CULTIVATION OF THE GUAYABA AND HOW TO FIGHT ITS PESTS AND DISEASES

Hello friend of the farm today I'm going to talk about the cultivation of guava its pests and diseases that attack them and how to fight it; The guava is an evergreen, leafy shrub that reaches 5 to 6 meters in height on average, but if handled well and pruned, does not exceed 3 m, the ideal temperature for its development is between 23º and 28ºC, with good irrigation, mainly in the budding, flowering and fruit development stage so that they are of good quality. It does not tolerate strong and prolonged frosts. The soils should be sandy-clayey, deep and with good content of organic fertilizer.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE TREE.

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STEM: They present herbaceous shoots of green and angular color. As they mature they become a woody stem, smooth and brown. They have a high tendency to branching.

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LEAVES: The leaves are lanceolate, coriaceous, dark green in the beam and pubescent on the underside. Two leaves arranged opposite each other develop from each node of the stem. It has a short petiole and oil glands, responsible for the characteristic aroma of the guava.

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FLOWER: The flowers appear in buds. They are hermaphroditic, white and can be solitary or gathered in groups of two or three in cluster inflorescences. They present a single ovary surrounded by numerous stamens.

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FRUIT: It is a berry, with a rounded, oblong or pear-shaped shape and a persistent chalice at the apex. The epidermis is yellowish and may be waxy or smooth. The color of the pulp depends on the variety, which can be white, yellow, red or pink. The guava contains a variable number of seeds.

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SOWING FOR GUAYABA CULTIVATION

TEMPERATURE:
The optimum temperature for the development of the guava tree oscillates around 23-30ºC. In general, the guava has a wide adaptation in terms of temperatures. However, it does not develop properly if the average temperatures in summer are below 16ºC. Temperatures below 3ºC are harmful to the plant.

HUMIDITY:
The range of relative humidity can range between 37 and 96%. An excess of humidity during the ripening stage of the fruit can cause the rot of them.

LIGHT:
The guava requires the exposure of direct solar radiation for its development.

SUBSTRATUM:
The guava adapts to a wide range of soils. However, it develops best in moist, deep soils, rich in organic matter and with good drainage capacity. On the other hand, it tolerates soils with a pH of 4.5 to 8.2, ideal being between 6 and 7.

IRRIGATION:
The application of irrigation, usually by drip, is essential for a good production.

CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES

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SOIL PREPARATION:
The plantation should preferably be done on a flat or gently sloping terrain.
For the preparation of the land, a subsoiling task must be carried out to keep the soil aerated and with good drainage capacity.
It is advisable to perform a soil analysis to carry out the contribution of amendments and corrections that are necessary.

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PLANTATION:
In a plantation with irrigation system, the sowing of the guava tree can be done at any time of the year. It can be carried out linearly or staggered, with a planting frame of 4.5x1.5m, 4x3m, 4x4m or 5x5m. The plants are placed in holes of 0.5x0.5x0.5m where organic matter is introduced before sowing.

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PRUNING
It is the simplest that the one that is made in other fruit trees, since the variety of guava with which one works together with the climate, allows to harvest six months after the sowing by means of an appropriate pruning. The first pruning is done from 20 to 50 cm in the main trunk; After this, 3 or 4 branches are selected which are known as mother branches. These branches should be separated at an angle of about 45 ° When the brown color of the branch reaches about 40 cm long it is time to prune again so that it can hold the fruit and the branch does not deform.

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POLLINATION:
Guava pollination can be achieved through both cross-pollination and self-pollination. However, it has been shown that cross-pollination results in higher production and better quality. The cross pollination is carried out by the bee Apis mellifera.

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FERTILIZATION:
The fertilization of the guava varies according to the state of development of the plant. For this, the following annual fertilization recommendation should be followed.

PESTS

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FLY OF THE GUAYABA (ANASTREPHA SP., CERATITIS CAPITATA):
It is the most damaging pest of guava. The females act by piercing the fruit to oviposit. As a consequence, the larvae feed on the pulp, creating galleries, which later give rise to necrotic areas.

FOR THE CONTROL OF THIS PLAGUE, THE COMBINED USE OF THE FOLLOWING MEASURES IS RECOMMENDED:
Select varieties less susceptible to the guava fly.
Remove weeds and affected plant material.
Cover the fruits with plastic bags, in order to establish a physical barrier.
Place Mc-Phaill traps in strategic locations.

FOR THE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF THIS PLAGUE
A release of sterile males is made and they release parasitoids.

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PICUDO DE LA GUAYABA (CONOTRACHELUS PSIDII):
It is the most important pest of the guava after the fruit fly. Female weevils cause damage to the ovipositor inside the fruit. However, the most severe damage is produced by the larvae feeding on the pulp and seed, causing necrosis around the affected part. As a result, premature ripening of the fruit occurs and finally the fall of the same.

FOR THE CONTROL OF PLAGUE IT IS RECOMMENDED
The bagging of the fruits until the harvest, the elimination of affected fruits before the larva leaves the fruit and the application of insecticides in the period of greatest presence of adults.
Blind hen, chicote (Phyllophaga spp., Anomala spp.): It is a plague of escarábidos whose larvae cause damage to the root system of the plant.
The best time to control these larvae is in summer or early fall. To do this, plowing must be done so that these larvae are exposed to direct sunlight and predators.

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PULGONES (APHIS GOSSYPII AND MYZUS PERSICAE):
It is a plague that mainly affects buds and leaves. The damage is caused by sucking the sap of the plant, causing the plant to weaken, as well as leaf deformation, chlorosis and growth retardation. On the other hand, aphids cause indirect damage because, like the whitefly, they secrete molasses and are transmitters of viruses.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO AVOID THE QUICK DISPERSION OF THIS PLAGUE. FOR THIS IT IS RECOMMENDED:
Elimination of weeds and remains of the previous crop.
Placement of yellow chromatic traps.
Placement of meshes in the greenhouse bands where appropriate.
If the presence of this pest is severe, chemical control is resorted to with systemic products.

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MITES:
This plague mainly affects leaves, although they can also affect flowers and fruits. The damage is caused by their feeding, since when extracting the sap from the tissues they cause yellow streaks in the leaves and along the main nerves. Subsequently, these pits turn brown and they are fringed, obtaining a dusty appearance. Finally, these leaves dry out and fall. It is also common to find fine cobwebs on the underside of the affected leaves.

TO AVOID THE PROPAGATION OF THIS PLAGUE
Increase in relative humidity
Management of healthy plant material
Elimination of weeds and infested material
Adequate planting frame, so that there is no contact between consecutive plants
Avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer
Use of bait plants

DISEASES

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ANTRACNOSIS (COLLETOTRICHUM GLOEOSPORIOIDES):
The fungus causing this disease develops under conditions of high humidity. The symptoms are manifested in the fruit with the presence of small sunken and circular spots in the form of concentric rings of brown color, which extend and deepen into the interior of the fruit. Normally, the affected fruits exude a pink liquid.

THIS DISEASE MUST BE PREVENTED THROUGH THE INTERVENTION OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES AS:

Use of healthy plant material
Elimination of affected plant material
Weed elimination
Reduce humidity conditions
Avoid plant injuries
Periodic applications with copper-based fungicides

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COSTRA DISEASE (PESTALOTIA PSIDII):
The incidence of the fungus causing this disease is favored by the presence of high humidity. The symptoms are manifested with rounded brownish and crust-like spots that cover the epidermis of the fruit, thus preventing them from ripening. In addition, it affects buds and leaves, causing deformation and / or wilting. In the flowers appear brown spots in the calyx and in the peduncle, being able to cause the fall of the flower or the stagnation of the ovaries.

TO PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS DISEASE
It is advisable to reduce the relative humidity of the environment by means of the adequate bagging of the fruits and to make prunings that facilitate the aeration and preventive applications with copper-based fungicides.

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HARVEST AND POSTCOSECHA
Generally, there are two harvesting seasons, one in late summer-early autumn and the other in late winter-early spring. The maturity index for harvesting varies according to the market. For fruits destined for industry, they must be harvested when the epidermis of the fruit acquires a yellow color. On the other hand, for fresh consumption as well as for transport over long distances, it must be harvested when the epidermis turns yellowish green.
This work is carried out during the first hours of the morning and they are transferred to fresh places where their classification is carried out. The classification of the fruit is made according to its size and weight.

SOURCE:
http://www.infoagro.com/documentos/el_cultivo_guayaba.asp
https://encolombia.com/economia/agroindustria/cultivo/cultivodeguayaba/

I hope my article has been useful.