Chayote is one of the oldest vegetables that have originated and been cultivated. It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is considered an edible vegetable. Chayote is also known as christophine, pianola, pear squash, and vegetable pear. Chayote is the perennial vine, and its plant originated in Central America. It is an annual plant whose crop thrives in temperate climates. However, it grows well in cool areas as well. You can eat every part of the chayote squash. You can use the chayote for medical purposes also.
Process of Chayote Squash
You need to know the crucial factor to help in profitable commercial chayote squash farming when you start a plant. We can provide relevant information about more reliable tractors in chayote squash farming. You can use the John deere tractor and many others, which aids in chayote squash cultivation. Here we are describing information about starting and operating successful chayote farming.
Soil and climate Requirements
You should choose well-drained soil for the growth of chayote. Moreover, you can use the more oolitic limestone soil to produce a better yield. For growing chayote squash plants, you should keep the pH value of soil 6.0-6.8. Chayote plants can grow in the lowlands, but you can grow them successfully in tropical areas. It is a tropical plant and requires an optimum temperature of 27˚C – 29˚C for chayote plant growth. In addition, the crop needs bright sunlight for growth.
Land preparation and Planting
You should remove weeds and stones from the land before preparing the land. You should prepare the land well by mixing manure with soil. Farmers should prepare shallow 1 sq. foot wide holes and keep the distance between the holes 3 m between rows and hills. To make the soil fertile, you should supply the land with organic fertiliser. You should sow the seeds on one hill, leaving 1/3 of the seed exposed. In the rainy season, you should plant so that much irrigation is not required.
Propagation method
You can do the chayote plant propagation through the seeds. The chayote seeds generally germinate inside the fruit, which is fully mature. It is customary to keep the fruit sprout, but some people remove it to consume it as a fruit.
Manure and Fertilisation Method
Organic manure should be in the form of chicken manure or compost manure. While doing side dressing of the plant, you should apply basal fertilizer at the rate of 3-5 tonnes per hectare. Triple 14 or Triple 16 should be applied at the rate of 2 bags per hectare, or organic manure should be used for good growth and development of the crop. You should also raise the soil to cover and support the base of the plants and fertilizers applied to them.
Irrigation Methods in Growing Chayote Squash
Farmers require more water for chayote plants. Therefore, you should do the planting in a place where the water is abundant, and there can be constant irrigation. You should have the amenities of draining water in the plant as soon as possible. You should grow the crop in the rainy season to have no problem with irrigation. The amount of irrigation is usually high during the summer season.
Flowering and Fruiting
The fruiting and flowering occur naturally. This falls when it is ripe and completely rots in some days. The squash seed does not develop roots and starts germinating like other fruit crops. You should cut the fruit from the tree and keep the fruit in a damp and dark place to develop new buds and new leaves from it. Without any specific place for germination, the chayote fruit has a great ability for the best germination. For example, leaving the fruit at a warm temperature starts tending the shoot and begins to thrive after some days.
Intercultural Methods
Weed control:
- Weed control in the field also helps prevent other pests in the field. You can use some measures for weed control.
- We must use pre-emergent herbicides before planting seedlings to kill emerging weeds.
- The grass around the crop should be killed, but it should not damage the crop. We should choose herbicides in the same way.
- Crop rotation is also helpful, and you can remove the weeds manually.
- If necessary, use the contact herbicides before the plants start to spread.
De-leafing
You should remove all the dry and old leaves every 3 months. This makes the tree produce young, which is helpful in plant growth for good food production and light reception. In addition, you should remove the plants which are infected with diseases or any other virus.
Need the Equipment in the Chayote Squash Cultivation
When you want to get information about chayote farming, you should also know the tools that will help in increasing the yield. Rotavators, cultivators, and tractors are essential in chayote farming. However, of all the equipment, the tractor is the most important. That’s why we recommend the Kubota tractor for chayote cultivation in India.
For further information regarding chayote squash farming, stay tuned with us.