Cashew is a perennial crop grown in warm tropical areas of the world. This crop produces cashew fruits and nuts. The nut is the most important produce of the cashew crop.
It takes about 3 – 4 years for a cashew crop to grow and start fruiting. Hybrid cashew varieties can start fruiting as early as 3 years while the old Nigerian open pollinated cashew varieties may start fruiting after 5 – 7 years.
There are a lot of factors that impact how long it takes for a cashew crop to grow and start fruiting. This will be discussed in this post.
How long it takes different cashew varieties to grow
Jumbo Cashew Variety (Brazilian Hybrid Cashew Variety)
The Jumbo cashew variety is a Brazilian hybrid cashew variety. It is widely known in Nigeria as a high yielding cashew variety. It is also popular for its short time to fruiting unlike the traditional Nigerian open pollinated cashew variety.
It takes 3 – 4 years for Jumbo cashew variety to grow and start fruiting. Jumbo variety is popular among the educated Nigerians who practice cashew farming.
Ogbomosho Cashew Variety
Ogbomosho cashew variety is the most popular cashew variety in Nigeria. It is mostly planted in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria.
It is known for its high yield and good nut quality. It takes 3 – 5 years for the Ogbomosho cashew variety to grow and start fruiting.
Chinese Cashew Variety
The Chinese cashew variety is not popular in Nigeria. It takes about 5 years for the Chinese cashew variety to grow and start to fruit.
Factors that impacts how long it takes for a cashew crop to grow
The following are some of the factors that affect how long it takes for cashew to grow in Nigeria:
Climatic Conditions
Cashew does well in tropical areas. It needs a temperature of 25 – 35 Celsius to grow well. Cashew grown in areas with abundant sunshine and rainfall will grow faster than cashew grown in areas with low temperature with low level of rainfall.
Irrigation
Most of the cashew farmers in Nigeria rely on rainfall. There is a misconception that cashew needs rains for just few months in a year. Cashew grown under drip irrigation can grow 25 – 50% faster than those grown relying on rains.
Soil Fertility
The fertility of the soil can impact how long a cashew crop can grow. If your soil is rich with nutrients, your cashew crop is likely to grow faster.
Application of Fertilizers
Cashew farmers in Nigeria hardly apply the right type of fertilizers to their crops. If you feed your cashew crops with the right type and dose of fertilizers, the cashew crop may likely grow faster.
Plant Population
The population of cashew trees on your farmland can impact how long it takes for the cashew crop to grow.
Farms that are too packed with cashew trees may delay fruiting as some of the trees will be shaded. Shading can impact photosynthesis and delay the growth of plants.
Do you grow cashew in Nigeria? If yes, why not share with us in the comments’ section, how long it took your cashew crop to grow.