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Saturday, October 15, 2011

Ultra High Density Mango (UHD) planting complete!

We started our mango planting on Oct 11, 2011 and once again the sun god was cooperative enough to make the process fairly comfortable. A total of 10 acres was planted using this innovative cultivation technique promoted by Jain irrigation. The spacing grid we followed was 3m x 3m.

In retrospect, UHD land preparation had its own share of challenges.
Due to the close spacing, moving around within the plot was not easy after the 3 ft x 3ft x 3 ft pits were dug by a JCB (do not even think digging by manpower! ). We ultimately dozed every alternate mound of mud so that the terrain could be more accessible (this is something we should have done in the first place, transporting the soil elsewhere by a tractor).
Secondly, due to higher number of pits, the requirement for farm inputs like FYM, vermicompost is huge! So if you are not in a position to procure enough inputs, I would not recommend this farming technique.

Crossing these mini mountain ranges was not fun. Gravel soil made the area very slippery and manuring was next to impossible..











So we hired a JCB to doze down every alternate mound off soil.














..and in the process our tractor driver learnt a lesson or two about skillful driving between the pits!














After the initial manuring of FYM, Vermicompost and coir pith manure (15 Kg total), all pits were covered and peg marked.

Ready for peg marking..


















On planting day, we had 6-7 teams of 2 members working in parallel, in addition to 3-4 more people who helped with the logistics and transportation of saplings from nursery to the field.

Mango is susceptible to root rot during heavy rains. So we made a drum full of Bavistin solution (2 gm/L of water) and saplings were immersed in it before planting.











We did not apply any FYM during planting but added 200 g of Neemcake (fertilizer cum insecticide) and 100 g of Single Super Phosphate (enhances root growth)











Planting in process..

















..and 5 days later we completed 10 acres of UHD - approx 4500 saplings.

















UHD method of cultivation involves continuous pruning once the saplings reach 1-1.5 m height. I will provide more info when we get to it. For now, all of us are thrilled that we were able to achieve our objectives in relatively good time. Having completed phase 1 of the project, we will be taking a break for a few weeks before we commence the next phase.

61 comments:

  1. Hi,

    Pls let us know about the mango saplings
    1) Mango verity?
    2) How much each mango sapling.

    Best Regards
    Srini

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations on completing first phase! I am following your journey for a while now. You are a great inspiration for guys like me who are interested to take up Ag but waiting in sidelines.

    What kind of mango are you planting?

    Just curious, why you decided to plant melia dubia instead of teak, red sandalwood, rose wood, coconut etc.

    While doing some research, I figured guava may be more profitable than mango. What is your opinion. I am not sure Guava can be planted in UHD form.

    Again, Great inspiration! Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. great work on updating Blog with Audi trial and encouraging experience

    appreciate your time in putting all pieces together

    Thank you
    Rag

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi
    CONGRTAS...

    From where did u source mango splings.. Is it tissue culture plants from Jain udumalpet

    best wishes
    ramesh

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hai,

    First of all say Congrats, Goodwork Done. Iam the follower of your blog. very much impressed.

    with regards
    Moorthy.R

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Can you give cost working for pits you had made in terms of utilizing JCB. How much it costs for operation to dig and refill per pit.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Srini - We have planted Imampasand, Alphonso and Banganpalli. Rates ranged from Rs 30-40 per sapling.

    Raja - We have planted Imampasand, Alphonso and Banganpalli. Gestation for Teak, sandalwood etc is very long. I can wait 6 years or so, 20 years would be a stretch for me :) Coconut is a good choice too but is a water hogger. Gueava can be planted in UHD. Check Jain site for it. Gauava is highly perishable, moreover remuneration from Mango is attractive if you market it in right channels.

    Ramesh - You can call me at 9445076595 or mail me for mango suppliers..

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cost of digging was approx Rs 22/ pit and refilling was about Rs 11/pit. This is with a JCB rate of Rs 575/hr.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How many mango sapling are planted for 1 acres for using UHD method

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mahesh,
    430 plants can be planted in 1 acre with a 10 x 10 ft spacing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      a really good piece of info. Me too in process of getting agri land .

      Just one question : a spacing of 10 x 10 ft is enough for mangos ?

      I recently visited farm of my relative in maharashtra and he did it with 20 x 20 spacing .

      A 10 x 10 spacing gives just 20ft distance between mango trees. I did tried to check jain website but could not find how exactly reducing distance alone can yield so many benefits.

      I could see jains website says "Special techniques of training and pruning" is used.
      Frankly speaking I am confused what exactly is UHD, is it only about reducing spacing ?

      Delete
    2. Prashant,
      10x10 ft is enough if you are doing UHD plantation.
      20x20 is not is not considered UHD. In fact, Jain Irrig recommends 3mx2m, which I feel is very ambitious. Hence, I am doing 3mx3m. This is just my personal choice. You can follow 3mx2m if you have the resources needed for 640 plants/acre.
      UHD is about planting trees in close spacing, so that you can have more plants per acre, smaller canopy for easy management, higher yield per acre and saves water, labor and resources. It involves continuous pruning to keep the canopy small.

      Delete
  12. Kaustub,

    Have you worked out the cost economics for mango using UHD? if yes, can I call you to get some information?

    regards,
    Brijesh

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Brijesh,
    I was wanting to this for a long time, thanks for the reminder. Give me a call next week, I should have it ready by then.

    ReplyDelete
  14. do you want the templates for this? I have the organic mango model project pack for tamil nadu (the data is out dated I think but the tables and all seem fine).

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes, please go ahead. It will be good check if I have missed something.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  17. (I managed to delete my last comment somehow so here it is again.)

    @ Nakul: Your blog is a Godsend for wannabe farmers like me. Just writing to say that JCB for pit digging may be overkill and expensive. A tractor mounted pit digger will do the job for much less @ 4000 pits / day.

    @ other interested in Ultra High Density Mango plantation, there's a great introductory video.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manu,
      Thanks for the info and link. I suspect this machine would be ideal where cultivation has been done before. It may not work as well for virgin lands. Moreover, for orchard trees, typically 3x3x3 ft pits are dug. This machine has a depth and width constrain at 2 ft and 1.5 ft respectively.
      Nonetheless, I think it is a good find for smaller trees which require smaller pits.
      Thanks for the videos.

      Delete
    2. Sir, I tried to watch this video but it says "This video is private". I stay outside India. Can I have an alternative way of watching this video.

      Delete
  18. @Techie2Aggie,
    Let's first appreciate your contribution to the aggri enthusiasts.
    I would like to ask you few queries. What is your estimations on profits and expenses over a period of 20 yrs between traditional mango growing and UHDP?

    If possible can you pl pop up a spread sheet differentiating both the methods?

    Thanks in Advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks to govt schemes like MNREGA, labour is becoming an issue. I am not sure if we will still be in business 20 years hence.

      As far as profitability is concerned, it really depends how revenue can be enhanced by innovative methods of marketing the produce and cutting expenses by mechanization and good practices.

      According to Jain, avg yield in traditional is below 1 ton per acre whereas in UHDP, it is 3-4 tons+ per acre.
      Unfortunately, there are so many variables in Agri, a spreadsheet of numbers can be deceptive and disappointing. Talk to people who are really doing it and accordingly draw your conclusions. It will take us another 3-4 years before we can share our experience.

      Delete
  19. Hello Everyone

    Great initative !

    I have a 12x12 mix variety trial plot that is 5 years old. I will be planting 7x2.5 next time on .The trick to get good yields is never to go for a single variety.Have at least 10% of your orchard with other varieties,a cocktail of varieties in the 10% is ideal the other varieties should be ideally planted spread out in your orchard.Pollination shall be better and thus also yields.

    For all the High density lovers ,the best method I have tried and found is planting root stock in-situ and then grafting in the 2nd year.A good strong tap root makes a lot of difference.

    All this is first hand expereince from a Horticulturist and a Food technologist supplemented by 2 generations of Fruit growing expereince.

    Hope this helps.

    Regards

    Rubin Parekh
    rubinkiritparekh@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rubin,
      We have planted every 11th line with another variety. Interesting point on the grafting technique you have mentioned - this is new to me.
      Do you have a site that you maintain?

      Delete
  20. Savera
    My name is Ravi, I am a techie working for Indian MNC at Hyderabad.
    I have been following blog for past year, very inspiring …. Thanks for your efforts in putting all your experiences. It has been great learning for me.
    We have 15 acre UHD (4X4) Dusheri farm planted in (2011)and recently we have ventured into Sheep farming in a small way to integrate with mango.
    I have a question reg. UHD

    Is Dusheri suitable for UHD plantation?



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any Mango variety should be suitable for UHD until the returns of the produce justify the extra investment in this form of cultivation.

      Delete
  21. Hi Everyone

    My name is siddharth I am a dairy farmer (managing the hard size of 250 cattle ) and also doing sugarcane farming in 75 acre with drip irrigation.
    i am planning to make a commercial orchard with various verities of fruits which are suitable for my land (climate and soil wise) i am currently planning for 100 acre virgin land and which can be further increased to 250 acre.
    it would be really helpful for me if anyone can explain few queries that i have (thanks in advance)

    1) the cost economics for UHDP (ultra high density plantation) in mango, guava, citrus and pomegranate.

    2) Is it possible to grow olives in india (sub-tropical region)?

    3) climate and soil requirements for these fruits

    4)where can we obtain the best quality of seed/ plants / tissue culture plants ?

    5)what are the subsidy available from the horticulture department for such kind of orchard ? (i am based in madhya pradesh )

    6)what is the cost for fencing ?

    once again Great inspiration thanks for sharing

    kind regards
    Siddharth Agnihotri
    agnihotrisiddhartha@gmail.com
    +918989763009

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi,
    I live in Maharashtra. I want to plant an one acre of land under UHD technique for mango plantation. I want to know whether the Jain Irrigation are supplying the saplings or some one other.

    Waiting for your reply

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe they have started producing saplings from this year. You may want to email agriudt@jains.com, attn Amol Chaudhary. You can give my reference.

      Delete
    2. How has the journey of UHD been for you over these past few years have you been satisfied with the overall progress

      Delete
  23. can I see the latest photos of your farm

    ReplyDelete
  24. hi
    i,m planning to do uhd mango plantation on 1acre of land, would u tell me the costing for it please, as i am very much interested

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dear sir,
    How long you immerse the sapling in Bavistin solution before you plant?

    For Neemcake and Phosphate, are you immerse or put with the sapling when you plant ?
    Thanks,
    Boren

    ReplyDelete
  26. Bavistin dipping is done for a couple of seconds. Neemcake is included in the initial manuring..

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great information. We are on the similar path too. We have a 10 acre land in Tamilnadu and want to start UHD mango plantation. I have also contacted Jain irrigation. Did you you guys do any soil testing?

    Regards
    Suresh

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yes, we did soil testing across the plots.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Techhie2aggie. I am SJK Nath working as "New Business Scouter" for a family owned company. Appereciations for you nice new efforts. My query is in case the soil has an alkalinity of 8.9 to 9.5 is it ift for UHD mango plantation? Did you fence your land or you are relying on natural fencing like cactus or Auri plantations?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think 9+ maybe too alkaline, however you can neutralize the alkanity. Yes, entire farm is chain linked.

      Delete
  30. Hi,
    Can any one send me full detail of the project + per acre cost estimate of the project to jain02anshu@gmail.com

    Thanks in advance

    Dr. Ankit

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi,
    We finally decided to plant our first acre. We did the soil and water sampling. Today we moved in the farm yard manure (15 tons). Next step Pit digging. We are also advised by Jain irrigation . We were told to keep the 1st bucket (may be 1/2 a bucket) separately as this is surface soil. This mixed with FYM should go in first during pit filling. Any tips on pit digging with JCB?


    Regards
    Suresh

    ReplyDelete
  32. Please go through the Mango posts, details are provided. We dug 3 ft deep pits. I did not keep half bucket separate as it was a tedious process.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can you please give your contacts.i want to visit yr farm.

      Delete
  33. Hi All,

    We completed Pit digging and filling on our 1st test acre. We did 675 pits. We used some innovation in JCB use and were able to get one pit at Rs.16/-. Thanks for the information on this blog. It really helped. Here is a video we took on pit digging.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gX71-mvPII&feature=youtu.be

    Regards
    Suresh

    ReplyDelete
  34. pl try Pusa verities
    Go to Icar site
    great blog
    regds

    ReplyDelete
  35. DEAR SIR,
    I AM MANGO FARMER FROM DEVGAD, SINDHUDURG OF MAHARASHTRA. I WISH TO VISIT HIGH DENSITY KESAR MANGO PLANTATION TO LEARN PRUNNING AND ANOTHER TECHNIQUES.PLEASE GUIDE ME PROVIDE SOME ADRESSES OF PROGRESSIVE FARMERS FOR SAME. THANK YOU

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi
    Iam younus from andra Pradesh.I own 15 acres of land and planning to cultivate uhd mango plantation.its almost 4 yrs since you started your plantation I wish to know how the farm has shaped out .

    ReplyDelete
  37. Aloha from Hawaii. I am going to plant uhd mango soon and was wondering how your mango is doing. It must be fruiting. What are some major challenges you have met. Is powdery mildew an issue

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Kindly let me know who is in charge in Chittor dist in AndhraPradesh
    for UHD Mango plantation

    ReplyDelete
  39. It was very useful to us.


    Now send us the phase 2 information about plantation

    ReplyDelete
  40. I would like to put sandlewood and apple ber alernative row in UHD method.please suggest the spacing method and rise bed in UHD method.you r reply is very important for the decision making.
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  41. I would like to put sandlewood and apple ber alernative row in UHD method.please suggest the spacing method and rise bed in UHD method.you r reply is very important for the decision making.
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Dears,

    Can you please give your contact.

    Chengal.rayan@yahoo.com
    +91 8680983992

    ReplyDelete
  43. This is Mohamid from Saudi Arabia, is there any chance to cooperate with to introduce this Ultra High Density Mango (UHD) planting, to Saudi Arabia, starting with our farm, which we usually use old ways of mango plantation?
    If yes kindly contact me by email: mohamid5@hotmail.com
    Thanks
    Mohamid Alobaidi

    ReplyDelete
  44. @Mr Tecchie2aggie,
    Kindly share me your contact number. Would like to know more about the UDHP mango farming.

    Regards,
    Vishal.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi sir,

    Can you provide contact details of jain arigation person who is helping for UHDP for mango. Can they provide their service for BIHAR.
    Regards
    Keshaw

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hello,
    I have dug trench on 12 feet dist. and I am planting at 12 Feet X 5 Feet distance. Now I am refilling the trench again and then digging pits with augur. But before refilling trenches do i need to put thimate or forate, because Im planning to mix fertilizer only to the soil that will be dug by augur. Please guide and comment on same.

    ReplyDelete
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  48. https://www.jainfarmfresh.com/ultra-high-density-plantation-taking-mango-plantation-to-sweeter-heights/

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