As per the study of ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur the citrus growers are nowadays more attracted towards cultivation of pomegranate punica granattum in order to earn a secondary income in case of citrus crop fails to give desired revenue in any particular season or year. Apart from this the pomegranate fruits earn more revenue. As per information, the pomegranate fruits have more shelf life and can also be stored in cold storage for some time before selling the same when the rate in the market picks up. In addition, the pomegranate fruits have more demand in foreign countries as compared to Nagpur Mandarins.
An entomologist at ICAR remarked that during establishment of new pomegranate orchard selection of a well-drained land with moderate slope of 3 to 5 percent is important. Though arid and semi-arid regions receiving low annual rainfall between 500 to 700 mm with long, hot and dry summer and mild winter is suitable for quality fruit production, but Vidarbha soil and weather is not very suitable as our rainfall is 1000 to 1200 mm, but the summer is same as Solapur where pomegranate is grown in 30000 hectares. The fruit prefer light soil conditions with pH below 8.5 but black cotton soil of Vidarbha is excellent as our soil pH is below. To start pits of size 1 meter XI meter should be dug at a spacing of 5 meter row and 4 meter plant to plant. The soil should be excavated during March or April Month and these pits should be remaining as such. So that the summer heat can solarize the pit and excavated soil.
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