High Density Planting Technology

Many farmers falsely believe (especially Mango. Kinnow and Guava growers) that 'HIGH DENSITY PLANTING TECHNOLOGY' (hereafter 'HDP') is nothing but to plant more number of trees, get yields up to 6-7 years and when the canopy of the trees in one row touches the next row thereby curtailing farming operations and reduction in yield, simply fell / uproot the trees in alternate rows and continue farming with the remaining plants.

But, the full meaning of HDP, which is one of the highly successful orchard management practices, its basic concepts and benefits should be taught to every farmer for their ultimate economic uplift.

About HDP:
It is a system in which a higher number of plants of same or different crop species is accommodated (normally dwarf varieties) within a unit area in comparison to the conventional planting density so as to obtain maximum output by utilization of land, light and externally applied inputs Viz, nutrients, water, pesticides etc.

• Semi intensive HDP system accommodates 500 -1000 trees/ha.
• Intensive HDP system accommodates 1000 -10000 trees/ha employing specialized training systems.
• Super intensive HDP system with 20,000 to 1,00,000 plants/ha require more capital to establish and is more productive and profitable, if followed scientifically.

Components of HDP:

1. Selecting dwarf scion varieties
2. Dwarfing root stocks and inter stocks
3. Proper training and pruning
4. Proper use of chemicals
5. Suitable crop management practices.

Advantages of HDP:

1. High density planted plants are precocious (showing premature development), easily manageable because of their small size.
2. They have higher yield potential with better quality produce resulting in higher returns/unit area.
3. Better utilization of solar radiation because of dense planting.
   
4. HDPT is amenable to modern input application techniques such as drip/fertigation, mechanization etc.,
5. Higher harvest index as well as early economic returns.
6. Considering the shrinking land resource, continued decline in cultivable land, rising energy cost and land costs together with the mounting demand for more agricultural produce have given us no other option than to adopt HDP.

Constraints in adoption of HDP system:

1. Non-availability of complete package for HDP system and there is no efficient extension system to disseminate the HDP knowledge to the willing farmers.
2. Non availability of planting material for dwarf varieties.
3. Non availability of vegetatively propagated root stocks in different fruit crops and plantation crops.
4. Non availability of mechanization technology for the use of in densely planted fields.
   
5. Overcrowding of trees in some orchard crops (especially in Mango) after 11-12 years.
   

Estimated cost and return from traditional and HDP in MANGO:

Sl. No.	PARTICULARS	TRADITIONAL SYSTEM	HDP SYSTEM
1	SPACING	10 m X 10 m	2.5 m X 2.5 m
2	No.OF PLANTS/ha	100	1600
3	COST OF ESTABLISHING THE ORCHARD	Rs.30,000	Rs.75,000
4	ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COST	Rs.20,000	Rs.35,000
5	AGE OF STABLE YIELD	8 to 10 years	7 to 8 years
6	PRODUCTION (kg /ha)	6000 to 8000	16,000 to 19,000
7	SALE OF PRODUCE (Rs.7 per kg - Whole sale price)	Rs.42,000 to Rs.56,000	Rs.1,12,000 to 1,33,000
8	NET RETURN	Rs.22,000 to 36,000	Rs.77,000 to 98,000

So, my dear farmer friends. before adopting HDP, acquire full knowledge in tree architecture, physiology of tree size control, development of dwarfing root stocks and about chemical growth retardants for a successful HDP farming venture.

(Source:"Improved Technologies for fruit cultivation" (TB-ICN : 63/2009) Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology, ICAR, New Delhi 110 012)

Regards,
Vishnu Sankar