Management Practices for Increased Loquat Yield After Harvest
For farmers, post-harvest management of loquats is crucial as it directly affects the next year's yield and the quality of the fruit. So, how should loquats be managed after harvest to ensure a productive next year? Let's find out together.
1. Apply Sufficient Base Fertilizer
After harvesting loquats, it is essential to apply sufficient base fertilizer early and heavily. This is to restore the tree's vigor and to cultivate robust and well-developed summer shoots, which will differentiate flower buds in July and August, and promote the early formation of high-quality flower clusters in autumn and winter. About half a month before the end of fruit picking, additional organic fertilizer should be applied, combined with calcium-magnesium phosphate fertilizer, urea, and other fertilizers according to the nutrient deficiency of the fruit trees.
2. Weed Control in the Orchard
During loquat harvesting, there is usually more rainfall, so attention should be paid to prevent waterlogging to avoid root rot and induce trunk and branch rot. In the flowering bud differentiation period of July and August, drought and less rain often occur, so watering should be paid attention to. In addition, deep-rooted and vicious weeds competing for nutrients and water with loquats should be timely removed.
3. Pruning and Shaping
Pruning after loquat harvesting is particularly important and should be done early. Generally, thin and weak post-harvest branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, and dead branches should be pruned; the thick post-harvest branches should be pruned short to promote the growth of strong summer branches. For the top buds sprouting in summer, some newly sprouted lateral buds should be removed, leaving 2 to 3 strong bud shoots, and the rest should be removed from the base.
4. Disease and Pest Control
Loquats are prone to branch and leaf diseases, especially trunk and branch rot, in hot, waterlogged, and humid summers. Therefore, different prevention and control methods should be adopted according to the occurrence period and conditions of various diseases and pests. For example, prevention should be emphasized during the occurrence period of diseases, control should be emphasized during the key period of pest occurrence, and both diseases and pests should be treated when they occur simultaneously.
These are the management practices for increasing loquat yield in the year following harvest. Loquat branches are sparse and grow vigorously, especially after harvesting, so farmers should pay attention to management to ensure a productive next year.
