Rejuvination of old orchards

1. 1. Division of Fruit Science Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and

Technology- Jammu
2. 2. It is common to see that every living organism after some period of time (that may vary
from species to species) looses its efficiency to perform various functions. Likewise in
fruit plants also, there is a decline both in quality and quantity of produce after some
period of time. As a result of which orcharding becomes economically non-viable and
non-remunerative. In the recent past declining productivity of old and dense orchards
existing in abundance has become a matter of serious concern for the orchardists,
traders as well as scientists. In India 30-35 per cent area under fruit crops is occupied by
old, dense and diseased orchards and in our state of J&K about 13,500 ha area is under
senile orchards. For over coming the problem of unproductive and uneconomic orchards
existing in abundance, large scale uprooting and replacement with new plantations
(rehabilitation) will be a long term and expensive strategy. Therefore research efforts
were initiated at CISH, Lucknow during the early 1990s to standardize a technology for
restoring the production potential of existing plantations by a technique called
Rejuvenation.
3. 3. ➢ The rejuvenation technology involves the heading back of exhausted trees showing
marked decline in annual production and quality of produce to the extent of 1.0 to 1.5
meter height above the ground level during May-June or December-February with the
objective of facilitating production of new shoots from below the cut point and allow the
development of fresh canopy of healthy shoots. ➢ The newly emerging shoots are
allowed to grow up to 40- 50 cm length and then further pruned for emergence of multiple
shoots below the pruning point to modify the tree structure and maintain canopy size.
4. 4. The old fruit orchards need to be rejuvenated as they show decline in yield and quality
of produce which may be attributed to any one of the following factors: ▪ Reduction in the
photosynthetic surface area. ▪ Non availability of productive shoots. ▪ Increased incidence
of insect pests and diseases. ▪ Less penetration of sunlight due to over crowding of
branches as a result of which the fruits on the interior areas of the tree do not develop
proper colour.
5. 5. ➢ Identification of old orchards. ➢ Top and Frame Working by Power Pruning Saw. ➢
Procurement of bud wood and scion from genuine source. ➢ Frame working with latest
available varieties. ➢ Operations under expert guidance.
6. 6. ➢ Guava occupies 5th place in area (0.15 Mha) and 4th place in fruit production (1.80
Mt) in India. (Mitra et al., 2008) ➢ Like many other fruit crops, guava trees also witness
decline in productivity after 15-20 years, hence need to be rejuvenated and respond
excellently. (Chanana, 2005) ➢ Boosting up the present productivity of 7 to 11 tonnes
per hectare has become a challenging task for researchers due to declining production
potential of old and crowded orchards existing in abundance. (Kalloo et al., 2005) ➢ The
commonly occurring senile orchards, is one of the prominent factors relating to the
declining trends in production and productivity of guava. (Singh et al., 2005)
7. 7. Old, dense and unproductive guava orchards Heading back of branches from 1.0 to
1.5m height above the ground level May/June December/February New shoot emerge on
beheaded branches Management of shoots, Pruning of newly sprouted shoots below the
cut point of parent stump May / JuneOctober / November Fruiting (Winter season)Fruiting
(Rainy season) Continue shoot pruning (50%) on the tree every year in May-June to
maintain tree shape and size and for getting higher production with better fruit quality
during winter. [source: Singh, 2005]
8. 8. 0LD AND CROWDED GUAVA ORCHARD
9. 9. HEADING BACK OF GUAVA TREES
10. 10. NEWLY EMERGING SHOOTS ON BEHEADED BRANCHES
11. 11. NEW DEVELOPING CANOPY AFTER ONE YEAR AS A RESULT OF HEADING
BACK AND SHOOT PRUNING HEAVY FRUITING ON REJUVENATED GUAVA TREE
12. 12. Treatment Fruit yield after rejuvenation (kg/tree) Fruit quality 1st year 2nd year 3rd
year Weight (g) TSS (0 brix) Total sugar (%) Rejuvenated 40.0 82.0 138.0 230.0 13.0
11.16 Un- rejuvenated 28.0 41.0 56.0 119.0 9.0 7.97 [Singh et al.,2005]
13. 13. Branches Height of pruning (m) Stomatal conductance (µmol. m -2 s-1) R.H (%)
Temperature (0C) Flowering Control 0.059 31.60 40.10 1.5 0.644 29.65 43.25 2.0 0.934
20.06 43.77 2.5 0.498 25.00 41.50 Non- flowering Control 0.035 32.85 40.20 1.5 0.499
30.50 42.50 2.0 0.634 29.29 42.61 2.5 0.427 24.50 40.50 [Source: Singh and Singh,
2007]
14. 14. [Source: Singh and Singh, 2007] Treatment (Topping and hedging intensity) Fruit
yield (kg/tree) Allahabad Safeda Sardar Un-pruned 30.5 30.13 1.0 - 36.25 1.5 37.5 34.71
2.0 46.63 38.40 2.5 40.10 - C.D(p=0.5) 3.78 4.10
15. 15. ➢ Among the 63 countries engaged in mango cultivation, India is the largest
producer with the acreage of 1.23 million hectares and about 109.99 MT annual
production. However productivity as well as quality are the matter of concern. ➢ In WTO
era, for attaining the export competitiveness, promotion of commercial cultivation and
quality production is the need of the hour. To achieve the task, adoption of three proned
strategy as described below should be encouraged:  Short term (1-3 years) strategy:
adoption of practices like IPM, INM and IPHM.  Medium term (3-10 years) strategy:
Rejuvenation of old, dense and un-productive orchards.  Long term (10-25 years)
strategy: modernization of nursery and development of superior genotypes through
conventional and biotechnological approaches.  Cont………
16. 16. ➢With the technology for rejuvenation standardized at CISH Lucknow, after
concerted efforts for over a decade, old, dense and unproductive orchards of mango can
be given a new productive life for another 20-30 years and their productivity can be
restored. ➢To promote the rejuvenation technology of mango, presently NATP
sponsored project is operational at CISH along with cooperating centers at IIHR
Bangalore and Agroforestry Research Programme, Ranchi and Bidhan Chand Krishi
Vishwa Vidalaya, Mohanpur (W.B). [Lal and Padaria, 2001]
17. 17. OLD, DENSE AND UN-PRUNED ORCHARD OF MANGO
18. 18. PRUNING WITH POWER OPERATED SAW DURING DECEMBER
19. 19. PRUNED TREES
20. 20. APPLICATION OF COPPER OXYCHLORIDE PASTE ON CUT SURFACES
21. 21. GOOD BEARING OF QUALITY FRUITS IN REJUVENATED TREES
22. 22. Pruning severity Length of retained shoots (m) Girth of retained shoots (cm) First
order 2.10a 22.21a Second order 2.05a 20.90a Third order 1.90a 19.00ab Fourth order
1.60a 15.81b Fifth order 1.53a 16.10b control 0.62b 10.79c Values with different
subscripts are significantly different [ Lal et al., 2002 ]
23. 23. Pruning severity fruit yield/tree (Kg) 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Cumulative
yield (Kg) First order - - 27.50 35.70 37.80 33.68 134.68 Second order - - 43.90 37.48
47.42 42.63 171.41 Third order 29.00 39.00 52.00 42.50 46.30 44.49 253.29 Fourth
order 37.50 42.30 75.00 82.00 57.84 46.28 330.92 Fifth order 40.60 46.70 59.50 79.50
53.80 41.25 321.35 control 20.16 24.74 17.32 27.90 23.40 18.29 131.81 C.D 5.30 6.79
7.14 5.6 7.01 6.16 - [ Lal and Dushyant, 2007 ]
24. 24. Dense, old and unproductive seedling tree Heading back of branches from to 2.5 to
3.0m above the ground level December - January Emergence of new shoots on
beheaded branches Flowering of newly emerged shoots After shoot thinning, top-working
by budding May- June After sprouting of buds, removal of top portion above budding
point Fruiting after two years
25. 25. Aonla rejuvenation technology for rejuvenating senile orchardsOld and crowded
Aonla orchard Tree growth after 5 months of heading back Headed back tree with plastic
mulching
26. 26. Fruiting on rejuvenated aonla treeDevelopment of better canopy as a result of shoot
pruning
27. 27. Cultivar Fruit yield (kg/tree) Dec 2001 Dec 2002 Dec 2003 Dec 2004 NA-6 - - 1.41
30.25 NA-7 - - 8.38 78.40 NA-10 - - 5.35 32.66 Kanchan - - 2.50 14.66 Krishna - - 3.23
 39.00 Chakaiya - - 0.50 0.50 Control 38.11 25.30 35.20 38.44 CD at 5 % - - 7.21 12.52
[Source: Mishra et al., 2007]
28. 28. Cultivar Fruit length (cm) Fruit breadth (cm) Fruit weight (g) TSS (0 brix) Vitamin C
(mg/100g) NA-6 3.06 3.24 20.15 7.8 461.3 NA-7 3.48 3.74 26.80 7.5 448.8 NA-10 3.28
3.76 27.80 8.1 453.3 Kanchan 3.07 3.25 21.50 9.5 493.5 krishna 3.60 3.80 30.14 9.0
470.8 Chakaiya 3.04 3.52 22.50 9.0 400.0 seedling 1.90 2.11 10.80 10.2 440.6 CD at 5
% 0.81 0.55 5.23 NS NS [Source: Mishra et al., 2007]
29. 29. Since the orchard establishment is a long term process and cannot be done in days
but once the yield is reduced to such an extent that orcharding becomes non-
economical, rejuvenation is said to be essential as it: ➢ Helps in restoring the production
potential of old unproductive and diseased orchards in shortest possible duration than
any other technique. ➢ Helps in restoring the production potential, as well as in
maintaining the manageable tree height with open architecture. ➢ Sustaining the life of
farmer without affecting his economy to a great extent.
Rejuvenation of Old/senile orchards-A success story
1. 1. Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu Dr.
Parshant Bakshi Head, ACHR, Udheywalla Rejuvenation of old/senile orchards- A
success story Expert Lecture in 2 days SAMETI training on 29-11-2017 Presented by
2. 2.  India is a vast country and is gifted with a variety of soils and climates. Thus, almost
all kinds of fruits can be grown successfully in this country. It is a matter of great surprise
that in spite of provision of adequate resources, the per capita consumption of fruits here
is perhaps one of the lowest in the world. The existing orchards are not able to meet the
present requirements of the country. Poor selection of planting material, haphazard
plantation and poor management has made many orchards uneconomic.  The term
‘Rejuvenation’ means renewal or making new or young again. As applied to the orchard
tree it would mean restoring the productive capacity of the fruit trees. The meaning of
‘Rejuvenation’ according to Chamber’s dictionary is ‘to recover youth character or to grow
again’. Obviously, this would apply to those plants which have attained a stage where
they are no more profitable from the grower’s point of view.
3. 3. Causes which makes the orchard uneconomic A survey of uneconomic orchards
would reveal following defects: i. Growth of wild shrubs and grasses Wild shrubs and
grasses continue to grow without any check under the tree and in between the rows. At a
stage they develop into bushes here and there in the entire plantation. ii. Overcrowding
and unsystematic planting In some of the orchards no regular or systematic planting is
followed. The trees are also found to be planted so close that they form a dense
overhead canopy which does not allow sufficient light to reach at different parts of the
fruit trees uniformly. The lower branches remain under perpetual shade. As a result of it
the bigger branches remain devoid of small twigs or branchlets and ultimately this
abnormality reduces the fruiting surface.
4. 4. iv. Damage due to adverse weather conditions, rodents and other enemies:- Trees
with damaged trunks, broken limbs and big hollow in the trunks are not uncommon in
such orchards. Some trees may be found standing with only half their base. Many trees
live for hundred years or more and grow to huge dimensions. v. Infestation of pests,
diseases and parasites:- The orchards which have been established in neglected
localities are seriously attacked by number of pests, diseases and plant parasites. These
enemies are so rampant that even in orchards otherwise in good condition, the
production is very poor. iii. Inferior varieties:- The poor selection of planting material at
the time of planting will cause a great loss throughout the life of the orchard. In most of
the orchards trees have been raised from seeds and of inferior varieties.
5. 5. Senility is a stage of the plant in which after a long span of continuous fruiting, the
ability of the branches or limbs and or whole tree to produce vigorous and efficient twigs
having capacity to bear the fruit is reduced. What is senility ?
6. 6. What is rejuvenation ? Rejuvenation is the process of pruning and after pruning
management of the plants to make them productive by utilizing the existing root system
for support and absorption and existing limb / branch system to rebuilt the productive
canopy
7. 7. Why rejuvenation of senile plants?  India is a leading fruit producing country.  Fruit
production in the country is an age old enterprise.  A large acreage is under systematic
fruit plantation.  The low average productivity of orchards in India is attributed to
prevalence of senile orchards.  Hence, rejuvenation is required to improve the
productivity of senile orchards.
8. 8. • Predominance of long unfruitful branches and tip bearing habit • Reduction in the
ability of a particular branch to produce vigorous and efficient twigs which can bear fruits
• Over crowding of branches in the inner part of the canopy leading to restricted sunlight
penetration • Heavy incidence of pest and disease • Drastic reduction in fruit yield, size
and appearance Characteristics of senile orchards
9. 9. Principle of rejuvenation 1. Trees have latent buds on their limbs and branches which
are activated to put forth new sprouts which ultimately form the canopy and fruiting area
of the plant. 2. Improvement in root : shoot ratio
10. 10. Considerations for rejuvenation  Age of the plant  Ability of the species to coppice
 Frame of the tree  Time and severity of rejuvenation  Post rejuvenation care 
Transformation of rejuvenated juvenile shoots into productive one  Top working to
change the variety
11. 11. Advantages of rejuvenation 1. Utilization of existing root system 2. Lowering the
fruiting area which can be conveniently managed 3. Creation of extra space for
intercropping in the orchard 4. Availability of large amount of pruned wood which can
provide additional income 5. Enhancing the productivity of plant
12. 12. REJUVENATION OF MANGO ORCHARDS  About 35-40 per cent orchards in
mango growing belt are old and unproductive ; many respond to rejuvenation  Head
back of branches during December to a level of about 3 meters from ground  About
three to four main branches emerging and having outward growth are retained; rest are
pruned back to their base  Main branches are allowed to produce shoots and develop
into canopy; thinning of excessive criss-crossing shoots is carried out during May and
July to maintain 6-8 shoots per branch  Trees develop healthy and productive canopy
after two years and bearing starts  Additional income from pruned wood and
intercropping with short duration vegetables and ornamental crops are the other
advantages  Fruit yield increases up to 4-5 times of the initial status with improved size
and quality due to better light penetration into the canopy  Application of 2.5 kg urea, 3
kg Single super phosphate (SSP) and 1.5 kg Muriate of potash along with 100 kg FYM is
recommended for each pruned tree  These trees must be irrigated at interval of 15-20
days starting from end of February till onset of rainy season
13. 13. Convincing the farmers
14. 14. Marking and cutting of the trees
15. 15. Heading Back & Selection of main branches
16. 16. Pasting on cut ends
17. 17. Basin preparation of rejuvenated mango tree
18. 18. New shoot initiation on rejuvenated trees
19. 19. Profuse shooting
20. 20. Thinning of shoots
21. 21. Keeping 8-10 well spaced shoots per branch Thinned shoots
22. 22. First flush Second flush Fully developed canopy
23. 23. Application of Paclobutrazol to restore the Canopy productivity Year of application :
Third year after pruning Time of application : September-October Method of application :
Trunk pour method Canopy drip area method Uniformly distributed localized pit method
Doses : 4-6 gram a.i. per tree (16-25 ml P333)
24. 24. What is Paclobutrazol? Paclobutrazol is a growth retardant which intercepts the
Gibberellins Synthesis path way and therefore known as Anti-gibberellins. Application
of Paclobutrazol, gibberellins and auxin balance in the terminal shoots changed more
towards auxin which is responsible for florigin formation and ultimately the flowering in
the terminal shoots
25. 25. Method of application
26. 26. Rejuvenated plants started flowering in third year
27. 27. The orchard intercropped with Carrot and bottle gourd
28. 28. Yield of intercrops in rejuvenated orchard Crop Area (acre) Yield (q) Potato 0.50
16.50 Ginger 0.25 9.50 Bottle guard 0.25 16.0 Pigeon pea 0.25 2.75 Mustard 0.25 3.50
29. 29. Guava Rejuvenation
30. 30. REJUVENATION OF OLD AND UNPRODUCTIVE GUAVA ORCHARDS  Orchards
lose their productivity beyond 25 years due to biotic stresses  Rejuvenation involves
heading back of trees to a level of 1.0-1.5 m from ground level  Emerging shoots are
allowed to grow (40-50 cm) for 4-5 months after heading back  Shoots are further
 pruned to 50 per cent of their length to allow emergence of multiple shoots ; these shoots
offer fruit bearing surface in the following season ; healthy and productive canopy
develops  Profuse fruiting and yield increases to about 70-90 per cent over non-
rejuvenated trees is observed in the very first year of operation  Additional income from
pruned wood and intercropping with short duration vegetables and ornamental crops are
the other advantage  Yield, fruit size and quality increase due to better light penetration
into the canopy
31. 31. A view of guava orchard to be rejuvenated
32. 32. Marking and cutting of shoots
33. 33. Slant cut with Chain saw
34. 34. Pasting of Copper oxychloride on cut surfaces
35. 35. Heading back of branches of guava tree Newly emerged shoots on beheaded
branches of the tree Full growth after five months of heading back Showing shoot pruning
after 5 month of heading back continued…
36. 36. Rejuvenated guava plants with intercropping
37. 37. Aonla Rejuvenation
38. 38. Stage 1 • Dense old and unproductive trees Stage 1 • Heading back of branches from
2.5 m to 3.0 m above the ground level Stage 1• December -January Stage 2• Profuse
emergence of new shoots on beheaded branches Stage 2 • Thinning of shoots (shoot
selection and regular thinning is essential for facilitating development Stage 3 • May-
June Stage 3 • Shoot management, selected shoots are pruned up to about 50 % of its
total length Stage 3 • Continue shoot thinning from pruned shoots upto some extent to
avoid dense and heavy bushy Stage 4 • September-October Stage 4 • Fruiting starts
after second year
39. 39. DEMONSTRATION OF T-BUDDING TECHNIQUE IN AONLA Heading back of
branches of old/unproductive trees Emergence of new shoots on beheaded branches
Thinning and selection of shoots for canopy development Canopy development Top
working on rejuvenated plant Fruiting In rejuvenated aonla plant Steps involved in
Rejuvenation of Aonla REJUVENATION TECHNIQUES STANDARDIZED IN AONLA
Heading back of branches Beheaded branches showing emergence of new shoots Shoot
thinning and selection for canopy development Canopy development after shoot thinning
Top working on rejuvenated tree Fruiting on rejuvenated tree
40. 40. • Rejuvenation has been found successful in mango, guava and aonla under Jammu
subtropics . • It is responding in the trees having strong shoot renewal and coppicing
capacity • Efforts should be made to improve productivity of other fruit and plantation
crops having similar growth habit. • In crops where young shoots have economic
importance, rejuvenation practice should also be tried to improve their productivity
Conclusion
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