tejasvini :

Cultivation:

Land preparation and fertilizer application

Land may be ploughed two to three times using disc harrow and cultivator to make it friable and weed-free.
About 10– 12 tonnes per hectare of FYM (farmyard manure) should be mixed with the soil as a basal dose before transplantation.

Transplanting and optimum spacing

After 10–12 months of growth in the nursery, transplanting in the field can be done during May–June if irrigation facilities are available.
Otherwise, it is done in July–August (monsoon season) under rain-fed conditions.
A spacing of 50 cm × 50 cm is recommended, which accommodates about 40 000 plants per hectare.

Interculture and maintenance practices

Weeding should be carried out during the initial establishment phase, 30–45 days after transplanting, and again at 60–80 days after transplanting.
Later, weeding may be carried out only as and when required.

Intercropping system

The plant can be grown as a mono crop as well as a mixed crop with herbaceous species.

Irrigation practices

The plant requires frequent irrigation during the establishment stage.
Once established, the plants are able to survive in rain-fed conditions and only life-support irrigation is required during the summer months.

Propogation:

Freshly harvested seeds are best for the large-scale cultivation of Zanthoxylum species. Mature seeds can be collected in June–July.
In the absence of sufficient seeds, terminal stem cuttings may be used as propagules.

Harvesting:

Crop maturity and harvesting

Flowering appears on five-year-old plants in March–May.
Fruiting occurs in July–August.
The crop, thus, takes five to seven years to mature.
Fruits are collected in May–June.
Stem pieces, if needed, may be cut during January–February before the flowers appear.

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