CASHEW PRODUCTION

Portuguese name: -

Caju (the fruit) or

Cajueiro (the tree).

Taxonomy of the Cashew Tree
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Anacardiaceae
Genus: Anacardium
Species: A. occidentale
 INTRODUCTION
 The Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a tree
in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae.
 It is a native of tropical America particularly
Mexico, Peru, Brazil and West Indies.
 It was introduced to India and Brazil by the
Portuguese at about 15 centuries for the purpose of
afforestation, erosion control and soil conservation.
 INTRODUCTION cont’d

From its humble beginning as a crop

intended to check soil erosion, cashew has
emerged as a major foreign exchange
earner next only to tea, cocoa and coffee.

Cashew nut is one of the important nuts

grown in the world and ranked first.
 HISTORY OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA

The history of cashew in Nigeria dated

back to 15th century. Then, it was mainly
used in afforestation schemes for the
control of erosion in the former Eastern
Nigeria. However, the commercial cashew
plantations started in Nigeria in the early
1950s with the establishment of first
commercial plantations at Oghe, Oji and
Mbala by
 HISTORY OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA cont’d

the defunct Eastern Nigeria Development

Corporation (ENDC) and Iwo, Eruwa and
Upper Ogun by the defunct Western Nigeria
Development Corporation (WNDC).

From these locations, the planting of the

crop spread to other parts of Nigeria
particularly the Central and Northern States
of Nigeria .
 HISTORY OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA cont’d

Research on cashew production and its uses

started at the Cocoa Research Institute of
Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan in 1971.

The introduction of Brazilian cashew

biotype with improved and desirable nut
and kernel quality characteristics by CRIN
has further increased the crops spread and
popularity in Nigeria
 HISTORY OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA cont’d

Nigeria is the 6th largest producer of

cashew in the world after India, Brazil,
Vietnam, Guinea Bissau and Tanzania.

Like most African producers, most of

Nigeria’s production are exported in raw
form to India and Vietnam for processing
and export with added value and benefits to
those economies.
 BOTANY

 Cashew is a tree crop, a small to medium tree,

generally single-trunked and spreading in habit,
up to 10-12m in height. In older trees, spread
may be greater than height, with lower limbs
bending to touch the ground.
 Leaves are thick, prominently veined, oval to
spatulate in shape, with blunt tips and entire
margins. New foliage contains reddish
pigment.
 BOTANY cont’d
 Flowering for the cashew tree is similar to the
close relative mango tree: both male and perfect
flowers are born in the same inflorescence
(polygamous).

 Individual flowers are 1/4" across, with crimson

petals, often striped longitudinally and reflexed.
 They are borne terminally on panicles, generally
at the beginning of the dry season.
 BOTANY cont’d
 Flowering may occur over several weeks, and it
is not uncommon to have ripening fruit and
flowers on the tree at the same time.

 The true botanical fruit is a nut, about 1" long,

shaped like a small boxing glove, hanging below a
fleshy, swollen peduncle called the cashew apple
or pseudo-fruit.

 The cashew apple resembles a pear in shape and

size, is juicy, fibrous, and astringent tasting.
 BOTANY cont’d
 It has thin skin of either yellow or light
red color, but yellow flesh.

 Fruit are borne singly or in small clusters,

and mature in 60-90 days.

 The nut develops first, followed by the

rapid swelling of the cashew apple in the
last few weeks.
REQUIREMENTS FOR CASHEW
CULTIVATION
 CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

 Cashew is a tropical plant and can thrive even at

high temperatures. Young plants are sensitive to
frost.
The distribution of cashew is restricted to
altitudes up to 700 m above mean sea level where
the temperature does not fall below 20°C for
prolonged period.

Areas where the temperatures range from 20 to

30°C with an annual precipitation of 1000 - 2000
mm are ideal for cashew growing.
 CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS cont’d

 However, temperatures above 36°C between

the flowering and fruiting period could adversely
affect the fruit setting and retention.
 Heavy rainfall, evenly distributed throughout
the year is not favourable though the trees may
grow and sometimes set fruit.

Cashew needs a climate with a well-defined dry

season of at least four months to produce the best
yields.
 CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS cont’d

 Coincidence of excessive rainfall and high

relative humidity with flowering may result in
flower/fruit drop and heavy incidence of fungal
diseases.

It is also drought resistant.

 EDAPHIC REQUIREMENTS

While Cashew can be grown in poor soils,

its performance would be much better on
good soils.

The best soils for cashew are deep and well-

drained sandy loams without a hard pan.

Cashew also thrives on pure sandy soils,

although mineral deficiencies are more
likely to occur
 EDAPHIC REQUIREMENTS cont’d

Water stagnation and flooding are not congenial

for cashew.
Heavy clay soils with poor drainage and soils with
pH more than 8.0 are not suitable for cashew
cultivation.
Excessive alkaline and saline soils also do not
support its growth.
Red sandy loam, lateritic soils and coastal sands
with slightly acidic pH are best for cashew.
Below are the steps to take to cultivate cashew or start a cashew
plantation in Nigeria:

1. Selection of Site for Farmland

2. Soil Preparation
3. Picking the Cashew Variety to Plant
4. Equipment
5. Irrigation
6. Climatic Conditions
7. Nursery Preparation and Management
Below are the steps to take to cultivate cashew
or start a cashew plantation in Nigeria. contd

8. Transplanting of Cashew Seedlings to

Field
9. Weed Control
10. Fertilizer and Manure Management
11. Management of Pests and Diseases
12. Harvesting
13. Processing of Cashew
14. Marketing
 Qualities of a Good Nursery Site

•Nearness of road
•The nursery area should be nearer to the
water source
•Generally, the location should be partially
shaded i.e. under the trees. If not, artificial
shade is to be provided
• Good soil condition
 Qualities of a Good Nursery Site

•It should be well protected from animals

•Sufficient sunlight
•Suitable climate
•Good transport facility
•Near a habitat
•Proper drainage facilities should be
provided.
 Planting material

a.Nuts: -
 Fresh nuts that sink in water are planted in an
upright position in a planting bag containing a
loose, sterilised soil mixture.
• The plant bags should be 350 to 400 mm deep,
as the tap-root grows very fast and bends around
as soon as it touches the bottom.
• Nuts should weigh between 8 and 9 g with a
density of not less than 1.0
 Raising Cashew in the Nursery

• Cashew seedlings are raised in the nursery through the nuts

• Heavier nut-size are preferably used for seedlings

production.

• Seedlings produced by lighter nuts are less vigorous and

hardly survive transplanting shock when eventually
transplanted.

• Cashew nuts become ripened between 9th and 10th week after
pollination - colour of nuts changes from green to grey.

• Freshly harvested nuts of cashew readily germinates when

 Raising Cashew in the Nursery Contd.
• Cashew is not as exact in nursery requirement as coco / kola.

• Polythene bag of 25cm x 12cm in dimension is suitable for the

crop seedlings

• Germination in cashew nuts falls within 2 nd and 4th weeks after

sowing in the nursery, provided it is given adequate watering after
sowing.

• Its nursery can be sited in an open environment because cashew is

not a shade-loving crop.

• If sited under a shade, immediately after germination, the tender

seedlings assume phototropic growth response. This shows its
 Raising Cashew in the Nursery Contd.
• Cashew seedlings are ready for transplanting into the
field between 8 and 12 weeks nursery periods.

• In a delayed transplanting, the seedlings become

overgrown, its tap-root outgrows the rhizosphere into
the soil, breaking of this root during transplanting
operations results in transplant mortality.

• Transplanting at a lesser nursery period, results in

weakening of the seedlings, because their cotyledons
are yet to wither. Breaking of these cotyledons causes
loss of vigour in cashew seedlings.
Six-week old cashew seedlings. (Note the cotyledons and performance)
 Planting material Vegetative Propagation

Vegetative propagated planting material is

necessary to obtain higher and early yield.

Many techniques of vegetative propagation like

grafting, budding and layering have been tried in
cashew with varied degrees of success.

Amongst different vegetative methods of

propagation tried so far, soft wood grafting has
been found suitable giving 60 % success.
 Planting material Vegetative Propagation cont’d

b. Grafting
• Self-pollination and cross-pollination play an
important role in the formation of cashew seed.
Seedlings therefore show great variation and no
"true to type" trees can be grown from seed.
• Selected trees should preferably be multiplied by
grafting or air layering because vegetative
propagation will ensure the best production and
quality.
 Planting material Vegetative Propagation cont’d

Two grafting techniques, namely side

grafting and wedge grafting are practised
with success.
Grafting should commence as soon as
possible (seedlings of 3-4 months old) and
planted out in the orchard to prevent the tap-
root from bending.
Side grafting
Wedge or Cleft Grafting
 Preparation of Land

The land should be ploughed thoroughly and

levelled in case of agricultural lands. In case
of forestlands, the jungle should be cleared
well in advance and the debris burnt.

The land preparation work should be

completed prior to the onset of the rainy
season i.e. during May – June.
 Spacing and Planting Systems (Layout)

A spacing of 7 m x 7 m, 7.5 m x 7.5 m or 8 m x

8 m is recommended for cashew which gives a
tree density of 205, 175 and 156 trees per ha,
respectively.

High density planting at 4 m x 4 m giving a tree

density of 625 trees per ha in the initial years
and subsequently thinning in stages to reach a
final spacing of 8 m x 8 m is also practiced in
some areas.
 Spacing and Planting Systems (Layout) cont’d

This enables higher returns during the initial

years and as the canopies grow in volume,
alternate trees are removed to achieve the
desired final spacing.

In level sites however, it would be

advantageous to plant cashew at a spacing of
10m x 5m which will give a tree density of
200 trees per ha and at the same time
providing sufficient space for growers to plant
inter-crops during the initial years of
establishment.
 Digging and filling of pits

• The work of digging of pits has to be completed

much in advance (May – June). 15-20 days
before transplanting
• Cashew can be planted in pits of 60cm x 60cm
x 60cm size in soils with normal strata.
•In hard lateritic soils, pits of 1m x 1m x 1m size
are recommended.
•The top soil and sub-soil are kept separately and
allowed to wither under sun.
•It helps in migration of termites and ants.
 Digging and filling of pits

• Burning of the debris and forest wastes inside

the pits before planting is advantageous.

• The pits are then filled with topsoil mixed with

farmyard manure or compost (5 kg) or poultry
manure (2 kg) and rock phosphate (200 g).

• In order to mitigate soil borne diseases, Benzene

hexachloride (BHC) @ 100g/ pit is also added to
the soil mixture.
 Application of Manures and Fertilizer

Application of manures and fertilizers is very

limited in the case of Cashew.
In order to get better yield, it is essential to
maintain adequate N:P:K ratio in the soil.
Application of 10-15 kg of farmyard manure per
plant is recommended to ensure adequate organic
matter in the soil.
The fertilizers recommended for a mature cashew
tree are 500 g N, 125 g P2O5, 125g K 2 O per tree
per year.
 Weeding and Weed control

Grass strips in the inter-rows between the tree

lines are ideal to prevent erosion and should be
cut regularly.

Until tree canopies shade out the weeds, weeding

is essential around the tree trunks up to a radius
of about 2 m.

The rest of the orchard requires slashing of under

growth at least twice a year.
 Weeding and Weed control cont’d

Alternatively, herbicides (weedicides) may

also be applied after slashing, well in advance
of the rainy season if the under growth is too
dense. The recommendation is to apply 2-4 D
at the rate of 4 ml/litre of water followed by
Grammoxone at the rate of 5ml/litre of water.

Approximately 400 litres of spray is required

to cover one ha.
 Training and Pruning

During the initial phase of orchard

establishment, shoots arising on the rootstock
(vegetative propagation) have to be regularly
removed to promote better scion growth,
particularly in the first year after planting
when scion rejection could occur if rootstock
shoots are left unchecked.

Training of young trees during the first three

years is essential to develop uniform
canopies.
 Training and Pruning cont’d

Training in the juvenile phase comprises of

removing basal branches and water shoots.

The plants are trained to a single stem and

branches are allowed to grow about 0.75-1m
from ground level. Deformed branches are
also removed during the first few years.

Since cashew trees tend to spread their

canopies and lodge easily, proper staking is
also essential.
 Training and Pruning cont’d

Trees are kept under check by topping off

the main stem at a height of 4-5m from
ground level.

Orchard operations such as terracing,

weeding, fertilizer application, nut collection
and stem/root borer infestation control can
be easily achieved if trees are properly
trained.
 Harvesting Of Nuts
Bearing commences after the third year of
planting and the trees will be in full production
by the tenth year whilst the economic life of a
tree is about 20 years.

The main harvesting season is from February to

May. Most farmers harvest their crop before they
drop to prevent pilferage.

This very often results in poor quality of the

kernels.
 Harvesting Of Nuts
The optimum stage of harvest is when nuts drop
to the ground.

High quality nuts are obtained when freshly

fallen nuts are separated from the cashew apples
and sun dried for 2-3 days to bring down the
moisture percentage from about 25 percent to
below 9 percent.

The drying process helps to retain flavor and

quality of the kernels.
 Harvesting Of Nuts cont’d
When cashew apples are used for processing,
harvesting has to be carried out before they drop.

A simple test of maturity is to float nuts in water

when mature nuts will sink while the immature
and unfilled nuts will float.

Nuts are usually gathered every week during the

harvest season.

Cashew apples for the fresh fruit market should be

harvested daily.
 YIELD

Normally, about 92 % of the trees yield by the

third year from planting.

The average yield per tree increases from about

2 kg at 3-5 years to 4 kg at 6-10 years and 5-10
kg when trees are 11-15 years of age.

Thereafter, trees yield in excess of 10 kg as the

trees get older.
 PROCESSING

•Drying
• Roasting
• Shelling
• Removal of testa
• Grading
• Packaging
 USES
i. Uses of Cashew Nut
 Cashew nut is the most versatile of all nuts. The
kernels are rich in nutrients and are put to use in a
variety of ways.
 The kernels are used in cocktail parties, in
confectioneries.
 They are mostly salted. The kernels are low in
carbohydrates but rich in proteins, fats and vitamins.
 The kernel oil is reported to be superior to olive oil
and almond oil.
 USES cont’d
 Cashew nuts are a common ingredient in Asian
cooking. They can also be ground into a spread
called cashew butter similar to peanut butter.

• Cashews have a very high oil content, and they

are used in some other nut butters to add extra
oil.

 Cashews contain 180 calories per ounce (6

calories per gram), 70% of which are from fat.
 USES cont’d

ii. The cashew apple

used for its juicy but acidic pulp, which can be
eaten raw or used in the production of jam,
chutney, or various beverages.
juicy and is rich in vitamin C.
However, at present most of the produce is not
at all utilized.
 USES cont’d
 From cashew apple, tasty drinks can be
prepared mixing with juice of lime, pineapple,
grapes, etc., jam; chutney and pickles can also
be prepared out of cashew apple. Wine can
also be prepared.

 The cashew apple contains much tannin and is

very perishable. For this reason, in many parts
of the world, the false fruit is simply discarded
after removal of the cashew nut.
 USES cont’d
iii. Use of Cashew Wood Resin
 In terms of wood quality, the cashew tree is
known for producing wood with high levels of
resin.
 The resin from the cashew wood is made into
a varnish which is known to prevent
deterioration, ants and other home-invading
insects.
The leaves, bark, and fruit also contain caustic
oil which can cause skin irritations in some
people.
 USES cont’d
 In its raw form, the cashew nut is not edible. However
through processing, the caustic oil is removed from the
cashew nut shell. This caustic oil is referred to as
Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) and is located in the
tissue between the two walls of the nut shell.
 CNSL has many industrial uses which include
automobile and airplane brake fluid, adhesives, paints
and varnishes, insecticides, electrical insulation, and
anti-microbial
 In addition to CNSL, resins and gums from fruit stems
or bark is used as a varnish for books, wood, and
flooring to protect from ants and other home-invading
insects.
 USES cont’d
 CNSL is fractionated in a process similar to the
distillation of petroleum, and has two primary
end products: solids that are pulverized and
used as friction particle for brake linings, and an
amber-colored liquid that is emanated to create
phenalkamine curing agents and resin modifiers.
 Phenalkamines are primarily used in epoxy
coatings for the marine and flooring markets, as
they have intense hydrophobic properties and
are capable of remaining chemically active at
low temperatures.
 USES cont’d

iv. Traditional and Modern Medicines made from

the Cashew Tree
• There are many medicinal uses of cashew leaves,
bark, and juice from the cashew apple.
• In Brazil, cashew bark teas were used to stop
diarrhea while the caustic shell oil was used to treat
skin infections, warts, intestinal worms, and
parasitic larvae beneath the skin.
• Teas and fruit juices from the cashew apple and
leaves are known to have antimicrobial, anti-
inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, hypoglycemic,
and other medicinal properties.
 USES cont’d

• The active ingredients in the teas and juices are

thought to be tannins, anacardic acid, and cardol.

• Modern uses of shell oil and fruit juice include

facial peels and scalp conditioners and shampoos.

• The cashew apple has also been a long time

nutritional supplement as it contains up to 5 times
more vitamin C than citrus and strawberries.
 Nutritional value of the nuts

•The nut contains 47% fat, 21% protein and 22%

carbohydrate.

•It also contains vitamins, especially thiamine.

•Cashew nut proteins are complete, having all the

essential amino acids and a kilogramme of the nut
yields about 6000 calories compared to 3600
calories from cereals, 1800 calories from meat
and 650 calories from fresh citrus fruit.
 Economic potential

The raw cashew nut industry yields N23billion

annually from the production of 120,000 metric
tons of cashew putting the sector to possibly
another revenue spinner for the federal
government.
The industry is said to provide livelihood for over
300,000 families and has created over 600,000
jobs.
Eighty percent of raw cashew nuts from Nigeria is
exported to India, Vietnam and other countries.