This blog carries detailed information about the exact water requirement in the cultivation of guava, the impact of over and under-irrigation on guava trees and the most effective ways to overcome them.

Fruits and vegetables cannot be produced without water. It is vital for horticultural production. Water is a limited resource at the moment, and there is a big disparity between the amount of water that is accessible and what is needed to irrigate crops.

Guava is regarded as one of the most delicious, nutritionally valuable, and profitable crops. The amount of water required is just one of the main factors affecting guava productivity and production. Inadequate water management during the vital fruit production stage reduces productivity and product quality. Thus, effective management of water is crucial. Don’t worry! After reading this blog, you will get a fair idea about the irrigation requirement for guava.

Table of content

• Impact of over-irrigation or under-irrigation in guava
• Water requirement in guava
• Stage-wise irrigation
• Need for the precision irrigation system.
• How can Fasal assist?

Impact of over-irrigation or under-irrigation in guava

A guava plant needs water in a certain quantity. Over-irrigation and under-irrigation both have a negative impact on the growth of plants. Let’s discuss the impact of over and under-irrigation in guava trees and understand the accurate need for irrigation.

Under irrigation:

A plant is said to be under-irrigated when it does not receive water in sufficient quantity. Water stress is a major contributing factor in the reduction of guava fruit yields.

1. Browning

• Lack of water can lead to the browning of the leaves on the guava tree. This is due to the tree’s insufficient water supply, which will impact the leaves. They require a lot of water daily to keep themselves in good shape. The guava tree can be watered using specific excellent tools.
• A plant can become dehydrated from a lack of water. These leaves then start to dry out and become brown. So, properly water the guava plant during dry seasons and when the plant is young.
• Sometimes, especially in the summer, the temperature is unbearably high. The tree needs a lot of water during this time to stay cool and fresh. Water will keep leaves healthy, thriving, and green. Water will also aid in the growth of flowers and fruits.

2. Leaf curling

The lack of water is the primary cause of leaf curling in guava. The leaves of the guava tree may become curled if it becomes waterlogged. This can occasionally occur if the farmer doesn’t provide the tree with enough water or if there is a protracted drought. The tree may become stressed if it is under-irrigated.

Over-irrigation

When trees receive water in excessive quantity, this makes the trees over-irrigated. Over-irrigation is another factor leading to the decline in guava production.

1. Too much water leads to excess moisture in the soil, depriving plants of oxygen, which kills their roots and reduces their vigour.
2. Overwatering can lead leaves to wilt and yellow, but it can also cause them to brown. This will be the result of additional water. The tree may occasionally be flooded during storms or periods of severe rain.
3. Excessive watering can cause tree death, stem death, and leaf loss, hindering flowering and putting the plant under more stress.
4. High moisture conditions can also lead to disease infection on the guava trees, like powdery mildew.

Do you know Fasal IoT device sensors can help detect these over and under-watering symptoms? Do you want to try this device on your farm? Fill in this form to take a demo.

How much water is required by a guava tree?

In the summer, the young guava plants need weekly irrigations, while in the winter, they need two to three irrigations. For enhanced flowering and fruit-setting, irrigation should be provided to bearing trees at intervals of two to three weeks during the summer and once a month during the winter. Irrigation is essential to preventing excessive fruit drop throughout the summer. It has also been found that irrigation throughout the winter efficiently reduces fruit drop and increases fruit size in the winter crop. Guava’s cropping pattern (for a heavy winter crop) can be somewhat controlled by reducing irrigation during the hot summer months (May).

Drip irrigation has been shown to increase fruit size and number in guava. And it saves about 60% of irrigation water.

Stage-wise irrigation

The kind of soil, current weather, rainfall distribution, and the trees’ age all affect how much and how often irrigation should be applied. Unless there are prolonged droughts, irrigation is unnecessary during the monsoon season.

When the plants have a shallow root system and are still very young in the first year, they should be watered even every two to three days during the dry season. Trees between the ages of 2 and 5 need to be watered every 4-5 days.

During the dry season, the irrigation interval could be increased to 10-15 days for plants aged 5-8 years. When trees are in full bearing, 2-3 irrigations are usually given after the fruit set, which results in a more excellent fruit set and improved fruit size.

Need for precision irrigation system

• Precision irrigation plays an important role in enhancing guava productivity and economic return.
• Fruits harvested from drip-irrigated plants have higher fruit weights, TSS, total sugars, and vitamin C levels than fruits harvested from flood-irrigated plants.
• Precision irrigation reduces water contact with plant leaves, stems, and fruit, hence preventing diseases like guava wilt.
• It promotes dry rows between plants, which enhances access and inhibits weed growth.
• Due to the system’s high efficiency, farmers can save time, money, and water.
• It increases efficiency on an uneven field.
• It also lessens nutrient and water loss below the root zone.

How can Fasal assist?

• The amount of water the guava tree needs depends on many factors, such as the kind of soil, the region, humidity, crop stage, Bahar/season, etc.
• Fasal is an IoT platform for horticulture farmers. It collects real-time information on conditions from farm sensors to provide farmers with advice specific to their orchards and is also actionable.
• Farmers may now accurately water their guava fields and lessen the possibility of unsatisfactory harvests owing to over- or under-irrigation with the use of sensors in the Fasal system.
• Fasal soil moisture sensors provide readings of the moisture content of the soil in the primary and secondary root zones. Such sensors help determine when to increase or decrease irrigation for optimal plant growth.
• The Fasal system also uses sensors and other monitoring tools to continuously monitor the microclimatic conditions on your farm, allowing you to plan irrigation in advance and decrease the impact of unpredictably bad weather on your guava trees.
• Farmers can more efficiently plan their irrigation by receiving notifications from the Fasal system regarding any potential for rain over the next 14 days.
• Using exact measurements of the soil’s moisture, the Fasal system alerts farmers when the land needs to be watered and helps them determine how much irrigation water is necessary.
• The Fasal System continuously monitors the soil and crop health and their ideal mineral and water requirements, resulting in sweeter and healthier fruit quality.