Effect of Different Levels of Nutrients and Intercropping on Flowering Behavior of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) Variety VRI-2: An Advance Study

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of different level of nutrients and intercropping (Pulses) on flowering behaviour of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) variety VRI -2 at State Horticultural Farm, Neyveli, and Tamil Nadu. The study was revealed that the application of 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer + 100 kg of FYM and growing of cowpea as an intercrop was observed to be best which was recorded maximum total number of flowers panicle^-1 (899.35), number of hermaphrodite flowers panicle^-1 (65.71 and this was on par with the treatment 75% of the recommended dose of fertilizer + 100 kg of FYM and growing of cowpea as intercrop which recorded the total number of flowers panicle^-1 (897.58), number of hermaphrodite flowers panicle^-1 (64.56) as compared to control. Studies conducted elsewhere in the country in the nutrient requirement of Cashew revealed the necessity of the major nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in fairly big amount for its growth and development and also for ensuring its sustained productivity.