Field Establishment of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) Transplants as Affected by Nursery Periods

Field establishment of cashew has been seriously hampered by long delay in the nursery. This has led to transplanting of overgrown seedlings resulting in high transplant mortality, especially during the first dry season on the field. The experiment was set up to study field establishment of cashew transplants as affected by the nursery periods. Four nursery periods were tried. These were cashew transplanted at 3, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after sowing (WAS). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block with three replicates. Records were taken on morphological parameters and survival percentage of the transplants till fruiting. Cashew seedlings transplanted at 12 WAS had better morphological plant parameters compared to other transplants. At 3 months after transplanting (MAT), cashew transplants of 12 WAS were 172.6%, 93.7% and 38.5% taller than transplants of 3, 4 and 8 WAS, respectively and the differences were significant (P < 0.05). Similarly, seedlings transplanted at 12 WAS had 245.4%, 151.9% and 99.4% more leaves than those of 3, 4 and 8 WAS at 3 MAT, respectively. However, the survival percent of cashew seedlings transplanted at 12 WAS were 66.7% followed by that of 3 WAS with 75.0% within 12 MAT. No transplant mortality was incurred in seedlings transplanted at 4 and 8 WAS up to 12 MAT. For optimum growth and high survival rate, transplanting cashew seedlings between 4 and 8 WAS will be encouraged so as to have high plant stands, thereby, reducing supply in the following planting season.