MoreThe temperate region’s most important fruit crop is the pear, a member of the Rosaceae family. We can grow it at elevations ranging from 1,700 to 2,400 metres above sea level. Pear fruit is high in protein and vitamins. Pear can be grown in a wide range of climate and soil conditions, raising it from subtropical to temperate zones. Moreover, pear is grown in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh in India, and low chilling varieties thrive in subtropical climates.
Soil Requirements for Pear Farming
We can grow it in a variety of soil types, including sandy loam and clay loam. However, it produces the maximum results when we grow it in deep, well-drained, fertile soil with no hardpan up to a depth of 2 metres. The pH of the soil should not be higher than 8.7. Apart from this, you can make the ground more suitable for pear farming with the help of excellent farming tools like Eicher 485 and others.
Popular Varieties
- Patharnakh is a brutal and widespread variety. The fruits are medium in size, round, and green, with a central dot on top. The flesh is juicy and crunchy. Also, It is helpful for long-distance transportation due to its high keeping quality. It reached maturity last week in July. It produces an average of 150 kg per tree.
- Punjab Nakh is a type of hard pear. It is a Patharnakh selection and is also expanding in terms of variety. Fruits are oval in shape, light yellowish-green in colour, and have prominent dots. The flesh is both crisp and juicy. In the fourth week of July, the fruits are ready for harvest. It produces an average of 190 kg per tree.
- Punjab Gold is a semi-soft pear variety, and fruits are large, golden yellow, with white flesh. This variety lends itself well to processing. It produces an average of 80 kg per tree.
- Punjab Nectar is a semi-soft pear variety. The tree is medium in height. Moreover, fruits are from medium to large. The fruits are yellow-green in colour and have white flesh. Fruits become juicy as they ripen. It reaches maturity in the fourth week of July. Also, it produces an average of 80 kg per tree.
Other Varieties
- Punjab Beauty is a semi-soft pear variety. Trees are medium in size, upright, and bear fruit on a regular basis. The fruits are medium and have a yellow and red blush. In addition, the flesh is white in colour and is more juicy and sweet. Fruits mature in the third week of July. It produces an average of 80 kg per plant.
- Le Conte is a semi-soft pear variety. Fruits range in size from small to medium. The fruits are greenish-yellow in colour and have white juicy, sweet flesh. Moreover, it matures in the first week of August. It produces an average of 60-80 kg per tree.
- Nigisiki: This variety is a semi-pear. Fruits are juicy, with white flesh and a TSS of 12.9%. Fruits are ready for harvesting from the end of June to the first week of July.
- Punjabi softness: It’s a hybrid of a pear and a nectarine. The fruits are medium in size, with white flesh and a TSS of 11.3 per cent.
- Keiffer: A variety that matures early. The fruits are large and have a golden yellow colour.
- Baggugosha is a semi-soft type. The fruits are greenish-yellow in colour, with flesh that is sweet and cream or white in colour. Fruits mature in the first week of August. In addition, the variety is appropriate for transportation purposes. It produces an average of 60 kg per tree.
Propagation
Kainth seedling rootstocks are used for pear seedlings. From the end of September to October, collect fully mature Kainth seeds. In December, extract the seeds and place them in a wooden box with an alternate layer of moist sand for 30 days. Moreover, sow them in the nursery in January. Seeds germinate in 10 days. The seedling will be ready for grafting in January of the following year. In addition, you should use good quality agricultural machines like Powertrac 445 and others to get better results.
Intercrops
Crops such as Mash, Moong, and Toria can be used as intercrops during the Kharif season, whereas Wheat, Pea, and Gram are used as rabi crops during the non-bearing season.
Sowing
Planting is completed in the month of January. Plants that are one year old are used for planting. Plants are spaced at 8 x 4 m intervals. Clear the land and remove any remnants of previous plants before planting. The ground was then adequately levelled, and a gentle slope was created for water drainage. Dig a 1x1x1 m pit and fill it with topsoil one month before planting in November, then add well rotten farmyard manure and allow it to settle. We can do planting in square or rectangular shapes. In hilly areas, a contour planting system is used for cultivation.
Weed Control
After ploughing, apply Diuron at a rate of 1.6 kg/acre as a pre-emergence spray. When the weeds are 15-20 cm tall, Glyphosate @ 1.2 Ltr/acre or Paraquat @ 1.2 Ltr/acre in 200Ltr of water can be used to control them.
Irrigation
A well-distributed average rainfall of 75–100cm is required throughout the year for pear cultivation. Following transplantation, it requires regular irrigation. In the summer, irrigate crops every 5-7 days, while in the winter, increase the interval to every 15 days. Stop irrigating trees in January. Flood irrigation of fruit-bearing trees during the summer months will help to increase fruit quality and size.
Harvesting
Fruits for local markets are harvested when fully mature, whereas firm and green fruits are picked for distant markets. Delayed picking reduces storage life, results in an unappealing colour, and has a bland flavour. Hard peach varieties took approximately 145 days to mature, whereas semi-soft peach varieties took about 135-140 days to harvest.
Post Harvesting
Sort and grade the fruits after they have been harvested. The fruits are then packed in Corrugated Fibre Board cartons for ripening, storage, and marketing. Fruits can be treated with 1000ppm Ethephon for three to four minutes or exposed to 100ppm ethylene gas for 24 hours before being stored at 20°C. We can store fruits for 60 days at a temperature of 0-1°C and relative humidity of 90-95 per cent.
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