THE ENVIRONMENT FOR

FRUIT CROPS
NELVIN A. VILLASON
LOCATION

 Should have adequate infrastructure

 FMR (farm-to-market road)
 Ports
 Communication
 Postharvest facility
 Electrical supply
 Water supply
 Should have adequate infrastructure
LOCATION

 Should also have favorable socioeconomic condition

 Peace and order
 Stable government
 Available and fairly cheap manpower
 Favorable government policies on tariff, trade and tax incentives
SITE

 Includes soil and climate that directly affect the growth, development and yield
performance of the plant.
 Mostly tropical
 Few are subtropical, in the sense that they are best grown in cooler elevations like lychee,
oranges, mandarin and Arabica coffee.
SITE
soil depth

 Distance from the soil surface to

the layers of soil profile which
obstruct root growth and
proliferation.
SITE
soil texture

 Relative proportion od sand, silt and clay

 Loamy soil or soil of moderate texture is
generally preferred for crops
 Determined in 3 ways
 Feel methos
 Roll method
 Mechanical analysis
SITE
soil structure

 How the soil particles are arranged into

characteristic aggregates of various
sizes, shape and stability
 Suitable soil is well-granulated
 Sufficiently porous to allow easy
proliferation of the roots.
SITE
soil pH

 pH of typical soil in the

Philippines is between 5.5 and
6.5
 Affects the solubility and
availability of nutrients
 Affects the activity of soil
microorganisms
SITE
climate

 Ultimate determinant of what

crop is suitable for commercial
planting in a particular site.
SITE
temperature

 13.2C – 24.6C in highland

 23.3C – 30.5C in lowland
SITE
light

 Controls practically all aspects

of plant growth and
development from seed
germination to fruit
development
 Essential in photosysnthesis
 Intensity
 photoperiod
SITE
rainfall

 Primary and direct source of

water for crop production
SITE
relative humidity

 Amount of moisture in the

atmosphere
 Average value in the entire
country is 82%
SITE
wind, typhoon and
storm

 About three-fourths of the

country is within the paths of
tropical cyclones (from 63-
118kph)
 Usually july-September
 Cacao, rubber, durian are
sensitive to strong winds
because of brittle branches
 Pili and tamarind are wind-
tolerant due to tough trunk and
brabches, deep root system
SPECIAL SOCIOECONOMIC CONSIDERATIOS IN
ESTABLISHING AN ORCHARD OR PLANTATION

 The comprehensive agrarian

reform law (CARL) R.A 6657
 SCHEMES for incorporating
the provisions of CARL in
PLANTATION
ESTABLISHMENT
 Lease back his property to the
company
 Joint venture
 Contract growing