carambola, guava, passion fruit

• Crops that benefit from less fertile soils – mango, lychee, longan

Soil drainage• In general, even if a particular

fruit tree and vine species tolerates wet, saturated or flooded soil conditions – they do not thrive nor produce well under those conditions

• Bedding and/or installation of drainage infrastructure may alleviate this problem

Flood tolerance of tropical fruit cropsFlood tolerance

TolerantModeratelytolerant

Nottolerant

GuavaSapodillaCaimitoCoconutGrafted citrus*

BananaCanistel CarambolaLimeLonganLycheeMango

AtemoyaAvocadoJackfruitMamey sapote PapayaPassion fruitSugar apple

*, Flood tolerance varies with rootstock.

Agroforestry and/or small holder operationsSmall holder operations

Agroforestry techniques

Sugar apple Monstera, carambola,wax jambu

GuavaPassion fruit

Small plots• In a multi-cropped farm• Identifying small areas to plant two or more trees of specific tropical

fruit crops for potential additional income• May consist of one or more species that are managed to optimize

their production• Placement within the farm is critical to optimize fruit production• Take into account information from previous slides• Tree size control/management is very important to maintain production• For example: three mango or avocado trees along full-sunlight perimeter and

3 carambola trees in moderately sunny area protected from wind by larger trees, 10 papaya in full- or near full-sunlight area, etc.

Crop cultural practices matching• Crops that benefit from fertile soils

and/or high nutrient inputs• Avocado• Banana• Carambola• Guava• Jackfruit • Papaya• Passion fruit• Sugar apple

• Crops that benefit from limited to poor soil fertility and limited nutrient inputs

• Mango• Longan• Lychee

• So for example don’t place guava next to lychee or mango next to papaya

Avocado (Persea americana)

• Requires well drained soil – plant on mounds if necessary.

• There are two types of avocado, A-types and B-types.

• In general avocados need cross pollination with a complimentary cultivar, i.e., A-type and B-type.

• Therefore, you may need to plant two different avocado trees near each other for good fruit set.

• Range in cold tolerance – from lowland tropical climate adapted cultivars to cool subtropical/Mediterranean climate adapted cultivars.

• Potential for long season of production

• Early, mid- and late season cultivars• Multiple elevations• Multiple geographic locations

• Maintain trees at or below 10-15 ft (3-4.5 ft).

‘Donnie’‘Russell’

‘Simmonds’‘Hass’

10cm

Early seasonAdapted to tropical conditions

Early seasonAdapted to tropical conditions

Early – mid-seasonAdapted to tropical conditions

Late seasonAdapted to cool subtropical conditions

‘Choquette’

‘Monroe’

‘Tonnage’

‘Bernecker’

15cm

Mid to late seasonAdapted to tropical and subtropical conditions

Early – mid-seasonAdapted to tropical conditions

Mid-seasonAdapted to tropical and subtropical conditions

Late seasonAdapted to tropical and subtropical conditions

Barbados Cherry (Malpighia punicifolia)

• Limited cold tolerance (28-30°F/-2 to -1°C).• Requires well-drained soils.• Large densely branched shrub or small tree.• Fruit very high in Vit. C.• Some insects (e.g., plant bugs, fruit flies)

attack the fruit.• A number of varieties are available (e.g., B-17,

Florida Sweet).• Keep tree/bush at or below 8-10 ft (2.4-3.1

m).

Carambola (Averrhoa carambola)

• Limited cold tolerance – (26-28oF/-2 to -3oC).

• Requires well drained soil – plant on mounds if necessary.

• Highly sensitive to wind – plant only in a wind protected area of the farm.

• Moderately shade tolerant and may be planted in areas of light shade.

• Benefits from high soil fertility (inorganic or organic).

• Benefits from mulch - 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) of clean organic matter (6” away from trunk).

• Benefits from irrigation during dry periods.

• Keep trees at 6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 ft).

‘Kary’

‘Arkin’

‘Lara’

‘Fwang Tung’‘B-10’

Banana (Musa sp. and hybrids)

• Three groups of bananas – sweet bananas eaten fresh (desert), starchy cooking bananas and plantains.

• There are numerous clones/cultivars of banana and multiple names for the same clone is common.

• The psuedostem (above ground stems) may be killed by freezing temperatures, however, the plant will generally regrow from the rhizome (underground stem).

• Plant in full sunlight (best), in well-drained areas; wind protection is beneficial.

Selected banana cultivars• Many new cultivars have been

evaluated for their horticultural attributes and disease tolerance.

• Issues• Taste and texture of alternative cultivars

may not meet the expectations/demand of local cultivars

• Increased disease pressure may force adaptation of alternative cultivars in the future

• Availability of plant material may be an issue

• Panama disease resistant cultivars include ‘Gold Finger’ (FHIA-01), ‘Mona Lisa’ (FHIA –02), FHIA-03, FHIA-17, ‘Pisang Ceylon’, Kofi’, ‘Saba’, ‘Mysore’, and ‘Kluai nam wa’, ‘Kumunamba’.

FHIA-01 (‘Gold Finger’) FHIA-02 (‘Mona Lisa’) FHIA-17FHIA-03 (‘Sweet Heart)’

‘Kofi’‘Saba’ ‘Kluai nam wa’ 'Ney poovan'

Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

• Small, bush-like tree that may have 4-6 crops per year.

• Limited cold tolerance (27-29°F/-1.7 to 2.8°C).

• Trees propagated by seed, may take up to 8 years to flower and fruit.

• Grows best in well drained, fertile, slightly acid soils (pH 5-7).

• Benefits from light mulching around the tree (keep it away from the tree trunk).

Photos, JH Crane

Jaboticaba

Mango (Mangifera indica)

• Limited cold tolerance (25-28°F/-2.2 to -3.9°C). Does not acclimate to cold temperatures.

• Does best on well drained soil – plant on mounds if necessary.

• Does best in dry climate areas (dry from flowering to harvest)

• Highly sensitive to salt intrusion/poor quality water.

• Do not over-water trees especially during the winter. Water trees during extended dry periods only.

• Recommend cultivars include ‘Keitt’, ‘Kent’, ‘Glenn’, ‘Cogshall’, ‘Irwin’ and many others.

• Keep trees 6-15 ft (1.8-4.5 m).

‘Kent’

‘Carabao’Palmer’

‘Glenn’

‘Nom Doc Mai’‘Mallika’

Longan (Dimocarpus longan)

• Limited cold tolerance – (28-30°F/-1.1 to -2.2°C).

• Best production in higher elevation tropical areas that experience cool temperatures or subtropical areas with cool period.

• Requires well drained soil – plant on mounds if necessary.

• Unreliable bearing is a problem with all longan cultivars.

• Requires a cool period in the late fall/winter for good flowering in the spring.

• Do not apply high rates of nutrients during cool period.

• Do not irrigate during cool period; benefits from irrigation from flowering to harvest.

• Thinning the fruit (when pea sized) is critical for large fruit.

• A number of cultivars to choose from: ‘Kohala’, ‘Degelman’, ‘Edau’, and others.

• Keep trees 10-15 ft (3.1-4.5 m).

‘Kohala’

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

• Well adapted to most soil types; requires well-drained soils.

• Tolerant to infertile soil conditions and low input nutrient management and limited watering regime (although will benefit from irrigation during flowering and fruiting).

• Very cold tolerant tree (to 10°F/12°C), fruit to 27-28°F (-2.2 to -2.8°C).

• Fruit flies can be a problem (bag the entire fruiting panicle).

• Numerous cultivars to choose from.• Keep trees 6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m).

‘Advance’‘Thales’

‘Wolfe’

Photo credit, JH Crane

‘Champagne’

Lychee (Litchi chinensis)

• Limited cold tolerance – (24-25°F/-3.9 to -4.4°C).

• Requires well drained soil – plant on mounds if necessary.

• Unreliable bearing is a problem with all lychee cultivars.

• Best production in higher elevation tropical areas that experience cool temperatures or subtropical areas with cool period.

• Requires a cool period in the late fall/winter for good flowering in the spring.

• Do not apply high rates of nutrients during cool period.

• Do not irrigate during cool period; benefits from irrigation from flowering to harvest.

• Numerous cultivars to choose from, however, ‘Mauritius’ is more reliable bearing than others.

• Keep trees 10-15 ft (3.1-4.6 m).

‘Mauritius’

‘Brewster’

‘Bosworth 3’(‘Kwai May Pink’)

‘Hak Ip’(‘Black Leaf’)

Papaya (Carica papaya)

• Not cold tolerant (~31-32°F/~-1 to 0°C).

• Not salt and flood tolerant.• Numerous cultivars but many may not

be readily available.• Fast growing, plant seeds and 3-4

months later ready to plant. From planting to first harvest 9-10 months.

• Take seed from fruit, clean, dry, plant in artificial media, when seedlings 8 –12 inches high, plant.

• Bisexual types – 1/3rd seedlings female, 2/3rd bisexual.

• Dioecious types – plant 1 male plant per 10 female plants.

• Plant plants at 6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m) apart so plants do no compete for light, water and nutrients.

• Plants benefit from organic and/or inorganic nutrients and mulch.

• Tall plants may be ratooned to continue lower height fruit production.

Bisexual plant Male plant

‘Red Lady’

Male

Female Bisexual

Passion fruit

Purple (Passiflora edulis f. edulis)• Subtropical, tolerates short duration

freezing temperatures (28-30°F/-1 to -2°C).

• Grows at 1968-8202 ft (600-2500 m) elevation.

• Needs well-drained soil.• Less tolerant to collar and root rots.• Generally, self compatible.

Yellow (P. edulis f. flavicarpa) • Less cold tolerance, more tropical

conditions best.• Grows best below 3281 ft (1000 m).• Needs well-drained soil.• More tolerant to collar and root rots.

May be used as rootstock for purple types.

• Generally needs cross pollination with another cultivar/clone of yellow to set fruit.

A true purple passion fruit

‘Whitmans’ yellow

Hybrids

‘Possum Purple’

‘Big Red’

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

• Limited cold tolerance (to ~28oF); prolonged exposure to temperatures in the low 40°Fs (4°Cs results in internal breakdown of the fruit; extreme high temperatures may cause sunburn).

• Requires well drained soils. Bedding may overcome this problem.

• Propagated by slips, suckers, crowns and tissue culture.

• Numerous cultivars/clones.• Fruit take 12-18 months to mature

from planting (temperature dependent).

• Flowering can be induced by applying 4 g of calcium carbide to the crown.

• Mealy bug is a major insect pest. Nematodes may also be a problem –so use clean material.

Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus and other species)

• Limited cold tolerance (26-32°F/-3.3 to 0°C).

• Adapted to tropical and warm to cool subtropical conditions.

• May not tolerate excessively wet soil conditions.

• Moderately tolerance of salt spray and saline soil/water conditions.

• Sunburn potential during cool/cold temperatures.

• Tolerate winds but trellis structures should be able to withstand the weight of the vines and strong winds.

• Pollination issues.• May be self-incompatible• May need hand pollination

• Some fungal diseases.• Multiple crops per season.

H. udatus

H. costaricensus

H. polyrhizus

Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)

• Limited cold tolerance (26-32oF).• Moderately tolerant of flooded/wet

soil conditions.• Moderate tolerance of salt spray and

saline soil/water conditions.• Low nutrient and water inputs.

• Benefits from cross pollination.• Some cultivars appear more

susceptible to fruit fly than others.• No major diseases.• Numerous cultivars.• Keep trees at or below 12-15 ft

(3.7-4.6 m).

‘Prolific’

‘Tikal’

‘Morena’

‘Hasya’

‘Modello’

Spondias species

• Ambarella or Golden apple (S. dulcis) – large tree, cold sensitive; grow best in fertile, well-drained soils.

• Yellow mombin or hog plum (S. mombin) –medium-large tree, cold sensitive; grow best in fertilize, well-drained soils.

• Red mombin or jocote (S. purpurea) – small-medium tree, cold sensitive; grows best in fertile, well-drained soils.

• Easily pruned to maintain small stature.

• Keep at or below 8-12 ft(2.4-3.7 m)

• Fruit flies are major pests.

Red mombin

Yellow mombin

Amberella

‘Smooth Cayenne’

Photo, USDA-ARS, HI

‘MD-2’ ‘Cayenne Baronnede Rothschild’

Photo credits: www.ghanaguardian.com; JHCrane; www.ciatweb.ciat.cigar.org; www.ccari.res.in

‘Queen’

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) and atemoya (A. cherimola x A. squamosa)

• Limited cold tolerance. • Atemoya (

‘Red’ sugar apple

‘Lessard Thai’ sugar apple

‘Gefner’ atemoya

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)

• Limited cold tolerance (26-32°F/-3.3 to 0°C).• Requires well-drained soil.• Seedlings vary in fruit sweetness; there are

sweet types propagated vegetatively.• Easily pruned to maintain moderate stature.

• Keep at or below 10-15 ft (3.1-4.6 m)• Plant 30 or more ft away from structures,

electrical wires, and other trees.

Thanks. Any questions?

Tropical fruit production for small land holdersMatching the fruit crop with the climate and micro-climateFactors in planting site selectionWithin farm site selection for fruit treesTemperatures and elevationDirectional aspectsWind effects – trade winds, seasonal directions and intensities; nearness to wind breaksWind breaksLight exposure – nearness to other trees and structures; hours of full-sunlightNeighboring plants – size, spread, and pest problemsSoil type and depth, fertility and soil drainage characteristicsFlood tolerance of tropical fruit cropsAgroforestry and/or small holder operationsSmall plotsCrop cultural practices matchingAvocado (Persea americana)Slide Number 17Slide Number 18Barbados Cherry (Malpighia punicifolia)Slide Number 20Slide Number 21Banana (Musa sp. and hybrids)Selected banana cultivarsFHIA-01 (‘Gold Finger’)‘Kofi’Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)Jaboticaba Slide Number 28Slide Number 29Slide Number 30Slide Number 31Longan (Dimocarpus longan)Slide Number 33Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) ‘Advance’Lychee (Litchi chinensis)‘Mauritius’Papaya (Carica papaya)Slide Number 39Passion fruitSlide Number 41Pineapple (Ananas comosus)Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus and other species)Slide Number 44Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)Slide Number 46Spondias speciesSlide Number 48‘Smooth Cayenne’Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) and atemoya (A. cherimola x A. squamosa)Slide Number 51Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)Thanks. Any questions?