Guayabano is most popular as a health juice drink because of its richness in ascorbic acid or vitamin C. It is also rich in vitamin B while the edible portion is a powerhouse of energy foods. Guayabano contains little amount of vitamin A, calcium, potash and phosphorus.
The fruit is scientifically called Anona muricata, a member of the anonacae family, together with atis, anona, and atemoya. Guayabano is also known as soursop in English.
The mature but unripe fruit is used for vegetable dishes or preserve as sweet meats. The ripe fruit is eaten raw as dessert or processed into juice drinks and canned preserves, or as flavoring for ice cream and sherbets.
Two varieties are widely grown in the country. They are practically the same in appearance but different in taste: the sweet type, and the sour type or ordinary type.
Agripreneurs venturing into large scale-scale guayabano production will need at least a one-hectare orchard. This area will hold 400 trees.
Practically any type of soil is suited for guayabano although it grows best in loam and well-drained areas. Planting time is best at the start of the rainy season. The trees bloom from May to June and the fruits ripe in November or December. A warm dry climate is important during the blooming period while continuous light rainfall is beneficial during the fruit growing period.
Propagation. Guayabano is propagated through two different means: by seedling and by grafting and marketing.
Seedling are grown in seedbeds rich in organic matter. Cover seeds with soil 3/4 inch deep. Plant that have grown to 3 or 4 inches should be transferred to pots or to plastic bags with garden soil. Only minimal watering is needed.
Grafting is the most efficient way of reproducing guayabano asexually. Plants propagated asexually mature into trees twice faster than those grown from seedlings.
Land Preparation. For newly opened land, burn underbrush and stumps. Plow the entire land area once, then harrow twice.
Dig holes 1 foot deep, 3 to 4 meters apart each way. Apply 300 g of 14-14-14 or 12-24-12 complete fertilizer in each hole then cover with soil 3 inches deep. Plant seedling or cutting immediately after covering the fertilizer, then completely cover the hole with soil. Apply the same fertilizer on a 5 inches radius around each plant. Water immediately after planting. Protect the newly planted cuttings or seedlings from strong wind and bright, hot sunshine. Constantly water the plants twice a day, morning and afternoon for the next three days. Thereafter, water once every other day for a period of ten days. Minimal watering will be needed after that.
Fertilizer usage. For trees that are still young, a different fertilizer formula is needed. These trees, ranging from 1 to 3 years old, do not bear fruit yet. To prepare them for the productive years, 500 g of 14-14-14 or 12-24-12 complete fertilizer plus 300 g of urea will be needed. Mix the two fertilizers in equal parts and apply in a shallow furrow dug following the outline of the canopy of each tree. Apply these formula twice a year, first at the start of the rainy season and the second, at the end of the rainy season.
For mature fruit bearing trees, use a fertilizer formula composed of 3 kg of 14-14-14 or 12-24-12 complete fertilizer plus 300 g potash. Manner of preparation and application including time of application is the same as that for young trees.
Intercropping. Intercropping can be practiced along with the maintenance of the orchard. For the first three years, while the young trees do not bear fruit, vegetables, legumes, cassava and gabi may be intercropped.
During its productive years, fruit bearing guayabano trees can tolerate other intercrop plants. Other possible inter-crop are banana, coffee, cacao, blackpepper, mulberry and citrus.
Guayabano can also stands as an intercrop with bigger fruit bearing trees like avocado, star apple, durian, mango, jackfruit, rambutan, santol and coconuts.
Pest and disease control. Like other fruit-bearing trees, guayabano is subject to common pests and diseases.
Green-scale insect is one such common pest. These insects suck the leaves' juice, causing them to dry up, thus normal growth of trees is hampered. Control them by spraying Azimphosmethyl, Cygon or Methyl Parathionat manufacturer's recommended dosage.
Mealy bug, on the other hand, are more serious pests since they live on the fruit surface itself. They suck the juice of the fruits and cause to rot. Spray Azimphosmethyl or Azodrin at manufacturer's dosage to get rid of them.
Foot rot is disease of Guayabano trees that damages the roots. When this disease strikes, the crown root of the tree decays and foul smell is emitted. The so called pink disease attacks the branches and twigs of the trees. This is manifested by a white, salmon-colored growth on the infected area. These two disease are controlled through strict sanitation in the orchard and by pruning and burning the affected twigs and branches. Spraying Dithane or Manzate at the manufacturer's dosage also helps.
Harvesting. The trees will start bearing fruit on the fourth year. For vegetable consumption purposes, the fruit should be harvested when 4 months old and while seeds are still soft.
If the fruit is to be marketed or stored for home consumption, harvest during mature stage just before complete repining. Fruits are mature when they become dark green and the soft spines are drawn apart by the stretched skin.
Hand-pick fruit by binding or climbing the tree; place in the bamboo basket and store in a well-ventilated place under normal room temperature. Harvested fruits are also bought by middlemen at farmgate prices. Allow the fruit to ripen, or wait until it has softened and the skin has turned slightly yellowish, before home consumption or selling to factories for processing.
Market guide. Venturing into large-scale production of guayabano may not be profitable for the first year since the trees do not bear fruit yet. Profits come in only after three or four more harvest seasons. This could, however, be offset by intercropping the orchard during the first three years and even the when the trees have started to bear fruit.
by: DOST
