69. Plums, Prunes, Peach & Kiwi

LEC .32 PLUMS AND PRUNES - SOIL, CLIMATE, PLANTING, VARIETIES, NUTRIENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT, SPECIAL CULTURAL OPERATIONS, PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS, PESTS AND DISEASES, MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

PLUMS Prunus sp. Family : Rosaceae (PLUMS Prunus sp. Family : Rosaceae)

‘Prune’ – dried whole without fermentation (high sugar).

Production  Yugoslovia – tops in production (Production  Yugoslovia – tops in production)

India, USA.

Area :

Sub-tropical plants of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh to high hills of Himalaya in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir. Great scope exists in NE

Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh – important states. Uses :

Rich in minerals, vitamins, sugars and organic acids, protein, fat and CHO2’s (Rich in minerals, vitamins, sugars and organic acids, protein, fat and CHO2’s)

Jam, jelly, marmalades and pies.

Prune : Plum with high sugar content, dried which fermentation.

Dried plums used for chutney preparation (Dried plums used for chutney preparation)

Wine and brandy from varieties of high sugar and sorbitol (Wine and brandy from varieties of high sugar and sorbitol)

Seed oil -40-50% - cosmetic and medicinal value. Climate :

More and wide adaptability of many species and cultivars adapted to different ecology

Cold winters (Cold winters)

Hot summer suitable (Hot summer suitable)

High rainfall (High rainfall)

The chilling …………can be compensated by environment and cultural practices.

Environment (Environment)

Warm winter - Bending branches with holding irrigation (Warm winter - Bending branches with holding irrigation)

Light winter - reduce apical dominance (Light winter - reduce apical dominance)

Rain (Rain)

summer pruning (summer pruning)

Chemicals spray, rootstocks Climate :

Japanese plum – sensitive to frost (spring flowering) if no spring frost – good. Rainfall :

As rainfed crop, 100-125 cm rainfall, well distributed throughout the year.

High wind velocity – not suitable (High wind velocity – not suitable)

Hail prone areas – not suitable. Soil :

Avoid water logged, poorly drained, very shallow soils with high salts.

Soil depth should be 1.5 m (Soil depth should be 1.5 m)

High alkalinity (5 mg/100 g) + acidic soil  toxic, apply lime. Origin (High alkalinity (5 mg/100 g) + acidic soil  toxic, apply lime. Origin)

European plum – Europe (European plum – Europe)

Japanese plum - China (Japanese plum - China)

Cherry plum - Europe, West Asia (Cherry plum - Europe, West Asia)

American plum - N. America (American plum - N. America)

Pollinizer should be planted in every 3rd row as 3rd tree. One bee colony / acre – improves fruitset.

Flower initiation (Flower initiation)

Flower initiation in one season and flowering seen in the next year, flower development greatly affected by age of wood, position of bud on tree, temperature, water, CH2O, N and others, PGR.

Flowering takes ploace on one year old shoot and 2 year old spurs.

Propagation (Propagation)

Cuttings – heard, semi-hard wood and soft wood (Cuttings – heard, semi-hard wood and soft wood)

IBA treatment in winter, rooting in 4-6 weeks. Clonal Rootstock (IBA treatment in winter, rooting in 4-6 weeks. Clonal Rootstock)

Myrobalan 29°C, Myrobalan – 2261, GF 1246.

Peach - Suits to light soil, resistance to nematodes (Peach - Suits to light soil, resistance to nematodes)

Almounds - Suits to deep soil, but graft incompatibility (Almounds - Suits to deep soil, but graft incompatibility)

Apricot - high immunity to nematodes (Apricot - high immunity to nematodes)

Rootstocks seeds - dormancy problem is seen, so stratification is necessary @ 3-5°C.

Planting :

Rootstock vigour and soil fertility decides spacing.

Square system – suits to all situations.

Hexagonal system – fertile and expensive lands.

Training systems :

Branching at 1 m height is practiced (Branching at 1 m height is practiced)

Training system depends on growth habit (Training system depends on growth habit)

Spreading type – open centre (Spreading type – open centre)

Upright type – Central modified leader (Upright type – Central modified leader)

Open centre – more common in Europe (Open centre – more common in Europe)

Modified leader – more common in India Other systems :

Hedge rows (Hedge rows)

Pyramid (Pyramid)

for mechanical farming (for mechanical farming)

Palmette Pruning (Palmette Pruning)

Intensity differs with varieties (Intensity differs with varieties)

Japanese plum – over bearing – heavy pruning (Japanese plum – over bearing – heavy pruning)

European plum – light pruning to renew old spurs. Fruit thinning :

Increase fruit size (Increase fruit size)

Increase colour and quality.

Reduce breaking of limbs. Harvest (Reduce breaking of limbs. Harvest)

Total economic life span 25-35 years. Maturity indices :

• Colour development
• Flesh firmness
• Days after full bloom
• TSS – 12.5°B for European plum
• TSS/acid ratio – 12 to 15

Post-harvest management (Post-harvest management)

For distance market  harvest in the early morning or in Afternoon and leave it for over might cooling.

CA storage O2 – 2-3% (CA storage O2 – 2-3%)

2-3 months (2-3 months)

CO2 – 2.8% (CO2 – 2.8%)