There are number of vendors in Uganda making money from sale of guava known its scientific name as Psudium guajava yet few people are engaged in growing the plant.

Guava Psudium guajava is an evergreen shrub belonging to the Mytaceae family and it’s treasured for its edible fruit

Many fruit vendors on the streets of Kampala and roadside vendors along highway roads are making lots of money for marketing guava fruit, the need for more farmers engaged in growing the plant.

It is a known fact that a number of people in Uganda grow guava in their backyards for consumption but experts are calling upon fruit farmers to grow it on large scale to meet the growing demand.

Background

Guavas are beautiful tropical shrubs grown for its smooth, sweet nutty aromatic fruits believed from be originating from the tropical Amaricas.

It’s one of the freshly enjoyed fruits and a side for its fresh consumption guavas are processed to give other products such as juice and jelly for home consumption.

The plant possese oval leaves which are smooth on the upper surface and hairy on the lower surface. It produces solidary flowers and a berry fruit which is oval shaped, green and yellow in colour depending on the variety.

The flesh inside can be white, yellow, pink and red in colour and contains numerous seeds. It can grow approximately 10m in height and well-tended tree may leave up to 40 years.

Agronomy

According a publication by experts at Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) about farmers guide in growing guava in the tropics, they state that the plant can be grown using vegetative seedlings.

Common Guava varieties

Some of common varieties which farmers can adopt include Apple guava which are basically known as common guava. This type of guava produces large fruits which are firm and light green to yellow when they are ripen.

Others are Strawberry guavas which produces smaller fruits which are dark red when ripe and Pineapple guava which is common to rather cold environments in the tropics.

Soil requirements for growing guavas in Africa

Guavas thrive best on well drained fertile soil, with a desirable amount of organic manure, so we advise you to use manure when planting.

Land preparation

Farmers are expected to clear the land and plough the soil very well. Apply farmyard manure during land dressing. It could be animal dung such as; cow dung, goat dung, pig dung and sheep dung or composite manure also known as green manure.

Farmers are advised to dig holes of 1 meter each, mix manure with top soil and fill the pit.
Although it can be grown anywhere in the globe both in the tropics and subtropics under different soil types and climatic conditions is a better option.

Too much of high temperature is not good for guava during flowering stage and fruit setting because it will result in fruits dropping.

Guava trees are hardy in nature and can be grown in a clayey soil, sandy soil and deep loamy soil. For optimum yield avoid water log farmland to guide against root rot. A well-drained loamy soil rich in organic manure with a PH of 5.0-7.0 is a better option.

How to propagate guavas on your farm and planting

Guavas can be propagated by seed but these don’t come true to the parent plant. Vegetative propagation using grafting, air layering, budding is most preferred as it produces quite vigorous seedlings.

Farmers are advised to dig pit of 75cm by 75cm by75cm before raining season. Spacing in guava farming depends on the cultivar, for commercial guava farming let the spacing bev5m x 5m or 6m x 6m.

Experts say one hectare land is capable of accommodating 275 plants. In this case a farmer is expected to use a spacing of 3m by 3m if he or she is thinking of high density guava farming, hectare will accommodate 550 seedlings and a yield of more than 150kg for each plant.

Fruit yield of about 120kg of fruits per unit can be gotten from 6m x6m spacing.

Pruning and trimming

Pruning is necessary to provide stronger framework for the tree which helps in the yield potential

It is important for farmers to remove dead and diseased braches and since the flowering are borne on current seasons, it is important to carry out annual pruning and remove the tip of growing branches to encourage new shoots for further fruiting.

Weeding

Weeding can be done 3 times a year in the early growing stage, but can be twice after some years to 2 times. As we know weed is not good for any crop so also it is not good for guava.

Weed can reduce the quality and quantity of the fruits. It will slow down growth and production. Always weed on time or use herbicide to kill grasses and other weeds. But care must be taken in other not to destroy the plant.

Irrigation

Irrigation is very important in guava farming and can only be done when there is drought or shortage of water. During raining season, irrigation may not be necessary unless otherwise.

In that case watering should be done frequently during growing and production stages. Irrigate the farm immediately after transplanting the seedlings for quick establishment.

Drip irrigation is the most accepted method because it will help in the production of quality and large yield of guava fruits. Watering should be done moderately in other not to allow water stagnation. During fruiting apply water to a guava plant 20-30 liters in a day.

Common pests and diseases

There are a number of pests and diseases common in guava farms and the pests include Fruit Fly (Bacterocera Dorsal) which lay eggs on the surface of fruits at colour break stage.

On hatching the maggot enters into the fruit and feed on the soft pulp. When fruits are cut open the white maggots are seen in the flesh. The infested fruits rot and fall down. Pupation take place in the soil.

Bark Eating Caterpillar (Indarbela tetraonis) where the insect bores in crotches of scaffolds and feed inside the bark and wood by making holes. Severely infected branches may dry up.

Guava Shoot Borer (Microcolona technographa) which is a serious pest in the guava nursery. It damages the tender shoots. The infested shoots dry up which can be located from a distance by the presence of fine black growth on the leaves.

Mango Mealy Bugs is another which usually destroys the fruit after laying eggs in it

Management

Farmers are expected to keep sanitation of orchard is important to reduce fruit infect by collecting and dumping infected plants in deep pit the fallen infested fruits.

It is important to spray the plants with recommended pestcides before maturity and after maturity

Diseases

Guava Wilt

Wilt in guava is caused by a fungus called Fusarium solani or Cephalosporium sp. or Rhizoctonia sp.

The symptoms appear on the infected trees many months after their roots have been attacked by the fungi. Sparse foliage, yellowing of leaves and tree wilting are the symptoms. Before wilting tree may flower profusely and set fruit which remain small. Overbearing is due to stress of damaged roots.

In the roots the cambium between the bark and wood show dis-colouration. Replanted trees in the same pits bear fruit for few years and are again attacked by the fungi. Refilling of the gaps should be done after treating the soil with fungicides.

Farmers are expected to avoid flooding the guava field while applying irrigation and uproot and burn the wilted trees along with all roots.

Fruit Rot, Anthracnose or Die Back

This is caused by fungi Gloeosporium psidii and Phytophthora parasitica. Fully mature fruits are more prone to fungal attack.

The centre of a lesion has pink sticky spore-mass characteristics of the anthracnose disease. Fruits rot completely within 2-3 days. The fungi also attack the twigs and branches of the tree during rainy season, resulting in the die-back of shoot from the distal end.

This can be controlled by not allowing rain or irrigation water to stand in the tree basin around the trunk, Prune the infected parts of shoots/branches and spray the plants and remove off rotten leaves in the ground.

Harvesting

Hybrid guava variety fruits mature faster than the traditional guava plant. Grafted, budded and layered guava plants produce fruits between 2 to 2 and half years.

Guava plant raised from seedling starts fruit production within 4 years of planting. Fruits will be less at the starting but keeps increasing with years then by 8 years they start bearing heavily.

Pluck fruits when matured manually or by the use of hand cutter. Maturity time depends on the variety. Guava fruit will change colour from green to yellow when matured.

In some varieties the colour will only change from deep green to light green. Don’t allow it to over ripe on the tree because it will not last long after harvest neither can it be preserved.

Guava fruit can stay for 2-3 weeks before getting spoilt. Harvest fruits when they are still very strong not when soft. Care must be taken not to rub guava on any hard surface or allow them to fall on the ground during harvest.

This is because, rough handling and causing of wound which will affect the quality of the fruit thereby reducing market value.

A hectare can yield more than 25 tons of guava. Yield will depend on the variety, method of propagation and management practices. Grafted guava plant will produce more than 300kg of fruits while the ones grown from seed will be about 100kg per guava plant

Marketing

Farmers can sell their guava market traders, fruit vendors, fruit juice companies who are looking for where to buy guava in a large quantity.

One barely sees guava in the market like other fruits because it is hardly enough for these companies.

You can add value to your guava business by processing the fruit to other products.

Uses of guava leaves

Experts believe quave leaves have medicinal value and can be used to treat Diarrhoea because the leaves contain anti-bacterial component that fights disease.

The leaves of quava contains Quercetin that helps reduce oxidativs stress and heart strokes and it prevent Cancer.

Glowing Skin especially for women, the leaves of guava when taken daily will keep the skin fresh. It can be processed and added to cream for skin moisterization.

Good for male fertility treatment because it increases a man’s spermatozoa.

It is a good treatment for cough. The leaves of guava when squeezed and fluid consumed helps to clear the lungs. It helps in preventing bad breath and mouth odour.