Fruit Crops Production

AGRICULTURE GRADE 12
UNIT 2

1 10/21/2024
 Contents

 Definition of some common terms

 Importance, problems and prospect of fruit
crops production in Ethiopia
 Classification of fruit crops
 Principles and techniques of fruit propagation
 Establishing a nursery
 Management of Orchards
 Factors influencing the quality of fruit crops
during
 harvest and post-harvest
 Floriculture and Landscaping

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 Learning Outcomes

Define common terms in fruit crops

 List the importance, problems and prospect of
fruit crops production in Ethiopia
Classify fruit crops
Explain the principles and techniques of fruit
propagation
 Describe the importance of planning to establish
fruit crops nursery site and the management of
orchards produce and manage some fruit
Crops in their school and/or home garden

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 Key terms in fruit production

 Fruit crop: is a perennial, edible plant cultivated for

its true botanical fruit.
 Fruit set: refers to the persistence and development
of an ovary after flowering
 Orchard: a farm land allocated for growing fruit crops
 Asexual propagation: is a vegetative reproduction
or propagation where fertilization is not involved in
the production of the crop.
 Chilling injury: injury from prolonged exposure to
low, non-freezing temperatures.
 Chilling injury affects tropical fruits.
 The injury results in discoloration, , and flesh
breakdown .
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 Importance of Fruit crop production in
Ethiopia

Fruits inexpensive source of energy.

They contain nutrients, minerals and
vitamins.
Fruit crops can be exported abroad.
 A vital role to play in the farmers’
livelihood.
 Enhances natural resource conservation
and maintenance.
 Basis for establishing agro processing
industries
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 Major fruit crops produced in the
country
Pineapples citrus fruits
 passion fruits Mandarin
 bananas  papaya,
 avocados  guava
 mangoes.  grapes

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 Problems of Fruit crops production in Ethiopia

Fruit production is relatively new to

Ethiopian agricultural system.
Most fruits produced in the household
gardens and commercial farms are recent
introductions into the country.
Their management is also new to
producers, merchants and consumers

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 Prospects of fruit crop production in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has diverse agro-ecologies,

ample water resources and cheap labor.
These can enhance fruit production in
the country.
 Also, Ethiopia is located close to the
Middle East and European markets.

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 Classification of fruit crops

 Can be classified on the basis of;

 Structure,
 Temperature requirement,
 Plant characteristic,
 Ripening response or response to ethylene.

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 Classification based on structure
 Fruits may be classified into three major groups
on the basis of the number of ovaries and flowers
involved in their formation.
 Simple fruit,
 Aggregate fruit
 Multiple fruit

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 Simple Fruits

Simple fruits develop from a single mature ovary in a

single flower.
Examples: apple, grape and citrus fruits.
Simple fruits can further be classified into the
following:
Pericarps the ripened and modified walls of a
plant ovary composed of
outer exocarp layer
middle mesocarp layer
inner endocarp layer
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 Cont…
A. Fleshy Fruits: pericarp fleshy at
maturity. Example: grapes, bananas
B.Dry Fruits: pericarp dry at maturity.
Example: coconut
C.Dehiscent fruits: These are examples of fruits
that split open when fully mature.
Example: silique
D. Indehiscent fruits: Indehiscent fruits do not split
open; they do not release seeds at maturity.
Example: Pome
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 Aggregate Fruits

Aggregate fruits consist of a number of

mature ovaries formed in a single flower .
Example: strawberry
Multiple fruits consist of the mature ovaries
of several flowers fairly united into a mass.
 Example: Pineapple

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 Classification of fruits based on their structure (a) simple
(apple, middle), (b) aggregate (strawberry, left) or (c) multiple (pineapple,

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 Classification based on
temperature requirement
 Tropical fruits: Tropical fruits are fruits which grow in
a year-round summer-like growing season without
freezing temperatures.
 Examples: Banana, pineapple, papaya, mango .
 Sub-tropical fruits: These fruit types cannot tolerate
severe winter temperatures; . Example: citrus,
figs/yasola zafe, and olives.
 Temperate fruits: require a cold winter season.
 They can survive temperatures considerably below a
freezing point.
 Examples are apples, cherries and peaches/yakoke
zafe

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 Classification based on ripening/ response to
ethylene

 Fruits can be divided into two groups:

Climacteric fruits and non-climacteric fruits.
 The classification is based on the regulatory
mechanisms underlying their ripening process.
Climacteric fruit: These fruits are
characterized by a ripening-associated increase
in respiration and in ethylene production.
The ethylene is the major trigger and
coordinator of the ripening process.
E.g. Tomato, Apple, Avocade ,Mango ,Banana.

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 Cont….
Non-climacteric fruits: are characterized
by very small of ethylene- associated
respiratory peak and the signaling
pathways that drive the ripening process
 e.g. Grape,orange and pineapple,olive .

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 Classification based on plant characteristics

Tree fruit: These are fruits produced on

trees like ,Peach/koki ,plum,
mango,citrus, Avocado ,guava ,mango,
coffee, apple, etc.
Small fruit: are fruits produced on
shrubs like blackberry,
Raspberry,blueberries, etc.

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 Principles and techniques of fruit propagation(Reading Assignment )

Crop plants can be propagated by

either:-
 Sexual methods or
 A sexual (vegetative) methods .

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 Sexual plant propagation

Sexual plant propagation is developing plant

from seed.
The method is also called seed propagation.
The seed is made up of three parts:
 the outerseed coat,
the endosperm and
the embryo.
The outer seed coat protects the seed.
The endosperm is a food reserve while
the embryo is the young plant itself.

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 Cont…
When a mature seed is exposed to a
favorable environment, it germinates and
begins its active growth.
Seed dormancy: A period during which seed
is not growing

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 Advantages of Sexual Plant Propagation

It is the easiest and least expensive

method of plant propagation
Seedling trees are hardier and have longer
life span
Allows propagation of plants which are
difficult to propagate by vegetative method
e.g. papaya, phalsa,
coconut, etc
Sexually propagated plants can be more
resistant to pests and disease

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 Disadvantages of Sexual Plant Propagation

 Seedlings take more time to bear fruits

(late bearing)
 Quality of existing plants cannot be
improved by sexual propagation
 Plants propagated sexually are large.
 This raises the cost of fertilization, pruning
and spraying chemical.

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 Asexual Plant Propagation

Vegetative parts or fragments of plants

such as leaves, stems, and roots are used
for plant multiplication (propagation).
Asexually propagated trees are exact
copies of their mother plants and bear the
same type of fruit.

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 The asexual methods most often are
cuttings, air layering, and grafting, budding
and micro propagation the material used
for asexual propagation is obtained from a
plant in the adult phase. Types of a sexual
Plant Propagation Cuttings, air layering and
grafting

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 Establishing a nursery
 A nursery is a managed site, where plants are
cared for during their early growth stages.
 The purpose of a nursery is to provide young
plants with suitable conditions for germination
and subsequent growth.
 The nursery plants stay in the nursery until they
are ready and strong enough for planting in the
main field.
 For example, they need protection from severe
heat from the sun.
 Heavy rain, drought, pests and diseases
damage seedlings.
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 Site selection for nursery

Proper site for nursery establishment

should fulfill the following criteria:
1. The topography of the area should be
gently slope
2. There should be a continuous and
sufficient supply of water
3. The site should not be exposed to strong
winds or protected with well-established
windbreak
4. It should be well drained and have fertile
soil
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 Cont…
5. The area should be separated from
production field but must be located
near main field
6. There should be an adequate,
dependable labor supply.
7. The area to be selected should be
free from flooding
8. It should not be close to shade of
trees or buildings

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 Seedlings

Seedling a very young plant that has

grown from a seed
Seedlings could be raised in nursery beds
or in polythene bags.
 Raising seedlings in polythene bags often
gives better seedlings.
This is because the tap root system is often
not disturbed.
It also saves labor for weeding and
watering.

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 Cont…
Nursery management includes activities
like getting the right planting material from
the parent plant.
 Getting the right planting material is
followed by planting the seed.
Young seedlings emerge not very long after
planting the seed.
developed roots or stems.
Such seedlings should be discarded.

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 Cont…
They have very little chance of
becoming good plants or root stocks.
Only seedlings with straight stems and
roots should be transplanted to the
nursery pots or bags.

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 Mango seedlings in polythene bags
in a nursery

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 Management of Orchards

Orchard is land allocated exclusively for

fruit production.
 Establishment of an orchard requires
planning.
It takes a long time to establish good
orchard.
One of the most important considerations is
the availability of resources.

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 Cont…
Site selection is the most important
decisions that determine the success of a
planting of fruit trees or orchard.
Production site affects various aspects of
the yield, its quality and marketability.
Good fruit production sites provide
maximum fruit trees per hectare.

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 Cont….
Land preparation, preparing holes and
planting of the fruits are important
practices in orchard establishment and
management.
Seedlings have to be carefully planted into
the prepared holes.
This requires care not to break or bend the
tap roots.
The fertility status of the land is needed to
be considered in the use of fertilizers on
the site.
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 Planting and planting distance

Planting distance (spacing) is mainly

determined by the type of fruit crop to be
grown.
Fruits can grow to big trees like mango or
relatively small plants like banana and
papaya.
 In addition to crop species, varieties could
also determine fruit growth pattern and the
spacing during planting.
 For example, the canopy of some fruit
varieties could be narrow or wide.
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 Cont….
For fruit trees of wide canopies, a wide
spacing is needed.
Sexually propagated plants are usually
larger than vegetative propagated ones
and that affects spacing.
Soil quality and amount of rainfall in non-
irrigated areas can also determine tree
growth and size.
Simply by looking at the soil quality and
rainfall

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 Cont…
patterns, one can fairly determine the
spacing of a given fruit crop.
In a good soil with irrigation, a planting hole
slightly larger than the container that holds
the root-ball can be used.
 This is normally a 30 by 30 cm or a 50 by
50 cm hole made using shovels or augers.
 The whole should be 80-100 cm deep.

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 Cont…
 When a hole is dug, the topsoil should be kept on one
side and the subsoil on a separate side since they
normally differ in quality.

 The topsoil is a better quality.

 Before planting, mix the topsoil with organic matter such
as mature moist manure or decomposed coffee husk.
 It is important to fill the hole to the 40–50 cm mark of
the 80–100 cm depth, then topsoil is added to about 30
cm from the soil surface and compactedby stepping on
the materials in the hole.
 Table2.1 shows the spacing used for some common fruit
crops and the corresponding plant population per
hectare.
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 Apple trees planted at regular
spacing

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 Irrigation
Irrigation is the practice of applying controlled
amount of water to land to help grow crops,
landscape plants and lawns.
 Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture
for over 5,000 years and has been developed
by many cultures around the world.
Irrigation helps to grow crops, maintain
landscapes, and vegetate disturbed soils in dry
areas and during times of below average
rainfall.

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 Cont…
 It is important to consider the quality of irrigation
water in terms of salt content the amount of
irrigation water and the irrigation time.
 The fruit producer needs to avoid excessive
irrigation as well as irrigation below crop
requirements.
 Both can reduce yields.
 Irrigation is usually practiced either in the
morning or late in the afternoon to reduce loss of
water through evaporation.
 If rainfall is not sufficient, supplementary
irrigation is usually used

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 Irrigation Methods

Irrigation methods used can be either

surface irrigation or pressurized (power
driven) systems.

The surface irrigation systems can be

divided into basin, flooding or furrow
irrigation.
Surface or gravity irrigation: water is
applied directly to the surface.
E.g. flood irrigation, furrow irrigation

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 Cont…
Advantages
 it is easy to maintain
 it requires Low cost
 do not need any modern technology
 It works effectively in a low filtration rate.
 Technical skill is not required.

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 Disadvantages

Level lands require high accuracy

Not applicable on soil with a high filtration
rate.
Plants are always covered with water even
when they do not need it.
Sometimes limited space gets more water
than required.
 No drainage outlet.

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 Furrow irrigation of fruit crops

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 Cont….
A. Pressurized irrigation methods: In pressurized
irrigation systems water is pressurized and
precisely applied to the plants under pressure
through a system of pipes.
Pressurized irrigation systems, as opposed to the
surface irrigation systems, are more effective in
application of irrigation water to the crops.
 The pressurized irrigation type can be done
through the use of either a sprinkler or through drip
irrigation.
B. Sprinkler irrigation system: irrigation water is
sprayed to the air and allowed to fall to the ground
as rain/ mist.
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 Advantages and disadvantages of sprinkle irrigation
method

Advantages
Suitable for soil with high infiltration rate
 Fertigation is possible
 Practiced in not-levelled field surface
Disadvantage
 Costly to install and to maintain
 Wind drift of water droplets
 Require continuous power supply
Adequate quantity of water.

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 Cont…
 Drip Irrigation System: Water is applied
through network of pipelines and allowed to
fall drop by drop at crop root zone.
 Advantages
 Save water
 Facilitates easy infiltration
 Maintain moisture at root zone
 Fertigation is possible
 Disadvantages
 High maintenance cost
 Not economical for closely spaced crops

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 Factors Influencing the Quality of Fruits
during Harvest and Post-harvest

In harvesting fruit crops, the stage of the

harvest, time of the harvest and the
harvesting methods should be carefully
considered to ensure the overall quality of
the product.

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 Stage and time of Harvest

Maturity at harvest stage is one of the main

factors that determine the compositional
quality and storage life of fruit, vegetables
and flowers.
 It is thus important to make sure that the
fruit crop is at the right stage of harvest
before harvesting the fruit crop.
Nearly all fruits reach peak eating quality
when they are fully ripened on the tree.
However, they are usually picked or
harvested when they are nearly ripe.
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 Postharvest handling of fruit crops

Post harvest considerations for fruits are:

 pre-cooling: if the fruit is going to be
stored for a relatively long time, it has to be
pre-cooled to storage temperature
immediately after harvest
 Sorting and grading: sorting according
to size and quality level should be done.

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 Cont…
packaging and packaging materials:
packaging of for market fruits is vital and
the packaging materials should reduce
moisture loss from the fruits
 Storage: before storage, fruits should be
cleaned for soil, dirt or insect waste
 Temperature and relative humidity
during storage and transportation: for
most fruits, temperatures around freezing
point (depending on fruit type) should be
used
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 Cont…
The relative humidity should be >90% to
minimize water loss from fruits
transportation: fruits should be carefully
handled to reduce mechanical injury during
transportation.
 Mechanical injuries enhance disease
development.

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 Floriculture and
Landscaping
 Floriculture is a branch of horticulture that
deals with the cultivation of flowering
plants, decorative foliage plants, cacti,
orchids, succulents, bonsai, ferns, plants
grown in containers as well as landscape
gardening.
In many of the recent literature, Floriculture
is referred as Ornamental Horticulture.

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 Ornamental plants are:

either plants as such or their plant parts

are: -
decorative,
 showy, attractive, and
 used for both aesthetic and functional
purposes.
They can be: flowering or non-flowering
with decorative nature

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 Floriculture in Ethiopia

Ornamental Horticulture started in Ethiopia

recently Now-a-days it is increasing and is
one of the top export commodity of the
country

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 Opportunities for expansion of
Floriculture in Ethiopia

 Suitable climate to produce various

flower crops
Ample resources such as land, cheap
labor, abundant water etc.
 Proximity to Middle East and European
markets
 Increasing domestic market for flowers
Government policy and investment
incentives

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 Importance of Floriculture in Ethiopia

Earns foreign currency

 Product diversification
 Job opportunity for the people
 Encourages supportive industries
 Promote investment

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 Important flower crops grown and exported
from Ethiopia

 Roses
 Poinsettia
 Geranium/Pelargonium
 Chrysanthemum
 Lilies
 Carnation
 Gypsophila Statice
 Hypericum
 Freesia

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