Varieties of Guava

 

Guava: Guava belongs to the genus Psidium. This genus contains about 150 species. The genus Psidium guava is cultivated in our country.

Guava is native to tropical America. It has spread rapidly from Peru to Mexico. Currently, guava is cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions. The most important producing countries are India, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Leyland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hawaii, Philippines and Florida. The optimum growing temperature for guava is 23-28°C, but mature trees can tolerate up to 45°C.

Guava is the most important source of vitamin C and pectin. Guava contains 80-83% moisture, 2.45% acid, 3.5-4.45% reducing sugars, 3.97-5.23% non-reducing sugars, 9.73-14.23% TSS, 0.48% potassium and 260 mg vitamin C per 100 g of edible beverage (Rahim, 2008). However, the nutrient content varies depending on the variety, season, ripeness, etc. Guavas can be eaten either green or ripe. The fresh fruits are used in salads, puddings, etc. Guavas can be processed to make jams, jellies, juices, pickles, and ice cream. Tea can be made from guava leaves.

Guava is a medium-tall (2-10 m) tree with shallow roots. Flowers are borne singly or in umbels (groups of 2-3 flowers) from the leaf axils. Flowering lasts 25-45 days during the productive season. Flowers are hermaphroditic and are often air or insect pollinated. About 80-86% of flowers set fruit, but the initial abscission of the flower usually occurs so that only 50-60% of the fruits eventually mature. The immature fruits are green but turn yellow when ripe.

Temperature has a significant effect on flowering. High temperatures promote dehiscence of the flowers and fruit. Dry weather is preferable during flowering. Guavas grow well in moderate sun or partial shade. Flowering is strongest in summer and less in autumn, but may occur out of season (January-March) if irrigation conditions are good.

Rain is one of the most important factors for guava production. Ideally, 100 cm of rainfall is received throughout the year for guava cultivation. Guava can be grown in any type of soil, but loam to sandy loam soils that are well-drained and rich in organic matter perform best. For productivity, the soil must be well moist. The optimum pH is 4.2 to 8.2.

Propagation Guava can be propagated both sexually and asexually. Plants grown from seeds do not show maternal characteristics and fruiting is delayed. Vegetative propagation by mossing, grafting and budding is also possible without problems. To generate rhizomes, seeds must be collected from ripe fruits and sown in beds. It is better to grow seeds in plastic bags. Soaking the seeds in water for 2-3 days will speed up germination by almost a week.

Varieties There are many varieties around the world. And in our country you can find many varieties: small, large, round, elongated, oval, pear-shaped, with white or red flesh. A brief description of some varieties:

Kaji Piyara This variety was collected in Thailand around the 1980s and was called Kaji Piyara. The fruit is elongated, the flesh is crisp, slightly sour and tasty. The seeds are hard and numerous. The average fruit weight is 500g.

Saupukanti This variety is widely grown in Saupukanti area of ​​Barisal district. Medium sized tree, fruit oval to round, slightly rough surface. Flesh is white, very sweet and soft, few seeds.

`Kanchanagar This variety is grown in Kanchanagar area of ​​Chittagong district. It has fewer seeds compared to other varieties. The fruit is pear shaped, full of flesh and very tasty.

FTIP BAU Piyara 1 

(Misty) This variety was collected at the BAU campus. It is a semi-dwarf variety which bears regularly throughout the season. The fruit is round, shiny and very sweet with soft seeds. No diseases or pests were detected at the BAU Germplasm Centre (Rahim, 2008).

FTIP BAU Piyara 2 

(Ranga) Semi-dwarf, normally fruiting variety. Fruits are almost round to elliptical, yellowish green, red flesh, large (300-600g), crisp and sweet, rough surface, medium hard seeds. Popular with everyone due to red flesh and high yield.

FTIP BAU Piyara 3 

(Chaudhuri) Local collection. Fruits are round, greenish yellow, reddish pink flesh, medium crisp, sweet, soft seeds, few seeds. This variety is attractive, sweet and tasty. No diseases or pests were detected.

FTIP BAU Piyara 4 

(Apple) Fruit round to oval, glossy green, smooth surface, attractive, soft, sweet in taste, seeds medium hard. Fruit fly infestation. This variety is attractive, tasty and high yielding.

BAU Piyala 5

FTIP BAU Piyala 5 (Oval) Collected overseas. Fruits are round and dome-shaped, flesh is white, seeds are soft, crunchy, very sweet and aromatic. Plant spreads like an umbrella. Average fruit weight is 300.5g. No diseases or pests detected. Fruit is produced in both seasons.

FTIP BAU Piyala 6 

(jelly) Origin: Hawaii. Jams and jellies are made from this variety due to its high pectin content. The flesh is bright red. Fruit size is 120-250g. Elongated attractive fruits, soft chewy seeds, very sour. No diseases or pests mentioned. Fruits are produced in both seasons.

Apart from these, other varieties like Mukandapuri, Angur, IPSA, BARI Piyra 2 and 3, Syedi, Allahabad, L-49, Cherry and Kashi are also cultivated in Bangladesh.

Cultivation Method: As with other fruits, plant before rainy season at seed size 75-100cm with spacing 4-5m. Hexagonal crystal system should be used. 25-30 kg of well decomposed cow dung should be added to each hole 3 weeks before planting. Urea, TSP, MP (100 g per pit) should also be given 1 week before planting. The best time to plant is during the rainy season, but plants in polythene bags can be planted any time of the year. After planting, the soil should be mounded up a little around the base of the plant to prevent water retention. After planting, support and protection are essential. Depending on the age of the plant, the amount of fertilizer and fertilizer should increase.