Plum (Prunus salicina L.)
Rosaceae

Varieties            
Early: Rubio.
Mid - season: Hale,GaviotaandAbundance (June–July).
Late:Shiro,Kelsey and Satsuma. Hale has to be planted along with other varieties to enhance pollination and fruit set (July–August).

Soil and climate
Red lateritic soil with good drainage is suitable getting higher yield in plum. The soil pH should be around 5.8 to 6.2 and rich in organic matter. This can be grown above 1200 m elevation.

Planting material
One year old budded plants may be planted during June - July or October - December with a spacing of 4 x 4 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm size.

Planting season
Ideal planting season is June to November.

Application of fertilizer
Apply FYM 30 kg and 500 g of N and 1 kg in each of P and K for bearing tree during October – November.

Training and pruning
 The growing points tipped at a height of 50 – 60 cm to allow the side shoots to develop. Open centre system of training is adopted in this crop. Pruning can be done during December – January. Dried, dead, diseased water shoots and criss - cross branches are removed.

Plant protection
Pests
Fruit Fly
 Spray Malathion 50 EC at the rate of 2 ml/lit of Fenthion 100 EC at the rate of 1 ml/lit. Set up Methyl Eugenol 1 % trap with Malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Use polythene bags fish meal trap with 5 gm of wet fish meal + 1 ml of Dichlorvos in cotton. 50 traps are required/ha, fish meal + Dichlorvos soaked cotton are to be renewed once in 20 and 7 days respectively.

Yield
An average of 25 – 30 kg/tree/year can be harvested depending on the variety and cultivation method.