New cultivation techniques for cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.).

Abstract

The cashew tree produces its fruits at the periphery of the canopy but experiments in Kenya showed that increasing planting distances from 6 to 15 m did not influence yields/ha although they led to increased yields/tree. Productivity can be much increased, however, by planting cashews in hedgerows 9 to 12 m apart with 2 to 3 m within rows and using a clonal cashew cv. It is estimated that for the first 5 years of a new plantation gross margins would be 459, 519, 2827 and 2244 sh/ha annually, respectively, for traditional growing without charcoal production, traditional growing with charcoal production (from prunings at rejuvenation or replacement), hedgerows at 9 m, and hedgerows at 12 m. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)