High-Density Planting: Planting
of fruit trees closer rather than conventionally recommended spacing using
special orchard management techniques with the objective
to get maximum productivity without compromising quality is termed High-Density Planting. The High-Density Planting (HDP) is also called
Closed Density Planting or High-Density
Orchard.
Meadow orchard: When ultra closer
planting of apple is done accommodating about 70,000 trees per hectare and
harvesting is done by moving around the orchard, the planting is often referred
as meadow orchard or meadow-grassland or ultra high-density orchard or meadow system. In meadow orchard, a bed of 10
to 15 rows is closely (30x45cm) planted an alley of 2.5m width is given between
two beds.
The
High-Density Planting (HDP) was first
developed in Europe during the sixties
for an apple orchard. Now high-density planting is in practice for the cultivation of apple, peach, pear, almond etc
in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to these temperate
fruits the high-density planting
techniques have also been developed for mango, citrus, pineapple, papaya, and
banana. The high-density planting still has to popularize at commercial scale in
India.
Principles:
1-Obtaining
maximum productivity through planting more number of fruit trees per unit area.
2-
Optimizing the use of vertical and horizontal space.
3-
Optimizing the exploitation of natural resources like land, air solar energy
and water.
4-
Getting higher yield of quality fruits.
Components: A
scientific high density planting consists
following components:
1. Selection
of high yielding dwarf varieties responsive to training & pruning.
2. Propagation
on dwarfing rootstocks and inter stocks.
3. Proper
training and pruning of fruit trees.
4. Use
of proper plant growth regulators.
5. Proper
control measures for diseases and pests.
6. Suitable
agro-techniques and other orchard management practices.
Planting distance or density:
In
high density planting the spacing varies according to botanical species of the
fruit and even in same fruit species planting is done at different spacing. Based
on the spacing the high density planting is commonly classified into three
groups: Normal high density planting in which up to 2000 trees are planted in
one hectare, Optimum high density planting that accommodates up to 12,000 trees
per hectare and in Maximum or ultra high density planting even up to 1 Lakh
trees may be accommodated in a hectare.
Four
types high-density planting are
recognized for apples: Low high-density
planting accommodates less than 250 trees per hectare, moderate high-density planting accommodates 250-500
trees per hectare, high high-density planting accommodates 500-1250 trees per
hectare while in ultra high-density
planting more than 1250 trees are accommodated in a hectare of land. Read more on High Density Training, pruning, merits and demerits.
