JACKFRUIT PRODUCTION GUIDE

It is an off-season fruits. The producer can remove all the flowers that appear in December and January. New flowers will come out in July or August can be harvested in November and December. To produce multiple trunks, usually six or more main branches, the main trunk is cut 50 centimeters above the ground. This is to encourage the formation of multiple branches. This open the center of the tree for better light penetration and air movement. During maturity, regular pruning is carried out to remove sprouts and diseased branches. Some of the trees are top cut higher than one meter above the ground and branches are formed spreading all around. All the big branches are potential bearers.

It needs adequate water to develop properly, especially during the first few years from planting. At the same time, it requires good drainage. During the first two years, watering should be done regularly because jack fruit is sensitive to water stress. The plants should be watered whenever a 1cm depth of the soil surface around it become dry. Water is also needed during its mature stage to promote heavy flowering and fruit set. Adequate moisture is also needed for proper fruit development and for better quality fruits.

There are instances when there is overcrowding of fruits. Some of the fruits may be harvested when they are still young and sold for vegetable purposes. When the excess fruits are thinned out, the remaining fruits will develop more properly.

While the fruit tree grows in almost all kinds of soil, high yields are obtained in well-drained, deep, alluvial soils. It is planted at a distance of either 8m x 8m or 10m x 10m The plants are either inter-crop with other fruit trees or planted as a mono crop.

It is recommended that the application of 11 kilos of chemical fertilizer per tree of bearing age annually. This amount is split into three applications. Four kilos of 9-24-24 are applied before flowering: 4 kilos of 15-15-15 after fruits setting: and 3 kilos of 8-24-24 a month before fruit maturity.

The above fertilizers are supplemented by the application of decayed animal manure at the rate of 30 to 50 kilos per tree per year. Foliar fertilizer (10-52-15), is also sprayed three times a year at a fruiting stage.

Fruit borer and fruitfly are common pests of jackfruit. The damage of these pests could be controlled by bagging the fruits individually when they are about 250 to 300 grams. Leafhopper is controlled by insecticides. The most destructive disease of jackfruit is phytophthora which attacks from the ground. The disease can be treated with fungicides.

The disease can also be minimized by wider spacing, removal of low-growing branches, regular weeding, and keeping the trees well-nourished and adequately watered.