STUDIES ON CASHEWNUT AIR-LAYERS I. USE OF DIFFERENT DECOMPOSABLE CONTAINERS AND POTTING MIXTURES AS AIDS IN MAXIMISING FIELD SURVIVAL AND ESTABLISHMENT

Planting the layers along with the decomposable containers in which they were raised viz., coconut husk pot and straw pot gave 86 and 62.3 per cent field survival respectively as against the survival rate of 32.6 per cent from the usual method of transplanting from clay pot. The different potting mixtures had no effect of transplanting from clay pot. The different potting mixtures had no effect on improving the field survival of cashew air-layers.

The use of coconut husk pot apart from securing the highest field survival also proved to be a favourable medium for the better initial growth of young plants in the field. In the final analysis the use of coconut husk pot was found to be cheaper as well as practicable for the cultivator to establish cashew plantation, with air-layers.