Choice of Varieties :-
In phalsa, no distinct cultivar is identified. Some growers have, however, given names as Local and Sharbati. Two distinct types i.e. Tall and Dwarf were recognised at Hissar. Dwarf type was found to be more productive.
1. Tall type : Plant height is 4.5 m, leaf size 20 * 18 cm. Leaves are light green in colour. Average fruit size is 2.07 cm and weighing 0.48 g. Average yield per bush is 5.2 kg. Pulp is 81.5 per cent, juice 5.4 per cent. TSS 14 per cent and Acidity 4.64 per cent.
2. Dwarf type : Plant height is 3.4 m, leaf size 18 * 15 cm. Leaves greenish white in colour. Fruit size is 2.26 cm, weight 0.54 g. Average yield is 3.5 kg per bush. Pulp 60.3 per cent, juice recovery is 34.6 per cent. TSS 12.1 per cent with acidity 3.63 per cent.
Propagation :
Raising of seedlings : For raising the phalsa seedlings, large sized, purple black coloured fruits are collected when the crop is ready in the end of May or beginning of June. After extracting from the fruits, the seeds should be washed and dried under shade. These seeds are sown in raised beds when there is sufficient humidity in the atmosphere. Rainy season (July-August) is the best time for sowing of seed. The seeds on raised beds are sown in lines which are 10 - 15 cm apart from each other. In the rows, the seed should be sown 4 - 5 cm apart and 1.5 to 2 cm deep. The seeds should be covered with sand or light soil mixed with well rotten and dry farmyard manure. The beds should be watered regularly with water, but too much watering should be avoided as the excessive moisture conditions cause poor development of the plants. The beds should be kept free from weeds. Initially, one hand weeding is recommended, otherwise the roots of small plants get damaged if weeding is done with khurpa etc.
When the seedlings come out and have made 5 - 7 cm growth, light dressing of calcium ammonium nitrate or Ammonium sulphate at the rate of 50 g/sq metre of nursery area is applied. This encourage rapid growth of the seedlings. Seedlings are ready for transplanting in the following winter i.e. during January-February.
Propagation through cuttings : The phalsa plants can also be multiplied through hard-wood cuttings. The cuttings should be prepared during December-January and kept for callusing. The use of root promoting harmones such as Indole butyric acid @ 100 ppm enhances the success of rooted cuttings.
Planting Operation :
Land is prepared well before the plants are set in the field. When there is enough time, a cover crop such as guara, jantar or senji may be sown in the soil. After these crops produce enough vegetative growth, they should be burried into the soil. Before planting, the orchard site should be properly laid out according to the square or the hexagonal system. Half metre deep pits or half metre diameter should be dug and refilled with a mixture of top-soil and well rotten farmyard manure in the ratio of 1 : 1. To save the plants from possible attack of white ants add 30 g of BHC 10 per cent dust to each pit. After this, the field is thoroughly irrigated and transplanting is done when the soil is in friable condition.
The phalsa plants are spaced at various distances in different regions of India. Eight to twelve months old seedlings are better for planting in the field. The plants are spaced at 1.5 metres apart by which 4400 plants are accommodated in one hectare by the square system of planting.
The phalsa plants should preferably be transplanted in the field during January-February before they start new growth. The plants being dormant at that time, they can be lifted from nursery with bare roots. However, for transplanting during August-September, the seedlings have to be lifted from the nursery alongwith earth balls. Transplanting in the rainy season, is, therefore, a little more cumbersome and riskier than that done in the spring, when the plants are dormant.
Flowering and Fruiting :
Flowering in phalsa starts from February-March and continues till May. The first flower to open is at the base. Flowers are borne in the axil of leaves. The flower are mostly cross pollinated and honey-bee seems to play major role in pollination.
The flower buds become plumpy before anthesis. The first sign of anthesis is the appearance of a slit in sepals at the base of the bud. The slit widens and at first only one sepal falls apart. The other sepals fall one by one and the whole process of flower opening is complete within half an hour. The dehiscence of anthesis in phalsa takes place before the flowers are completely open.
Orchard Cultural Practices :-
Irrigation :
Phalsa is regarded a drought resistant fruit plant. However, it can be observed that in Punjab, Haryana and other neighbouring Northern Indian regions, irrigation is essential for securing high yield of better quality fruits. Its plants do not need any irrigations till January. Adequate supply of irrigation water at regular intervals specially during flowering and fruiting periods is very essential for ensuring better health of plants and more profitable yields. A light irrigation should be given after pruning and fertilization of the plants. During the early part of the spring, when the new growth starts and the temperature is usually low, the irrigation interval may be kept at about 2 - 3 weeks. The demand for water increases a great deal after the middle of April and consequently the irrigation interval may be reduced to 7 - 10 days. At this time, the plants should not be allowed to suffer from water shortage; as it would adversely affect the yield and quality of fruit. Regular irrigation should be applied to the plants till the fruit is harvested and the monsoon sets in.
As the roots of the plants are active during winter, adequate soil moisture should be maintained in the root zone. During winter, one or two light irrigations may suffice if there are no rains.
Interplanting :
Many fruit plants grown in the plains of North India such as mango, litchi and pear comes into bearing on commercial scale very late. These fruit plants have a slow rate of growth and the space between the tree rows remains unoccupied for several years. The growers can, therefore, utilize the empty space between the permanent fruit trees for raising some quick-growing fruit plants like phalsa. Phalsa has another advantage over other quick-growing fruits suitable for interplanting that it is kept low-headed by severe pruning every year and does not cause overcrowding in the orchard. Phalsa being a deciduous plant, does not require much water during the dormant period (winter months). Phalsa should be interplanted only in the middle of the permanent tree rows. As soon as the permanent trees come into bearing, the phalsa plants should be uprooted, so that the main fruit crop does not suffer.
Manuring and Fertilization :
Generally, phalsa is planted on comparatively poor soils. Some cover crop such as gurar, jantar or senji should be grown in the field where phalsa is to be planted. This practice adds sufficient quantity of organic matter to the soil and enriches it.
In order to get profitable crops of good quality, full grown phalsa plants should be given 10 - 15 kg of well rotten farmyard manure, soon after planting. Nitrogenous fertilizers (about 1 kg of CAN or Ammonium sulphate per bush) should also be applied, preferably in two split dose-one at the time of flowering and second after fruit-setting. Higher yield of phalsa can be obtained by application of 100 kg N, 40 kg P and 25 kg K per hectare, respectively. Trials at Rajsthan Agricultural University, Udaipur revealed that application of NPK @ 100, 40, 25 kg per hectare gave higher yield.
Zinc and iron were found to influence berry size and juiciness in phalsa. ZnSO4 @ 0.4 per cent at prebloom stage and after berry set improved the juice content. Ferrous sulphate at 0.4 per cent alone or in combination with zinc improved the berry size.
Pruning :
The general practice of cutting back the phalsa plants to the ground level every year during the dormant period is not in order. Investigations carried out on this aspect have shown that the phalsa plnats pruned to a height of one metre during January-February produce a greater number of new shoots than those which are pruned to the ground level. The growers are, therefore, advised to prune their phalsa plants at a height of one metre from the ground level.
The phalsa plants are rather slow in shedding their leaves winter. The best time for their pruning is when the plants have shed their leaves and in all cases the operation should finished well before the start of new growth.
Use of Growth Regulators :
Growth regulators have proved effective in increasing the fruit set and yield in phalsa. GA3 at 10 ppm increased the setting of fruit and yield appreciably. CCC at 250 ppm sprayed twice at an intervalof 7 days after 50 per cent fruit set increased the fruit size. Ethephon at 1000 ppm resulted in maximum ripening in 5 days after application. SADH 1000 ppm at early stage of plant growth reduced the plant height and brought improvement in yield and fruit quality. Spraying of GA3 at 60 ppm once at the beginning of flowering, another after 15 days and ethrel at 1000 ppm when ripening of berries had just started, increased the fruit retention percentage and yield. They also reduced the harvesting span and increased the TSS of the fruit.
Harvesting of Fruit :
The phalsa plants begins to bear fruits in the second year. A good commercial crop is usually obtained during third year. In the Punjab and Haryana, the harvesting season of phalsa fruit starts by the end of May and lasts till the end of June. The fruits should be picked when the colour has changed to a deep reddish brown and the pulp tastes sweet. Several pickings are necessary as all the fruits do not ripen at one time. The fruit-picking is usually done on alternate days.
Under optimum conditions, a phalsa bush yields on an average about 4 - 5 kg of fruit.
Insect pests :-
Psylla : A tiny insect causes severe damage to the phalsa foliage and young shoots. Its infestation over a long period of time results in the deformation of floral and vegetative parts. The plant growth is greatly arrested and gives a sickly appearance. Fruit set is severally reduced resulting in great financial loss to the growers.
The pest can be controlled by spraying one kg of carbaryl (Sevin 50% WP) in 500 litres of water or 300 ml Malathion 50 EC or 300 ml of Rogor 30 EC in 300 litre of water per acre as soon as new growth starts in March.
Diseases :-
1. Brown spot : The disease is caused by fungus Cercospora grewiae. The brown spot of phalsa is quite wide spread in the Punjab and is very severe from June to August. It results in premature leaf-fall when the attack is severe. The disease first appears as tiny lesions on the upper and lower surface of the leaf. In the beginning, these lesions are covered with a white mass of fungus. Gradually, the lesions enlarge and become reddish brown to dark brown. Many times, several lesions coalesce to form big spots which are very conspicuous and may cover a large part of the leaf.
To control this disease, the leaves and prunings should be collected soon after removal and destroyed to check the fresh infection of the new leaves, the plants should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 2 : 2 : 250.
2. Pinspot of phalsa : The disease is caused by phyllosticta grewiae. The disease can appear any time during the growing season of phalsa and may cause considerable damage to the foliage. Small brown to dark brown, circular to irregular pinspot like lesions appear on the leaves.
This disease can be controlled by sprays given above for the brown spot of phalsa.
