Cashew Cultivation Guide: Varieties, Spacing, and Tea Mosquito Bug Control

Cashew is one of the most valuable plantation crops in India, widely known for its ability to thrive in poor soils and dry conditions where other crops struggle. Originally introduced to India by Portuguese travelers to control soil erosion on coastlines, cashew has become a major commercial crop. It provides a source of income for small and marginal farmers across coastal regions and drylands. The crop is grown in states like Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal, supporting rural livelihoods and processing industries. Raw cashew nut production in these states feed hundreds of processing factories, creating employment for rural women and contributing significantly to the agricultural export earnings of the country. This strong domestic processing base ensures a continuous demand for locally grown nuts. Providing a windbreak system along the orchard perimeter helps protect young grafts from severe dry winds during early establishment phases. Growers should monitor soil moisture levels regularly to avoid water stress.

The global and domestic demand for cashew kernels remains strong, making cashew cultivation a profitable venture. Grafted cashew trees start bearing fruit within three years of planting and reach full production by the eighth to tenth year. Unlike many other fruit crops, cashew requires minimal daily care once the trees are established, making it suitable for areas with limited labour availability. By adopting modern canopy management and pest control, farmers can significantly increase their yield and secure high returns from lands that are otherwise considered unproductive. The crop also benefits from relatively low water requirements compared to other commercial plantation crops, which reduces the cost of irrigation infrastructure. This low input requirement combined with stable market prices makes cashew a highly reliable risk-mitigation crop for dryland farmers.

Climate, soil, and land preparation needs

Cashew is a tropical plant that requires warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine to grow and fruit properly. The ideal temperature range for cashew cultivation is between twenty and thirty-five degrees Celsius. The trees are sensitive to frost and prolonged cold waves, which can damage the flowers and young shoots. While cashew can survive in areas with low rainfall, an annual rainfall of one thousand to two thousand millimetres is ideal, provided there is a dry period of three to four months before flowering. Flowering during cloudy weather or unseasonal rains can trigger heavy flower drop and increase the susceptibility of the crop to fungal diseases, emphasizing the value of regional weather monitoring.

The crop can grow in almost any type of soil, including sandy soils, laterite soils, and red soils. However, it does not tolerate heavy clay soils or waterlogged conditions, which restrict root growth and cause collar rot. Deep, well-drained soils rich in organic matter are ideal for maximizing fruit and nut size. Before planting, clear the land of weeds and wild shrubs, plow the field, and prepare contour terraces on sloped lands to conserve water and prevent soil erosion. It is wise to obtain a Soil Health Card to determine the nutrient status of your field. Following localized Soil Health Card advice helps balance potassium and zinc levels, which are critical for healthy nut filling.

High-yielding cashew varieties to grow

Choosing high-yielding cashew varieties is essential to ensure a profitable harvest. In India, agricultural universities have released several region-specific varieties that produce large nuts and show tolerance to common pests. Vengurla-4 is a highly popular variety in western India, known for its dwarf growth habit, heavy bearing, and large nut size. Vengurla-7 is another excellent variety that offers consistent yields and a high shell-out percentage, meaning you get more kernel weight per nut.

In southern India, varieties like Ullal-1 and Ullal-2 are widely grown due to their early ripening and resistance to wind damage. BPP-4 and BPP-8 are popular in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, offering bold nuts and good adaptability to dry coastal conditions. Priyanka is a variety known for its exceptionally large kernels, which fetch premium prices in the market. Before selecting a variety, consult your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra to understand which grafts are best suited for your local soil and climate.

Planting methods and spacing guidelines

Normal spacing

Traditionally, cashew trees are planted at a wide spacing because they develop a large, spreading canopy. Dig pits measuring sixty centimetres in length, width, and depth during the early summer. Fill the pits with a mixture of topsoil, ten to fifteen kilograms of well-decomposed farmyard manure, and two hundred grams of rock phosphate. The standard recommended spacing is seven point five metres by seven point five metres or eight metres by eight metres, which accommodates about one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy-five trees per hectare. Plant healthy soft-wood grafts at the beginning of the rainy season, ensuring the graft joint remains above the soil surface.

High-density planting

For farmers who want to get higher returns in the early years, high-density planting is an alternative. In this method, trees are planted at a closer spacing of four metres by four metres or five metres by five metres, which increases the tree count to four hundred or six hundred trees per hectare. While this system offers much higher early yields, it requires strict canopy management and regular pruning to prevent the trees from crowding each other. High-density orchards need careful planning and must be managed by farmers who have access to irrigation and skilled pruning labour.

Training and pruning techniques for healthy canopy

Training and pruning are essential to maintain a productive cashew orchard. During the first two to three years, train the young grafts to grow with a single main stem up to a height of one metre. Remove any shoots or branches that emerge below the graft joint immediately, as they belong to the rootstock and will produce low-quality wild nuts. Allow four to five primary branches to grow in different directions from the main stem to form a balanced frame.

Pruning is carried out once a year, preferably during August and September after the harvest is complete and before new shoots begin to emerge. Pruning involves removing all dead wood, dried branches, water shoots, and branches that cross each other or trail down to touch the ground. This allows sunlight to reach the inner parts of the canopy, which is essential because cashew flowers only on new shoots that receive direct sunlight. Proper pruning also improves air circulation, reducing the risk of fungal infections and pest infestations.

Manures and fertilisers for cashew trees

To get consistent yields year after year, cashew trees need proper nutrition, especially during their flowering and fruiting stages. While many farmers neglect fertilising cashew trees, applying organic manures and chemical nutrients significantly increases nut size and weight. An indicative annual fertiliser dose for a mature cashew tree is five hundred grams of Nitrogen, one hundred and twenty-five grams of Phosphorus, and one hundred and twenty-five grams of Potassium.

Apply the fertilisers in two split doses. Apply the first dose in June or July during the monsoon, and the second dose in September or October when the rains begin to recede. Apply the fertilisers in a circular band about one to one point five metres away from the trunk, matching the spread of the canopy, and mix it gently into the soil. Always refer to your Soil Health Card and consult local agricultural extension officers to adjust the fertiliser rates based on your specific soil conditions.

Managing tea mosquito bug and other pests

Tea mosquito bug control

The tea mosquito bug is the most destructive pest of cashew in India, capable of destroying up to fifty percent of your crop if left unchecked. The bug sucks the sap from tender leaves, shoots, flower buds, and young cashew apples. This feeding action introduces toxins into the plant tissues, causing black lesions, wilting, and drying up of shoots, which is a condition known as flush blight.

To control the tea mosquito bug, monitor your orchard regularly, especially during the flushing and flowering seasons from November to February. Spray recommended insecticides, such as lambda-cyhalothrin, at three critical stages. The first spray should be at the new flush stage, the second at the flowering stage, and the third at the fruit-set stage. Ensure that you spray early in the morning when the bugs are active, and avoid spraying the same chemical repeatedly to prevent the pest from developing resistance.

Stem and root borer management

The cashew stem and root borer is another major pest that can kill mature trees. The grubs of this beetle bore into the bark of the main stem and roots, feeding on the inner tissues and blocking the flow of nutrients. Symptoms of infestation include gum oozing from the stem, wood dust falling near the tree base, and yellowing of the leaves. To manage this, scrape off the affected bark and extract the grubs manually, then apply a paste of clay and copper oxychloride, or drench the stem base with recommended insecticide solutions.

Water management and dry-spell survival

Cashew is famously known as a dryland crop, but it responds very well to irrigation during the flowering and fruit development phases from January to April. Dry spells during this period can cause heavy flower drop and reduce the size of the nuts. If water is available, providing supplementary irrigation can double your yield and ensure that the nuts mature uniformly.

Drip irrigation is the most suitable system for cashew plantations, delivering water directly to the root zone without wastage. A mature cashew tree benefits from ten to fifteen litres of water per day during the dry season. Ensure that the water does not pool around the collar of the tree, as stagnant water can promote fungal diseases. During the monsoon, clear the drainage channels to prevent water from standing in the orchard.

Harvesting cashew apples and nuts

The cashew harvesting season in India runs from February to May. Cashew fruits consist of two parts, the cashew apple, which is a fleshy false fruit, and the raw nut, which is the true fruit attached to the bottom. Gather only the fruits that have matured fully and fallen to the ground naturally. Shaking the trees to harvest immature nuts must be avoided, as it leads to low-quality kernels that sell at a lower price in the market.

Once the fruits are collected, separate the raw nuts from the cashew apples by twisting them. Wash the raw nuts in clean water to remove any dirt or pulp residue. Spread the nuts in a thin layer on a clean cement floor and dry them in the sun for two to three days. Sun-drying reduces the moisture content in the raw nuts from twenty percent to about eight percent, which is essential to prevent mold growth and insect damage during storage. Store the dried nuts in clean gunny bags in a dry, well-ventilated room.

Expected yield and processing stages

A grafted cashew tree starts producing small yields from the third year, and the yield increases steadily until the tenth year when the tree reaches full bearing capacity. Under good management and irrigation, a mature tree can yield eight to ten kilograms of raw nuts per year, translating to a yield of approximately one thousand to one thousand five hundred kilograms per hectare. The fresh cashew apples can also be sold to local processing units for juice, syrup, or animal feed, providing additional income.

Raw cashew nuts cannot be eaten directly and must go through processing, which involves roasting, shelling, drying, peeling, and grading the kernels. Since processing requires specialized machinery and skilled labour, most farmers sell their raw nuts to local agents, cooperative societies, or processing factories. Before starting, check with local banks for capital requirements, and keep in mind that NABARD refinances agricultural loans through commercial and cooperative banks instead of giving loans directly to individual farmers. For registration and support, explore state-specific land portals to register your Farmer ID under the Agristack program rolling out in various states. In terms of crop protection, West Bengal runs its own state-sponsored Bangla Shasya Bima scheme which is completely premium-free for food and oilseed crops, while other states participate in the PMFBY crop insurance program.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard spacing recommended for cashew orchards?

The standard spacing is seven point five metres by seven point five metres or eight metres by eight metres, accommodating about one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy-five trees per hectare.

How long does a grafted cashew tree take to start yielding nuts?

Soft-wood grafted cashew trees start bearing fruit from the third year, with commercial yields peaking by the eighth to tenth year.

What is the most destructive pest of cashew in India?

The tea mosquito bug is the most damaging pest, sucking sap from new shoots and flowers, causing black lesions and drying up shoots.

How can I manage the cashew stem and root borer?

Inspect the trees for gum oozing or wood dust, scrape the bark to extract the grubs manually, and apply clay mixed with copper oxychloride.

Can cashew trees grow in sandy or gravelly soils?

Yes, cashew is a hardy crop that grows well in sandy, red, and laterite soils, but it requires deep soil with good drainage.

What is high-density cashew planting?

It is a method where cashew grafts are planted at a closer spacing, such as four metres by four metres, which requires strict pruning to maintain canopy size.

When is the best time to prune cashew trees in India?

Pruning should be done once a year during August and September, after the harvest is over and before the new flush begins.

How do I know when cashew apples and nuts are ready for harvest?

Harvest only the cashew apples and nuts that have turned bright red or yellow and have fallen to the ground naturally.

Why must raw cashew nuts be dried in the sun after harvesting?

Sun-drying for two to three days reduces the moisture to eight percent, preventing mold growth and preserving kernel quality during storage.

What is the indicative fertiliser dosage for a mature cashew tree?

An indicative mature dose is five hundred grams of Nitrogen, one hundred and twenty-five grams of Phosphorus, and one hundred and twenty-five grams of Potash annually.

What is the average yield of raw nuts per mature cashew tree?

A mature, well-managed cashew tree yields approximately eight to ten kilograms of raw nuts per year, depending on the variety and management.

Can I apply for a direct cashew farming loan from NABARD?

No, NABARD does not offer direct loans to farmers. It refinances agricultural loans through commercial banks and rural cooperative societies.

How do I obtain an Agristack Farmer ID for my cashew farm?

Check your state land portal or contact the local agriculture office to register your land and details under the state-specific Agristack system.

Is cashew insurance premium-free in West Bengal?

West Bengal runs its own state-funded Bangla Shasya Bima scheme which is premium-free for food and oilseed crops, unlike the central PMFBY scheme.

Which cashew varieties are recommended for coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha?

Varieties like BPP-4 and BPP-8 are highly recommended because of their bold nut size and ability to adapt to dry coastal conditions.