Wood Apple Farming

Wood apple, also known as Bael (Aegle marmelos), is a popular fruit in many parts of India. One can use them to make juices, chutneys, and sweets. Farmers like to grow wood apples because they are easy to care for and can grow in poor soil. In this guide, we will discuss the farming process of wood apples.

Steps to Cultivate Wood Apples:

Those who are interested in cultivating wood apples on their farm can read about all the necessary steps below. These steps are necessary to grow high-quality wood apples, so read them carefully.

Choosing the Right Climate and Soil

1. Wood apple thrives in tropical to subtropical climates. That is, it prefers warm temperatures or can sustain a hot summer. It does not require so much water or survive even in a dry area.
2. This fruit can be grown in various types of soils, but preferably in a well-drained sandy or clayey one. Poor or rocky soil also serves for cultivating wood apple farming since the plant does not require very fertile land as it is hardy.

Soil Preparation

Before planting a wood apple, proper preparation of the soil is important. This is done in the following ways:

• Area clearing: All weeds, rocks, and other old plants are uprooted from the field.
• Plough the soil: Use a mini tractor for ploughing the field. The mini tractor is very useful since it is small and quite easy to maneuver in small farms.
• Add compost: If the soil is not that fertile, add organic compost or manure.
• Level the field: After ploughing, level out the ground perfectly. This will help when planting the wood apple saplings.

Growing Wood Apple

You can grow wood apple plants either by seeds or saplings. Further, you can prepare the seeds by drying it in the sun for 1-2 days. Then, one must soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before planting them.

• Growing up Saplings: Most farmers buy nursery saplings to grow wood apple plants. This method will take less time and begin to produce fruits sooner.
• Spacing while Plantation: At the time of planting, make sure that every tree has a distance of about 10 meters between each. Wood apples are quite large, and its spreading branches take up space.
• Time for Plantation: Plant wood apples during the monsoon season when the soil gets wet.

Watering to the Plants

Wood apple trees require little water. They grow very well under dry conditions, but during their first year, they should be watered regularly, especially during summer. From the second year onwards, the tree's roots will dig and find water on their own.

Use of Fertilizer

Wood apple trees prefer low application of fertilizers, but application of organic compost once a year will increase the yield. Chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied to some extent at the early stages of growth.

Protecting the Plants from Pests and Diseases

There are not many pests attacking a wood apple tree; however, sometimes, insects or diseases may attack the trees. The most common issues include:

• Fruit flies: These can damage the fruits. One can control them by using natural insect traps or spraying neem oil.
• Fungal infections: These are common in wet areas. This means that the field should be a good drainer so that there is no water staying near the plants.

Always monitor the trees for the presence of pests and diseases, and take immediate action once you notice any pest or disease.

Pruning the Trees

Pruning is cutting off the dead or extra branches of the tree. You need to prune wood apple trees once a year during winter. Remove any dry or weak ones.

Harvesting Wood Apple

Wood apple trees will start producing fruits approximately after 5-7 years according to variety as well as the growing condition. Fruits are usually ready for harvesting in the summer months at the end of May and early June.

You can tell when they are ready because they turn light brownish-yellow and become hard with a shell. The fruits can be picked from the tree by hand, or when ripe and easily shaken loose, they fall off the tree.

Post-Harvesting Process

The wood apples also require cleaning and sorting after harvesting. Here's how to do it.

• Cleaning the fruits: One can remove dirt and debris from the fruits. The fruits can also be washed with clean water.
• Sorting the fruits: One can sort the fruits based on size and quality. Larger, unbroken fruits are of higher quality and fetch more money.
• Storage: Wood apples can be kept for a long time since they have a hard shell. It should be kept in a cool, dry place to avoid spoilage.

At such stages, a Swaraj Tractor would be very essential in moving the harvested wood apples from the farm to the storage or market. The tractor is strong and carries a lot of loads to be brought to the fields, saving time and energy for the farmer.

Harvesting and marketing the wood apples

After being sorted and stored, you can sell them to locals in markets or to traders who will export them to big cities. Thus, the farmers can get a good income out of them.

The Final Words:

Wood apple farming can be a good opportunity for farmers who would like to grow a very strong fruit that takes very minimal water or care to thrive. The fruit is not only economic but also health-benefiting, which places a value on the crop in today's market. Cultivating wood apples, therefore, will help farmers economically while ensuring sustainable agriculture in dry areas.