HIGH DENSITY PLANTING IN GUAVA

Trees of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Allahabad Safeda were planted in September 1998 at 1.5 × 3.0, 3.0 × 3.0, 3.0 × 6.0 and 6.0 × 6.0 m spacing in 4 replications to determine the effect of planting distance on tree growth, yield, fruit quality and light penetration. Tree growth was significantly influenced by different tree densities when measured in October 2004, 6 years after planting. The tree height was highest (5.76 m) at the planting distance of 3.0 × 1.5 m (2222 trees ha^-1). Similarly, trunk circumference was also higher (0.86 m) at 1.5 × 3.0 m than the planting distance of 6.0 m × 6.0 m. A marked variation was noticed among different tree spacings on canopy spread (NS/EW).The canopy spread was 5.26/5.20 m in NS/EW directions at planting distance of 6.0 × 6.0 m in comparison to 4.46/4.31 m in closely spaced trees (1.5 × 3.0 m). The total yield was highest (79.5 kg tree^-1) from the tree planted at the distance of 3.0 × 6.0 m, while it was only 32.60 kg tree^-1 from the planting distance of 1.5 × 3.0 m. However, the yield of per unit area was more (7.24 kg) at the planting distance of 1.5 × 3.0 m (2222 trees ha^-1). Trees spaced at 6.0 × 6.0 m and 3.0 × 6.0 m produced fruits of more weight with better TSS, vitamin C and total sugars. Planting density showed a strong influence on leaf sugar content. The sugar content in outer and inner leaves varied from 0.29 to 0.35, 0.30 to 0.33, 0.26 to 0.35 and 0.38 to 0.38 per cent in the trees planted at 6.0 × 6.0, 3.0 × 6.0, 3.0 × 3.0 and 1.5 × 3.0 m, respectively. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was found less in closely spaced trees than medium and low ones. Overall, better light penetration was observed in the trees planted at 6.0 × 6.0 and 3.0 × 6.0 m than the other distances at NS/EW canopy edge, inside tree centre, centre between tree in the rows and centre between rows.