ABCD Guide On Apple Farming In Kenya

Apples are the oldest commercial fruit that is grown every corner of the world. After Banana farming, Orange farming, Apple farming top the list of commercial farming. So, growing apple trees is a good idea, rather than going for any other commercial farming. So, friends, today, we are going to learn step by step, Apple farming in Kenya, along with health benefits of apples.

The climatic condition around your apple farm is a key factor, that impacts the growth and development of your apples and also on the production. Apple plants are tedious in nature and require more than 1000 chilling hours, below 7 °C for the best growth and higher production of fruits. However, this may vary depending on apple varieties or cultivar.

Along with good temperature, sufficient sunshine is also responsible for healthy fruit growth and also to catch up an attractive color.

Growing apples, up to 2500 mean sea level height is supposed to be beneficial for earning good profit. An apple orchard requires an avg. temp of 20 to 26 °C during the growth development period along with 100 to 120 cm annual rainfall. It is notable that heavy rainfall during fruit maturity period is the main cause of improper fruit growth. Also, not that apple farming should be avoided in areas where heavy winds are expected.

Apples can be cultivated in all types of soil. However, loamy soil, rich in all essential organic matter along with well-drainage is considered as the best soil for apple farming. Also, it should have pH, ranging between 5.5 to 6.8 with proper aeration. .

It is a good thing to go for at least one soil test to find out the suitability and soil fertility for apple farming in Kenya. It will also help you in determining any deficiency of micronutrients in your soil if present. So that, you can supplement them at the time of land preparation to obtain higher fruit production.

For commercial apple farming, cultivate apples on well-drained soil with decent layout proposed. Weeds from the preceding crop should be removed, if present.

Generally, Apples are planted with the help of tongue grafting and budding methods. If you are not interested in the grafting and budding method, you can grow apples by using seeds. For grafted apple seedlings contact 0724-559286 or 0790-509684

Usually, apples are planted in the winter season. Apples should be planted in a square or hexagonal planting system. If planting apples in a hilly area or valley, follow the counter planting method in those sloppy areas.

When planting apples, dig a pit and put a mixture of cow dung manure, 40 kg along with 50 gm of malathion dust and 500 gm of superphosphate. Immediate irrigation should be done, just after transplantation of apples.

Spacing in your apple orchard is mainly depended on the apple varieties and planting method, used for cultivation. However, there are mainly 4 types of density planting, usually followed by growers.

With the help of Ultra high density (UHD) method of planting, about 1200 apple plants per hectare can be cultivated.

With the help of high density (HD) method of planting, about 600 to 1200 apple plants per hectare can be cultivated.

B

y using moderate density plantation, you can plant around 300 to 600 plants per unit hectare land.

By following low-density plantation in apple cultivation, you can plant around 300 plants per unit hectare land.

Decide on your own or consult apple agronomists like Farmers Trend on how many apple trees per hectare or acre, you want to grow.

An apple tree requires about 120 cm rainfall per annum.

Timely application of suitable manure and fertilizers in your apple farm directly impact the amount of production both; quality and quantity.

For the first year of planting apples, apply about 35 gm of P2O5, 70 gm of Nitrogen, & 70 gm of K2O. Use the same dose for the following years, one time for one year, up to ten years. After that, supply 350 gm of P2O5, 700gm of Nitrogen, & 700gm of K2O to each apple plant.

Note that deficiency of Boron, Zinc, calcium, and manganese should be supplemented by using appropriate chemicals fertilizer by foliage spray.

Codling moth, Plague thrips, Western flower thrips, Apple dimpling bug, red mites, Two-spotted mites, Woolly apple aphid, Queensland fruit fly are some common pests and insects that are commonly found in apple cultivation.

Proper intercultural activities like growing resistant rootstocks, spraying Chloropyriphos, fenitrothion, carbaryl etc have more effective results on Apple tree pest control in commercial farming.

Apple Scab, Fruit Blotch, Bitter Rot, Powdery Mildew, White Root Rot, Sclerotium Collar Rot, Alternaria leaf etc are the main apple tree diseases, that are commonly found in apple cultivation.

Removal of infected plants and use of suitable chemical fertilizers like mancozeb, carbendazim, and other such fungicides has effective results.

An apple orchard begins fruit bearing after about 3 years of plantation, however grafting of apples have reduced this span to 18months after transplanting.

The yield of apple farming depends on numbers of factors like the agroclimatic conditions of the atmosphere (cooling, sunlight, wind flow, etc), the type of soil and also the variety of apple, used for the cultivation along with good farm management skills.

However, averagely about 12 to 18 tonnes of apple fruit production per unit hectare can be easily obtained after a good establishment of your orchard. Which can be increased in the following years.