Few steps on cashew cultivation

Climatic requirement:-
(a)It’s a hardy and drought resistant tropical crop
(b)Cashew requires moist, mild tropical climate
(c)Cashew can’t with stand extremely low temperature (less than 18 degree Celsius) and high temperature (more than 40 degree calcium) for a prolonged period.
(d)It performs generally well up to an altitude of 450 meters and satisfactory up to an altitude of 700 meters.
(e) Less than 60% relative humidity greatly affects the growth and productivity of cashew.
Soil conditions:
(a)Cashew can be grown on a variety of soils.
(b)It’s performance is good in well drained sadly loam and light coastal soil
(c)Heavy clay with poor drainage is not suitable
(d)Cashew is sensitive to water longing and to tolerant to soil moisture stress to a great extent.
Cashew propagation:
(a)Cashew can be propagated in following methods:
(i)Seed,
(ii)Stooling,
(iii)Epicotyls grafting and
(iv)Soft wood grafting
(v)Soft wood grafting is popular and advocated widely.
(vi) Stock is grown in nursery bed
Planting methods:
(a)Pits of 60 x 60 x 60 cm size are dug in the month of May –June
(b)Pits are filled with as follows :-
(i)Top soil
(ii)Compost  5 kg or
(iii)Poultry manure 2 kg and
(iv)Rock phosphate 200 g
©Grafted seedling are planted in the month of July to August
Spacing:
Various spacing methods are followed which are as follows:-
(a)7.5 m x 7.5 m or
(b)8 m x 8 m or
(c)4 m x 4 m
In case of 4 m x 4 m spacing method, thinning is done at later stage thereby maintaining spacing at 8m x 8m at tenth year.
Nutrition management:-
Fertilizer and manures are applied from 4th year of planting in following ways:-
(a)10 to 15 kg of FXM per plant / year
(b)500 g N(1.1 kg Urea,125 g K (208g muriate of potash per plant
(c)Fertilizer are applied in two split doses as
(i)May  to June (pre-monsoon)
(ii)September – October (post monsoon)
Flowering & fruiting:-
(a)Plants start flowering from second year on ward however; it’s prevented by removing the flower panickle
(b)Plants are allowed to flower from third year onward since economic production commences from third year.
© Cashew plant threes gives full production from tenth year and continues for another twenty years.
(d)During flowering & fruiting, following are noticed:-
(i)Heavy rain during flowering lead to poor fruit set.
(ii) High temperature causes fruit drop.

N:B: Actual package of practices may vary region to region, user is advised  to refer specific package of practices of local condition.