Post on 15-Aug-2015
transcript
Improving access to fruits for Improving access to fruits for improved nutrition through better improved nutrition through better
fruit orchard managementfruit orchard management
By
Simon Mng’omba
15 April 2015
Presentation overviewPresentation overview
• Importance of fruits
• Why low fruit production & consumption –
southern Africa?
• Fruit orchard management based on tree
growth
• Approaches to scale up IFTs
• Approaches to improve avocado productivity
• Conclusions
Fruits are good for our healthThey contain food nutrients
• vitamins (A, E & C)• Minerals (Iron, calcium)• Lipids (unsaturated, cholesterol free)• CHO (low sugar levels and sodium free)• Proteins• water
high in fibre good for digestionlow production cost – perennialSource of income
Introduction Introduction
There has been low fruit consumption in SA• 70 g per day (recommended 200 g per day)
Poor fruit tree management contributes to• alternate bearing/fruiting • seasonal fruiting (abundant during the rainy season)• high pest and disease infestation
Farmers harvest a few fruits per tree• good quality fruits are sold for income • undesirable fruits are eaten
Fruit production & consumption – southern Africa
Common management practices
For homestead/field fruit orchards:
(a)No irrigation/fertilizer/manure application
• Fruit trees are provided by nature
(b)Irrigation/fertilizer application without tree
manipulation
• Limited knowledge on management based on tree growth
Management based on tree growth
Pawpaw, Banana, Pineapple
Yield: high, year round & steady
What can we do to improve yield?
•Improve growing conditions – Irrigation/fertilizer/manure – Pest & disease control•Plant breeding
Avocado, mango, Uapaca, peach …
What can we do to improve yield?
•Balance between improving growing conditions & •tree manipulation – e.g. pruning, vegetative propagation, fruit thinning
Yield: low, erratic & mostly seasonal
Tree Growth characteristics
Continuous
Rhythmical
Managing IFTs - Uapaca fruit size and load
On-farm orchard•small fruit sizes•high fruit load
In the wild•high fruit load: 6000/tree•small fruit size
Thin fruits to improve fruit sizeThin fruits to improve fruit size
Scaling up model for IFTsScaling up model for IFTs
Some IFTs have long juvenile phase- discourages growers e.g. Uapaca (>15 years for un-grafted plants)
•Supply two species with short & long fruiting precocity•Use grafted plants to reduce juvenile phase
0
10
20
30
2008 2009 2010
Time (years)
Fru
it yi
eld
(kg)
Fig 1a Grafted Uapaca Fig. 1 b Grafted Vangueria
Both species planted in 2004
30%
32% 36% 89%76% 100%
Approaches to improve avocado Approaches to improve avocado productivityproductivity
1. Additional pollinators needed
Honeybees (beehives needed)
2. Harvest fruits when mature
Do not allow avocado fruits to ripe on a tree
3. Grow two types of avocado
‘A’ and ‘B’ cultivars
Conclusions
Good fruit orchard management improves
• Fruit yield (productivity)
• Fruit quality
• Fruit availability
•Planting more fruit trees is not enough to achieve food and nutrition security. We need better fruit orchard management