Crop Regulation :
The pomegranate starts fruiting about 4 years after planting and continues for about 25 to 30 years. Economic yield is generally obtained after 10 years of planting.
To regulate flowering, water is withheld for about two months in advance of the normal flowering season. After two months, manures and fertilizers are applied and light irrigation is given. Three to four days later, heavier irrigations at normal interval are followed. The tree readily responds to this treatment by producing new growth and blooms and bears a good crop.
A full grown pomegranate has tendency to bear flowers and fruits throughtout the year. To obtain higher fruit yield during a particular period, plants are given a resting period by which the natural tendency of the tree is altered with artificial means. It is done by withholding of water for about 2 months in advance of normal flowering, root exposure and also use of chemicals. By adopting such methods flowering can be induced in June-July (Mrig bahar) coinciding with the break of monsoon, February-March (Ambe bahar) and September-October (Hasth bahar).
Mrig bahar is taken in Deccan areas where water is so scare during the hot weather. The flowering, therefore, is so forced that the maximum requirement of water falls during the rainy season. For this treatment, watering is withheld from December to April-May results in sufficient suppression of growth. In the month of March-April leaves are shed as plants go in dormant stage. The manures and fertilizers are applied and light irrigation is given which is followed by two heavy irrigations at 7 days interval before rain sets in. Within 15 days, trees will put on profuse growth along with the formation of flowers and fruits. The fruits ripen in October and continues upto December.
Ambe bahar is taken in the areas where enough water is available during hot weather. The fruits are available during June and July and no irrigation is given after the start of the rainy season. The trees shed their leaves by October-November, when a shallow hand digging or ploughing is done. During December-January, manures are applied. The first irrigation is given in January and the flowers appear within a month of this irrigation. In dry regions of western Maharashtra Ambe bahar has been found to be better treatment than Mrig bahar.
Hasth bahar is seldom taken. The trees have to be made dormant during August-September. This is rather uncertain because of the rains that occur during this period.
Pollination :
Both self and cross pollination are recorded in pomegranate. Greater percentage of fruit set was observed by hand pollination and pollination under natural conditions i.e. open pollination.
Harvesting and Fruit Handling :
Pomegranate is a non-climacteric fruit. Its fruit become ready for harvesting in 5 - 7 months after the appearance of blossoms. Mature fruits become slightly yellowish and further pink to red. On tapping, the fruits give metallic sound and when pressed they give a 'Crunch' sound. The fruits are harvested with the help of secateurs.
The trees begin to bear fruit in the fourth year when a small crop of 20 - 25 fruits (4 - 5 kg) per tree may be harvested. In the 10th year, it rises to 100 - 150 fruits (20 - 25 kg). The average yield in well managed plantation may be as much as 200 - 250 fruits per tree.
After harvesting, sorting of fruits should be exercised to remove undesirable fruits. The healthy fruits are packed mostly in bamboo baskets and wooden crates containing 10 - 12 kg with a padding of paddy straw or dry grasses. The fruits can be transported to distant market without any loss.
The fruits can be stored for about 5 - 6 months at 4.50C and 80 - 85% relative humidity. The storage life of pomegranate fruits in sealed polythene bags (0.02 mm) at 100C is extended upto 12 weeks.
Cracking or Splitting of Fruits :
This disorder is reported to be due to boron and calcium deficiency. There is further attack of insects or fungal attack on the cracked fruits. So fruits become unfit for marketing. The Mrig bahar crop is more susceptible to cracking than the crop of other bahars.
Main cause of this malady is the wide variation in moisture content of the soil as well as in the humidity of air due to monsoon. If there is sudden break in the rains during August, the growth of fruit is arrested. So as a result of the dry atmosphere that follows, the elasticity of the skin is lost; then there is rain again and growth restarts, results in cracking of fruit skin.
Thus cracking fruits is mostly due to irregular water supply to the trees. Ambe bahar crop is regularly irrigated, so it does not crack badly. The best treatment is to give regular irrigations to the Ambe-bahar crop taking care that at no stage there is a scarcity of water. In case of Mrig-bahar crop, the splitting of fruits cannot be controlled altogether as the variation in humidity cannot control cracking and can, however, be minimised if the plants are regularly irrigated whenever there is a break in rain. Cracking is correlated with rind thickness. Cultivars like Karkai, Guleshah, Bedana, Khog and Jalore Seedless are comparatively tolerant to fruit cracking.
For checking fruit splitting in pomegranate, supply soil moisture regularly through light irrigations. Plant windbreak around the pomegranate plantation. Spray borax @ of 0.1 per cent. In the month of June, give a spray application of GA3 at 250 ppm. It is better to plant only those varieties which are less prone to fruit cracking.
Insect pests :-
1. Fruit borer or pomegranate butterfly (Virachola isocrates)
This is a serious pest found all over India. Infestation starts from flowering to button stage. The caterpillar bore inside the developing fruits. Such infested fruits are also invaded by bacteria and fungi and cause fruit to rot. Such affected fruits fall down.
Collect and destroy the affected fruits. Apply carbaryl 0.2 % @ 4 g/litre or phosphamidon @ 0.3 ml/litre of water at 10 - 15 days interval. Also, bag young fruits with coarse cloth or muslin cloth or polythene of 300 gauge thickness.
2. Bark eating caterpillar (Inderbela tetraonis)
This pest bore into the bark of pomegranate tree and feed inside. Trees become weak and do not bear fruits.
Avoid over crowding of trees by removing unwanted twigs. Clean the affected portions by removing all web. Inject kerosene oil or petrol and plug the hole with cotton wool soaked in carbon bisulphide.
3. Stemborer (Aleurodes sp.)
The caterpillar of this pest makes a hole and bores through the main trunk or main branches. It comes out at night and feeds on bark.
Clean the hole by removing insect excreta with the help of a hooked wire. Plug the hole with cotton plug dipped in petrol, chloroform, carbon bisulphide or kerosene oil followed by sealing it with mud or painting with coaltar.
4. Sap sucking insects
These are mealy bugs, scale insects, thrips, aphids, mites cause shedding of buds, flowers and fruits at very young stage.
(i) Spray 0.04 per cent Monocrotophous for the control of mealy bug and scale insects.
(ii) Spray 0.04 per cent Dimethoate or phosphamidon for the control of white flies, aphids and thrips.
(iii) Spray water soluble sulpher 1.25 g/litre for the control of red mites.
Diseases :-
1. Leaf spot : Xanthomonas punicae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
The former pathogen is bacterium and the latter is fungal. The bacterium pathogen causes irregular water-soaked spots on leaves. They are light brown to dark brown in appearance. The leaf spot caused by fungus, produce minute violet black or black spots on leaf.
For their control, collect fallen leaves and fruits and destroy them. Spray 0.2% Captan or Dithane M-45 at fortnightly interval.
2. Fruit rot : Phomopsis sp.
The flowers are affected and fail to set fruit. The young fruits may drop pre-maturely. Yellow or black spots appear all over the fruit. The disease spreads through the seeds of affected fruits. The incidence is wide spread during rainy season.
Remove all affected twigs, fruits and burn them. Spray Dithane Z-78 at 0.2 per cent at fortnightly interval.
