How many cashew trees per acre and farm income

It is a 46 feet tall large tree with an irregularly shaped trunk. 190 cashew plants per acre are recommended to obtain a better yield. An estimated profit of around Rs 5,40,000 is expected after 10 years of successful cashew farming. 

Quick Overview – Cashew plants per acre 190, yield per tree 10 to 15 kg.

Cashew tree

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America. Ivory Coast is the largest cashew-producing country followed by Vietnam and India. It is a large irregularly shaped trunk tree that grows up to 46 feet tall whereas dwarf trees grow up to 6 m (20 feet) tall. Dwarf cashew cultivars are more profitable due to earlier maturity and greater yield. 

Cashew farming profit is huge if practised correctly. The cashew tree starts bearing fruits after 3 years and it needs around 8 years to produce fruits commercially. The traditional tree yields 0.25 metric tons per hectare whereas the dwarf cashew tree yields more than 1 ton per hectare. Graft and other modern tree management technologies are used to improve cashew nut yield commercially.  

How many cashew trees per acre and farm income

80 to 200 plants can be planted on one acre of land as per the spacing. However, not more than 200 plants are recommended to obtain better yield. It is good to plant dwarf cashew nut trees. They are short-highted, grow up to 6 m and occupy less space; more importantly, dwarf cashew nut trees yield much more than traditional or taller trees.

Another important point to consider is that dwarf cashew trees need less time to mature in comparison to taller trees. An average of 10 to 15 kg of raw nuts in a year is expected in the 10th year from 1 cashew tree.

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If 190 trees are planted with the spacing of 5m x 5m then 190 x 10 kg = 1900 kg raw nuts can be achieved. Cashew nut price per kg in India varies between Rs 600 to Rs 1000. Let’s assume the minimum price is Rs 600 then the profit will be Rs 600 x 1900 kg = Rs 11,40,000. After deducting the cost around 6 lakh the net profit will be Rs 5,40,000.

Cashew trees per acre & hectare with spacing

Cashew plants per acre	Cashew plants per hectare
Square system Fertile soil – 8m x 8m – 65 trees. Medium and light soil, red lateral soil – 7m x 7m – 80 trees. Poor, sandy or lighter soil – 5m x 5m – 180 trees.	Square system Fertile soil – 8m x 8m – 156 trees. Medium and light soil, red lateral soil – 7m x 7m – 204 trees. Poor, sandy or lighter soil – 5m x 5m – 400 trees.
Rectangular system Fertile soil – 9m x 7m – 68 trees. Medium and light soil, red lateral soil – 8m x 6m – 83 trees. Poor, sandy or lighter soil – 5.5m x 4.5m – 195 trees.	Rectangular system Fertile soil – 9m x 7m – 158 trees. Medium and light soil, red lateral soil – 8m x 6m – 208 trees. Poor, sandy or lighter soil – 5.5m x 4.5m – 405 trees.
Triangular system Fertile soil – 8m x 8m – 75 trees. Medium and light soil, red lateral soil – 7m x 7m – 100 trees. Poor, sandy or lighter soil – 5.25 x 5.25m – 205 trees.	Triangular system Fertile soil – 8m x 8m – 180 trees. Medium and light soil, red lateral soil – 7m x 7m – 234 trees. Poor, sandy or lighter soil – 5.25 x 5.25m – 416 trees.

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Cashew yield per tree per year

Tree age	Nut yield kg/tree	Apple yield kg/tree
4th year 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th	0.5 1.0 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 12-15	3.5 7.5 17.5 35.0 60.0 70.0 85.0-100.0

Best practices

Pits size – 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm. Circular pits having 60 cm diameter and 60 cm depth can be opened by tractor-mounted spot hole digger. Leave the pits open for about 15 to 22 days for the curing process.

Planting time – Planting should be done immediately at the beginning of monsoon. Plant the craft at the centre of each pit and provide support with staking. Basin mulching with green leaves helps the establishment of plants. 

Organic cashew – To obtain organic cashew, one needs to supplement nutrients with organic sources such as green leaf, compost, vermicompost, pig manure, EMO spray, fish meal, bone meal, FYM poultry etc. 

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High-yield cashew varieties

High-yield cashews suitable for commercial cultivation as per the states are given below.

• Goa – Goa1, Vengurla-7, Vengurla – 8, Bhaskara (Goa 11/6). 
• Maharashtra – Vengurla – 1, Vengurla – 4, Vengurla – 6, Vengurla – 7, Vengurla – 8. 
• Kerala – Madakkathara – 1, Madakkathara  – 2, Dhana, Kanaka, Sulabha, Priyanka, Amrutha, Raghava, Damodra, Poornima and K-22-1.
• Coastal Karnataka – NRCC Sel – 2, Ullal-1, Ullal-3, Ullal-4, UN – 50, Vengurla – 1, Vengurla – 4, Vengurla – 6, Vengurla – 7.
• Karnataka Maidan plains – Chintamani – 1.
• West Bengal – Jhargram – 1, BPP – 8.
• Orissa – Bhubaneswar – 1, BPP – 8 and Dhana. 
• Andhra Pradesh – BPP – 4, BPP – 6, BPP – 8.
• Tamilnadu – VRI – 1, VRI – 2, VRI – 3.
• North Eastern region – Ullal-3, Ullal-4,  Vengurla – 1, Vengurla – 4.

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