Guava

Botanical Name   - Psidium guava L

Origin                            - Tropical America

Morphology

The trunk is slender with a greenish brown scaly bark, which peel off in these flakes. The white flowers are either solitary or in groups of two or three arising from the leaf axils of younger branches fruit is round ovoid or pear shapes berry 5cm or more in diameter and 4-12cm long. It has a thin greenish yellow skin and a flesh of varying thickness, which may be white yellow pink or red.

Climate

A warm Lumid condition is most suitable for guavas. It grows well up to 1500m-2000m mean sea level in wet and dry and intermediate zones.

Soil

Guava is a hardly plant which most soil types and can even be grown in infertile, acid or water logged soil but loam and alluvial types of soil is most ideal.

Verities

Horana Red

Kernal is bright rose colour and 7.5% seeds consist of a fruit. Fruit size is medium and harvest 45kg per year.

Horana White

Fruit shape is round it has yellow wish green colour kernel average fruiot weght is 230g and harvest 50kg per year.

Pubudu

Fruit is pears shape and 4.5% seeds consist of a fruit. Kernal is yellow wish green colour. Harvest 50kg per year.

Kanthi

This type only 1, 1/2-2m heght. Kernal is yellow wish green colour and 5.5% seeds consist of a fruit. Fruit shape is round. Average fruit weight is 225g and harvest 50kg per year.

New varieties

Ø Board Lanka jaint (highbred of Bankok jaint with Pubudu)

Ø Red jaint (hybrid Bankock jaint with Horana red)

Ø Horana sweet (Hybrid Bankock jaint with Pubudu)

Ø (Hybrid Bankock jaint with Safeeda)

Propagation

Guava is propergated from seeds budding and layering.

Spacing

3m´3m between two plants.

Planting

Planting holes of 0.6´0.6m´0.6 are dug and in to each hole is incorporated organic manure and rock phosphate. Shade is provided for the young plants immediately after planting and watering is done regularly during dry weather until the trees are well established.

Fertilizer Application

Applying Stage	Urea	Rock phosphate	Muriate of potash	Keesarite
2 months after planting 1st year 4 month each 2nd year 4 month each For bearing trees 1st year 4 month each 3rd year 4 month each After 4 month each	120 40 60 100 125 150 200	225 75 115 200 250 300 450	100 40 55 90 105 125 175	- - - 100 - - 50

Weeding

The trees are circle weeded every three months during the first three years.

Pruning and training

Guava needs constant training and pruning to provide the desired trees shape for easy of management and for the health of the tree and to maximize fruit production. The tree is usually trained 3 to 4 months after field planting. The open heart, open centre or cup shaped pruning and training system are the best.

Pests and diseases control

Fruit fly

Thrips

Mearly bugs

Scale insects

Spider mites

Aphids

Control measures are field hygiene, bagging and use of poisoned baits and application of insecticides immature fruits by casing fruit scab affects corky brown layer all over the fruits. Parasitic algae cause rust like blemishes. On the fruit surface. Suitable fungicides and pruning will help to reduce these diseases.

Harvesting

Guava fruits are harvested when they change colour from green to light green. This change in colour occurs 90-150 days after flowering depending on the cultivars.

Nutritional Value

Nutritional value for 100g

Material	Quantity
1.     Water	81.7(g)
2.     Energy	51(kc1)
3.     Protein	0.9(g)
4.     Fat	0.3(g)
5.     Starch	11.2(g)
6.     Calcium	10 (mg)
7.     Phosphorus	28(mg)
8.     Ferrus	1.4(mg)
9.     Thayamine	30(mg)
10.                        Riboflavine	30(mg)
11.                        Meyacine	0.4(mg)
12.                        Vitamin C	212(mg)