Cashew Cultivation in Nigeria

• Cashew production is presented
• The Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) belongs to the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae

Taxonomy of the Cashew Tree

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order: Sapindales
• Family: Anacardiaceae
• Genus: Anacardium
• Species: A. occidentale

Introduction to Cashew

• Cashew is native to tropical America, including Mexico, Peru, Brazil, and the West Indies
• The Portuguese introduced it to India and Brazil 15 centuries ago for afforestation and soil conservation
• Cashew has become a major foreign exchange earner, second only to tea and coffee
• A Cashew Nut is one of the most important nuts globally

History of Cashew in Nigeria

• Cashew history in Nigeria dates back to the 15th century
• It was initially used for afforestation to control erosion in Eastern Nigeria
• Commercial cashew plantations started in Nigeria in the early 1950s in Oghe, Oji, and Mbala
• Plantations were developed by the defunct Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC), Iwo, Eruwa, and Upper Ogun, by the defunct Western Nigeria Development Corporation (WNDC)
• Cashew planting spread to other parts of Nigeria, especially the Central and Northern States
• Research on cashew production started at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan, in 1971
• CRIN introduced a Brazilian cashew biotype with improved nut and kernel quality, increasing the crop's spread and popularity in Nigeria

Climatic Requirements

• Cashew is a tropical plant that thrives in high temperatures
• Young plants are sensitive to frost
• Cashew distribution is limited to altitudes up to 700 m above mean sea level where the temperature does not fall below 20°C for long periods
• Ideal growing areas range from 20 to 30°C temperature and 1000 - 2000 mm annual precipitation
• Temperatures above 36°C between flowering and fruiting can affect fruit setting and retention
• Heavy rainfall throughout the year is not favorable
• Cashew needs a climate with a well-defined dry season of at least four months for optimal yields
• Excessive rainfall and high humidity during flowering cause flower/fruit drop
• Cashew is also drought resistant

Edaphic Requirements

• Cashew grows better on well-drained soils, with adequate care
• The best soils are deep, well-drained sandy loams without a hard pan
• Pure sandy soils can sustain cashew, though mineral deficiencies are likely
• Water stagnation and flooding are not ideal for cashew growth
• Heavy clay soils with poor drainage and soils with a pH over 8.0 are unsuitable
• Alkaline and saline soils do not support growth, while Red sandy loam, lateritic soils, and coastal sands with slightly acidic pH are best

Planting Material

• Vegetative propagation can provide higher yield, sooner
• Grafting, budding, and layering have been tried in cashew with varied success
• Amongst different vegetative methods, soft wood grafting has been found suitable giving 60 % success
• Fresh seeds that sink in water are planted upright, in sterile soil
• The plant bags should be 350 to 400 mm deep,
• Nuts should weigh between 8 and 9 g with a density of not less than 1,0

Grafting

• Self and cross-pollination are important for cashew propagation
• Seedlings can however vary greatly
• Selected trees are prefer the use of grafting or air layering as vegetative propagation ensures better final production and quality

Criteria for Cashew Tree Selection

• Trees that fruit early, and grow vigorously
• Trees with yellow to grey-brown apples have displayed the most resistance against anthracnose, and are associated with the best production

Grafting Techniques

• Side grafting and wedge grafting are successful
• Grafting should start as soon as possible after the tree seedlings are 3-4 months old
• Grafted trees should be planted out in the orchard quickly to keep the tap-root from bending

Preparing the Land

• Thorough ploughing and leveling of agricultural lands
• Jungles should be cleared well in advance and the debris burnt on forest lands
• Land preparation should be completed before the rainy season or between May and June

Spacing and Planting Systems

• A 7.5m x 7.5m or 8m x 8m spacing is recommended for cashew, resulting in 175-156 trees per hectare
• High-density planting at 4m x 4m resulting in 625 trees per hectare may be used
• A final spacing of 8m x 8m can be reached by thinning in stages
• Level sites it would be advantageous to plant cashew at 10m x 5m resulting in density of 200 trees per ha
• Growing inter-crops during the initial years of establishment

Digging and Filling of Pits

• Digging of pits should be completed in advance with the best time being May-June which is 15-20 days prior transplanting
• Cashew can be planted in 60cm x 60cm x 60cm pits for normal strata soils
• Hard lateritic soils require 1m x 1m x 1m pits
• Keep topsoil and subsoil are kept apart withering under the sun
• This helps in preventing termites and ants
• Burning debris and forest wastes in pits is advantageous
• Fill pits: Topsoil, compost (5 kg) or poultry manure (2 kg), and rock phosphate (200 g)
• Mitigation of soil-borne diseases: Benzene hexachloride (BHC) at 100g/ pit is also added

Application of Manures and Fertilizers

• Limited manure or fertilizer use is needed for Cashew
• Organic matter in the soil will ensure better yield
• 10-15 kg of farmyard manure per plant for optimal performance of soil
• Mature cashew trees, the fertilizers should be 500 g N, 125 g P2O5, 125g K 2 O per tree each year

Weed Control

• Weeding essential around tree trunks within 2 meters
• The rest of orchard slashed at least two times a year
• Apply 2-4 D with 4 ml per litre of water followed by Grammoxone at 5ml per litre of water if the growth is too dense
• 400 litres of spray is required to cover of hectare

Training and Pruning

• During the initial phase of orchard establishment, rootstock shoots are removed
• Young trees should be trained for the first 3 years to ensure uniform canopies
• Training in the juvenile phase: Removal of Basal branches and water shoots
• Plants are trained to a single stem and branches about 0.75-1m from ground level; also remove the deformed branches the first few years
• Staking the trees to provide support
• Cutting off main stem/topping at 4-5m from the ground
• Operations: Terracing, weeding, fertilizer use, nut collection, and stem/root borer control

Pruning

• Pruning should be from August-September
• Unwanted growth that impacts the canopy should be removed every 3 years
• Encouraging new growth
• De-blossoming should be done, due to the effect of fruiting is only encouraged from the third year

Pests and Disease Control

• More than 60 insect pest species have been identified in cashew
• The major cashew pests: tea mosquito bugs, stem/root borers, leaf miners, leaf and blossom webbers and flower thrips
• Controlling Tea bug population on cashew trees will manage the crop in its entirety

Pest Control

• Hosts: Neem, drumstick, cocoa, guava, etc.
• Spray at flushing, flowering, and fruiting stage using three sprays of endosulfan or monocrotophos (0.05 %) for first and second sprays and carbaryl (0.15 %) for the third spray

Harvesting Nuts

• Bearing starts after the third year of planting
• Full production occurs by the tenth year
• The economic life of a tree is roughly 25 years
• The main harvesting season: February to May
• Harvesting can be too early to prevent pilferage, but this leads to poor quality kernels

Optimal Nut Harvesting

• Nuts should have dropped to the ground
• Fresh fallen nuts should be separated and sun dried between 2-3 days
• Drying should provide a moisture percentage of around 25% and 9%
• This drying process helps to retain the flavor and quality of the kernels

Harvesting Cashew Apples for Processing

• Harvesting should be completed quickly to prevent damage
• Mature nuts should be harvested weekly
• Daily harvests apply to fresh nuts to provide to markets

Yield

• 92% of trees yield by the third planting year
• 2 kg at 3-5 years, 4 kg at 6-10 years, and 5-10 kg at 11-15 years old
• Trees yield in excess of 10 kg in its later years

Processing

• Drying
• Roasting
• Shelling
• Removal of testa
• Grading
• Packaging

Uses of Cashew Nuts

• Cashew nuts are the most versatile due to being nutrient rich
• Used in cocktail parties and bakeries
• Kernels are low in carbs but high in protein, fats, and vitamins
• Kernel is superior to almond and olive oil

Other Uses for Cashews

• Asian style cooking
• Nut spreads like cashew butter
• High in oil
• 180 calories/ounce (6 calories gram), with 70% fat

The Cashew Apple

• Juicy, acidic pulp, which can be eaten raw to make jams, chutneys, or drinks
• High in vitamin C
• Rarely used

More Applications for Cash Apple

• Tasty juice drink containing lime, grapes, or pineapple
• High in tannin
• Perishable, and is discarded

CNSL Industrial Uses

• Automobile/Airplane brake fluid
• Adhesives/Paints/Varnishes
• Insecticides
• Electrical Insulation
• Antimicrobial

CNSL Alternative

• Resins and gums protect against home invaders on wood, books, or flooring

Fractioned CNSL

• Fractioned like crude oil
• solids like friction particle for brake linings
• Amber colored liquid for marine/flooring markets

Traditional and Modern Medicine

• Leaves, bark, and cashew products used in teas
• Teas treat skin infections, diahrea, warts, and parasitic larvae from skin
• Contains active ingredients tannins, anacardic acid, and cardol
• Shell and fruit used as peels
• Supplies 5x vitmain C compared to citrus/strawberries

Nutritional Value

• Nut:47% fat, 21% protein, and 22% carbohydrate
• Essential vitamins like thiamine are contained
• Complete proteins: All essential amino acids

Economic Potential

• N23 billion from 120,000 metric tons annually
• Provides income to 300,000 families
• Creates 600,000 jobs
• 80% Nigeria raw exports to India

Cashew Value Chain

• Value chain definition: Set of value adding activities a particular product passes through from production till it is delivered to the final consumer
• Cashew nut value is producing, processing, and distributing from farm to owner
• Several stages of economic value add to make nut acceptable to export market.

Stages of Value Chain for Cashew

• Producers/Farmers
• Harvesters/Collectors
• Shelling
• Drying
• Sorting
• Roasting
• Wholesales
• Processors
• Retailers
• Exporters
• Consumers
• Agrochemical Sellers
• Byproduct Producers

Value Addition Strategies

• Flavoring, seasoning, packaging makes unique markets
• Continuous research via development effort. Improves cultivation.

Explore the optimal conditions for cashew tree growth, crucial historical factors for cashew plantations, and strategies to enhance cashew production. Consider the most influential environmental factors for cashew plantation location, and effective strategies based on Nigeria's cashew farming history.