You can grow phalsa successfully on the slope of hills. It is small, bushy and hardy and preferred as an ideal crop for growing in hot and arid areas. Also, it is preferable for Silvi-horticulture and dry land horticulture. Phalsa, also known as Indian Sherbet Berry, goes with the botanical name grewia asiatica tops the list of exotic fruits in our country. It is a powerhouse of vitamins and abundant trace minerals and is easily digestible.
Phalsa is a very hardy fruit, so you can plant it on marginal soils where other fruits cannot grow. It is one of the oldest best fruits known to Indians. You can grow it in water-deficient conditions where only a few other plants will survive. Phalsa cultivation in India is more popular around the towns/cities. Phalsa fruit is loved for its acidic taste, syrup and colourful squash. It is an exotic shrub plant considered a minor fruit crop horticulturally but is also used in folk medicine. Let us come to the details of Phalsa fruit growing or commercial Phalsa farming in India.
Area and Production of Phalsa
you can cultivate phalsa on a very small scale in every state. However, in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, Phalsa is cultivated commercially near cities. The area of Punjab under Falsa is only 30 hectares with an annual production of about 196 tonnes.
Process of Phalsa Farming
It is easy and simple to start commercial phalsa cultivation, just like growing other crops. Phalsa plants are very hardy and strong, and they are perennial plants. When you grow a plant, you must be well aware of the essential tractor equipment useful for profitable phalsa farming. You can choose Powertrac Euro 60 tractor and any other in farming operations.
Climate and Soil Requirement
- Phalsa plants prefer a dry and hot environment during fruiting. It goes dormant in winter and sheds its leaves. It rises again in March and June’s high temperatures help the fruit ripen, and it is not hardy to its soil requirement. You can easily grow it in poor soil. Loamy soil is considered best, growing well under fewer irrigation conditions.
- Phalsa prefers different winters and summers for the best crop growth, yield and quality. However, the Phalsa plant does not drop leaves and flowers more than once in regions with no winter, producing poor quality fruits.
- Phalsa plants can tolerate temperatures up to 44°C. High-temperature level during fruit development helps in fruit ripening.
- You must consider the proper soil drainage factor that takes into account. However, during the rainy season, when water remains stagnant for several days or those with poor sub-surface drainage and waterlogged, they you should not select it for commercial cultivation of Phalsa.
- The cultivar of Phalsa thrives well in variable climatic conditions and requires protection from cold temperatures. Generally, you need adequate sunlight and warm or hot temperatures for fruit ripening, development of appropriate fruit colour and the good eating quality.
- Farmers grow phalsa in marginal lands near city markets to facilitate quick marketing of fruits. The phalsa plant is drought tolerant, but needs some irrigation during the fruiting season.
Propagation Methods in Phalsa Farming
You propagate the phalsa by several methods such as cuttings, seed, grafting and layering, but seed propagation is the renowned method of Phalsa multiplication. Generally, the traditional propagation of Phalsa plants is by seed. The plant is propagated by layering and by hardwood cuttings. The plant produces the first crop of well-developed fruits in about 12 – 15 months from planting. The phalsa seeds remain viable for years and germinate in less than 3 weeks. The type of wood and the planting date affects the phalsa plant’s root. Treatment with auxins improves hard-to-root hardwood harvesting of the ground and air layers.
Seed Propagation for Phalsa Farming
- The Phalsa tree is usually propagated through seeds. Coarse seeds give 90% germination during July.
- You should keep the seed distance 2 cm. Cover the seed with a mixture of sand + FYM 50:50 ratio.
- Then, water with a sprinkler immediately after sowing. Avoid flooding of beds, failing which the root rot fungus Pythium may appear. After the seeds have germinated, apply a solution of 1% Bevistin.
- To prevent white ants’ attack, dissolve Dursban 20 EC solution in l0ml/L of water 30 days after sowing the seeds. Then, the seeds are ready for transplanting in January.
Planting Process in Phalsa Framing
- Farmers can plant the phalsa from July to August or February to March when the plants have shed their leaves.
- Approximately 8-10 months old seedlings are better for planting.
- Typically, you plant 2.5 to 3.0 metres both ways, with about 1100 to 1500 plantings per hectare.
- Phalsa plant is suitable for close planting (density orchards).
- Paired row planting system can be tried in Phalsa plants to increase the number of plants.
- Due to the increased population, there is an increase of 20-30% in the total yield.
- You should apply N, P, and K at 100, 40, and 25 kg/ha.
- Among the micronutrients, zinc and iron affect the size and juiciness of the fruit.
- Plant healthy seedlings in bare-root in prepared pits in January.
- Generally, planting is done in lines at a 1.0 x 1.5 m. One month before the actual planting, pits of 0.5 m deep and equal diameter are prepared.
- After planting, you do the light irrigation to settle the soil around the roots of the plants.
- Seedlings at one year of age are transplanted into well-prepared holes and are usually spaced about 3–4.5 m apart. However, some experiments have used 1.8 x 1.8 m or 2.4 m to maximise efficiency in harvesting.
- In about 13 to 15 months, the fruit will start growing. Annual pruning to a height of approximately 0.9–1.2 m encourages new shoots and better yields than more rigorous trimmings.
- The spray of 10 ppm gibberellic acid increased the fruit set, and at 40 ppm, the fruit size increased, but the fruit set decreased.
Equipment Requirement
When you want to get information about phalsa cultivation, you should also know the tools that will help in increasing the yield. Farmer, tiller and tractor are essential factors in phalsa cultivation. You can buy a Mahindra 415 tractor and choose another best tractor brand model.
For further information regarding phalsa farming in India, stay tuned with us.