Guyabano (Soursop) Production Guide

Guyabano or soursop is one of the minor crops that is gaining popularity because of its economic uses. 
It is a nutritious fruit, rich in ascorbic acid, potash, phosphorous and calcium. The edible portion is 70% with food energy of 63 calories and the sugar content ranges from 4 to 14%. Because of its many economic uses and great demand in processing industry especially in producing guyabano drinks, expansion and more production should encourage to meet its demand. Consequently, the crop is now gaining its prospect in the world market.

Based on BAS crop statistics of 2003; a total land area of 3,016 has. were planted to guyabano with the following as the five leading producing regions: Western Visayas (705 has.); Region !V-A (643 has.); Cagayan Valley (400 has.); Central Visayas (169 has.); and Central Luzon (165 has.).

Economic Importance

Guyabano is a potential crop with varied economic uses. The nature green fruits are used as a vegetable and for making sweet meats, while the ripe one is eaten off hand or as dessert. Its juice is used for flavoring ice cream, sherbets, canning and for preparation of refreshing drinks. It may also be processed intro preserve, candies, jam and jelly. Guyabano also posses some medicinal properties. The trees maybe used for landscaping and for shade.

Varieties

There are two strains presently grown.

Aguinaldo – Fruit, 1kg; peel, yellow green; flesh, juicy, sub-acid, 78% of fruit weight; seeds, 70 per fruit

Davao – Fruit, 1.7 kg; peel, light green; flesh, moderately juicy, pleasantly sub-acid, 82% of fruit weight; seeds, 82 per fruit.

Nursery Practices

Seed Preparation and Germination

The seeds to be used as source of seedlings for planting should be obtained from outstanding mother trees. The mother plant should be hardy, prolific and regular bearer and its fruits be medium-sized to large, well formed, few seeded and excellent quality. Seed extracted from the fruit should be cleaned thoroughly in tap water and allowed to air dry. They maybe stored for quite sometime but it is best to plant them without delay. They are sown in seed boxes or flats containing fine and/or sandy soil of about 2.5 cm distance and 1 cm deep. The seedbed is provided with shade and watered regularly to keep the medium moist at all times. Fresh seeds germinate from 20 to 30 days with 85 to 90 percent germination.

Care and Transplanting of Seedlings

The seedlings are watered regularly and sprayed with insecticide and fungicide if insect pests and diseases become a problem. When the young plants are 3-4 inches high or when the first set of leaves has matured, they may be transferred in individual container like plastic bags. The soil medium should be clay loam preferably mixed with sand or compost. The newly transplanted seedlings are placed under partial shade and, when well established, they may be exposed to the sun for hardening. They are regularly watered to ensure continuous growth and to protect against pests and diseases. Seedlings are ready for field transplanting when they are 6 to 8 months old or about 15 cm tall.

Propagation

The guyabano is usually propagated by seeds. However, selected trees of inherent characters may also be propagated asexually by marcotting, inarching, grafting and budding.

Soil and Climate Requirements

Soil – the plant thrives in any kind of soil but it grows well in loose, fairly rich, deep loam and well drained soil.

Climate – guyabano culture require a warm, dry climate during the blooming period to get a good fruit set. After this, almost a continuous light rainfall is necessary.

Elevation – it thrives well from sea level up to 300 meters above sea level.

pH – it grows better on soil with pH ranges 6.1 to 6.5.

Cultural Management

Land Preparation

In preparing the land be sure to have a ready supply of compost or organic manures for basal application in order to improve the soil texture. The land should be plowed two or three times followed by harrowing with the incorporation of organic manure until the excellent condition for planting is attained. For newly opened land, under brushed branches and twigs should be burned before the holes are dug. For backyard planting, a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the ball of the root system of the seedlings is dug just before planting. The field is laid out by putting stakes following the desired distance of planting which ranged from 4 to 7 meters each way. Holes are dug at the positions occupied by the stakes. A hectare at this planting distance would require 204 – 625 planting materials.

Planting – may be done in any month of the year provided the soil is not so dry and there is good supply of water for the newly planted seedlings. Holes, 2 x 2 x 2 ft. are dug and refilled with top soil and compost. Water the young plants soon after setting them in the field. The newly planted seedlings should be protected from strong wind and bright sunshine. Mulch each young tree before the dry season begins and irrigate whenever necessary during the dry months.

Cultivation– the area around the base of the tree should be kept free of weeds by regular shallow cultivation. Brush weeding and shallow cultivation of the soil below the periphery, of its foliage to a depth of about 3 cm at the time of fertilizer application are sufficient.

Fertilization – generally, fertilizer application is beneficial in promoting plant growth and makes the young tree grows strong and sturdy. It also help increase fruit production. The application of 100 – 150 grams Ammonium Sulfate a month after planting and an equal amount six (6) months after or at the end of the rainy season is recommended. The quantity is increased every year until the tree start to bear fruit at which time, 250 – 300 grams of complete fertilizer is applied. This amount also increased in each succeeding year of fruiting from 1.5 to 3.0 kg. of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) plus 200 – 300 grams of Muriate of Potash (0-0-60).

Pruning

When branching is excessive and other branches are defective growing downward or interlacing with others, pruning is necessary. Such branches together with water sprouts should be pruned. Dried twigs and disease branches should likewise be pruned to avoid further infestation and disease infection. This practice improves aeration on the interior of the tree, permits sunlight to fall on the whole tree thus stimulate better fruit yield.

Intercropping

While the trees are still young, weeds could grow in the spaces between plants and compete with food nutrients. Hence, to give full utilization of the land, intercropping the orchard is usually accorded. The perennials that may be intercropped with guayabano are banana, coffee, cacao, blackpepper, mulberry and/or citrus. It may also be planted as an intercrop to bigger fruit trees such as avocado, starapple, durian, mango, jackfruit, rambutan, santol and under coconut.

Intercropping with such annual crop as vegetable, legumes, cassava, ginger and gabi for the first 3 years after planting would be profitable and will help put down growth of weeds aside from the added income.

When intercrops are no longer grown, the orchard should be planted to perennial legumenous cover crops such as centrocema and calopogonium.

Irrigation

Guyabano can tolerate dry soil condition better than other fruit trees. However, during the dry season with prolonged drought, plants may shed too much leaves and needs water application. For the rapid growth of the trees irrigation is needed due to their relatively shallow root system.

Crop Protection

Pests

Guyabano is attacked by a number of pests, such as:

Root grubs – they attacks the roots and during the advance stages causes the wilting of the whole plants. Grubs can be controlled by drenching with chlordane at the base of the tree.

Mealy bugs – they suck the sap of young leaves and fruits. Attacked leaves turns yellow and the plant become stunted in growth. These insect pests can be controlled by spraying Malathion, Methyl Parathion or Azodrin at manufacturer’s recommended dosage.

Carpenter Moth Larvae – they bore into the inner part of the wood where they feed and grow. Damage may be reduced by collecting and burning of infested twigs.

Scale Insects – they are commonly found feeding on the under surface of the leaves, and suck the sap causing the leaves to dry up. These pests can be controlled by spraying the tree with Malathion at recommended dosages.

Oriental fruit fly – the maggot eat up the tissue of the fruit leading to decay. Bagging the fruits may help reduce fruit fly damage. Kalingag powder may be used to attract fruit flies mixed with insecticide and kill the insects.

Nest Building Ants – the ants do not damage the tree but they protect the scales and mealy bugs and get nourishment from the secretion of this insects. Ants may be controlled with the same insecticide sprayed for the above pests.

Diseases

The following are the major diseases:

Root Rots – it infects and causes the decay of the roots eventually leading to the collapse and death of the tree. The diseases trees should be cut down and burned.

Pink Disease – causes twigs and branches to collapse and die. The presence of the disease is manifested by a fungal growth on infected areas. The disease may be controlled by collecting and burning infected twigs, branches, and leaves, and spraying the tree with copper fungicide.

Anthracnose – flowers and fruit may be affected by the anthracnose fungus and fall. This disease may be controlled by spraying the tree with fungicide such as Maneb, Captan, or Vitigran Blue. The same fungus can also cause damage to seedlings and shoot of bearing trees.

Harvesting and Storage

Harvesting

The guyabano trees bear fruits in 3 – 5 years after planting. They flower most months of the year but the peak of flowering is May and June, and the fruit ripens in November and December.

The guyabano fruits should be harvested when they are fully matured. They are considered mature when they turn shiny green or yellowish green and their spines are set far apart. If the fruits are picked prematurely, they will ripen but their quality is poor. On the otherhand, fruits left to ripen on the tree are often attacked by birds and bats if they do not first fall to the ground.

The fruits on a tree do not mature at the same time which therefore requires selective harvesting. Fruits for vegetable purposes are usually harvested when they are only about 4 months old.

Fruits are harvested by bending the branch or climbing the tree and twisting each fruit off its peduncle with or without use of knife. The harvested fruits are then placed in a bamboo baskets lines with soft materials, such as newsprints or rice straw. Fully mature fruits ripens in 3 to 5 days after harvest. Ripe fruits are easily injured because of their soft and tender skin, and should be handled with great care. The fruits are transported to nearby markets soon after harvest.

Storage

Fruits for the factory are placed in a bodega under ordinary room temperature and allowed to ripen with firmness until they are ready for processing/preservation.

On the otherhand, ripe fruits may be held 2 or 3 days longer in refrigerator, but the skin blacken and become unsightly. However, the flesh and flavor are not affected.

Processing and Utilization

Preservation/utilization of fruits has been getting widespread attention not only on its increasing acceptability in the food market but also because of its potential as a means of generating an export. The various preservation of guyabano was briefly described in the following procedures.

Guyabano Juice – after washing sound ripe fruits, they are blanched for 3-4 minutes in boiling water. They are cooled in water, peeled and their inner core removed. They are cut into 5 cm square pieces. One cup water is added to 1 cup fruit heated at 800C for 3 minutes or until the fruit is soft enough to squeeze of the juice. The juice is pressed through a muslin bag while hot. The juice from the residue is extracted for the second time with the same amount of water. The two extracts are mixed and sugar is added to taste. The juice is poured into jars and exhausted before sealing to 820C (approximately 15 minutes from boiling time). The jar is sealed immediately, sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes, cooled and stored.

Guyabano Preserve – mature but firm fruit is peeled sliced about 1 cm thick using stainless steel knife, and soaked in water. It is blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes cooked in syrup (2 parts sugar and 1 part water), and soaked in syrup overnight. It is again boiled for 30 minutes until thick, drained and packed in preserving jar. The jar is filled up with syrup, half-sealed, sterilized for 25 minutes in boiling water and sealed completely.

Guyabano Candy – mature but firm fruits peeled sliced to about 1 cm thick with a stainless steel knife, and soaked at once in water to avoid discoloration. It is cooked in syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) for 10 minutes and soaked in syrup for 1 week, boiling it daily for 5 minutes. It is cooked over a slow fire until syrup becomes sugary. It is removed from fire, separated from sugar, cooled and wrapped individually in cellophane.

Guyabano Jam – the fully ripe, sound fruit is peeled and its seeds are removed. To every cup of fruit, an equal amount of sugar is added and the mixture is cooked to jam consistency. It is poured while hot in a preserving jar. After removing the bubbles, the jar is half-sealed, sterilized for 25 minutes in boiling water and sealed completely.

Frozen Guyabano Pulp – the sound ripe fruit is peeled and its seeds are removed. To every cup of fruits are added ¼ cup refined sugar and 2 tbsp. calamansi juice. The mixture is packed in a plastic bag container and stored in a freezer (240F). To serve as juice, enough cold water and sugar are added to taste.

Guyabano Jelly – thoroughly ripe fruit is rinsed and sliced, retaining the skin and seeds. It is put in a pan with enough water to cover, and boiled until soft, with constant stirring. It is removed from the fire and passed through a double cheesecloth. The extract is returned to the fire, boiled until all the scrum has risen, and strained again. To each cup, 1 tbsp. calamansi juice is added and the mixture is boiled again. To the boiling juice is added 1 cup hot dissolved sugar and the mixture is boiled until it hardens on spoon removing all rising scrum in the process.

Guyabano Juice Concentrate – fully ripe, sound fruits are thoroughly washed with detergent and carefully rinsed in water. They are cut into halves and the skin and seeds are removed. Two cups of water are added to 1 pulp, the mixture is blended to facilitate juice extraction, and strained through a muslin cloth bag. The clear juice is concentrated juice is “cut back” to 160C Brix by adding freshly prepared juice. Ascorbic acid equivalent to 50 mg/cc is added during pasteurization to retard normal oxidation browning in storage. Fortified concentrate is pasteurized at 850C for 5 minutes, hot filled into previously sterilized cans, sealed completely and processed into boiling water for 10 minutes. Cans are immediately cooled in running water and wiped dry.

References

BROWN, W. H. 1951. Useful Plants of the Philippines. Bureau of Printing Press, Manila. Volume 1. pp. 541-543.
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS, DA. 2003. Crop Statistics.
CORONEL, R. E. 1983. Promising Fruits of the Philippines. UPLB. Pp. 235-246.
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS FOR PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL CROPS. 1972. BPI. Vol. I, Fruits. Pp. 135-136.
SAMSON, J. A. 1980, tropical Fruits (Tropical Agricultural Series). Pp. 216-218.
TECHNOLOGY FOR GUAYABANO PRODUCTION. 1985 (Mimeographed Handouts). Research Division, BPI, Manila.

Source: bpi.da.gov.ph

Guide to Raising Quails (Pugo) for Egg Production

Quails by some distinction are classified as “game-hunting” birds and as such, quails should not be compared with chicken, whose requirements are different. On a commercial scale, quail raising has not attracted the interest of the investors because of the lack of data particularly with regards to feeding. Many people who go into quail raising are usually hobbyist who are not income-conscious.

Breeds of Quail

• Japanese Seattle
• Silver
• Negro
• Japanese Taiwan/ Chinese Quail
• Tuxedo
• Brown Crosses nos. 1 and 2

I. Starting the Project

To start a project, care must be exercised in the selection of the first stock. There are many quail breeding farms on and near the Metro Manila area.

IA. Selection of Stock

For a beginner, it is best to start with quail pullets about 30-35 days old. Some of the pointers in selecting quails are:

1. Body conformation
   • 1. The feathers should be tidy and neat
   • 2. Avoid buying those with streak of white or black feathers – these could be signs of inbreeding
2. Choose birds with uniform size. A mature (60 day old) Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) would have an average weight of 120 grams. However, a 30-35 day-old bird would only average 100 grams. The American quail (Coturnix conurnix) however weight heavier at 220 grams for the mature bird and 200 grams for the 30-35 days old.
3. Record the parents stock
   • 1. Size of eggs
   • 2. Laying efficiency – a 65% average laying efficiency within 300 days laying period is desirable.
   • 3. Growth rate/ body weight

IB. Size of the Flock

The size of the initial stock totally depends on the financial capacity of the person. However, it is not advisable to start big. Quails are not easy to raise and a beginner should first get the necessary experience before going into large scale. Quails multiply rapidly and therefore expansion will not be a problem. A beginner can start with 10-15 pullets.

II MANAGEMENT

IIA. Housing and Equipment – One of the advantages in quail raising is the relatively small space that is required. Commensurately, the cost of putting up a cage is less. The materials commonly used in making quail cages are:

1.  plywood
2.  1/4 inch mesh wire
3.  1″ x 1″ lumber to serve as framework

for every stage in the quail’s life, space requirement varies. This is true as in the case of the other fowls and even livestock animals. The following will help guide the raiser in determining the space required for quails (per bird)

1.  Chick stage (1-15 day old), Japanese: 2 ½” x 2 ½”; American: 2 ½” x 2 ½”
2.  Growing stage (16- 35 days old), Japanese: 3″ x 3″; American: 3 ½” x 3 ½ “
3. Laying stage (36 days old & up), Japanese: 3 ½” x 3 ½”; American: 4 ½ ” x 4 ½ “

Since quails are not efficient feed converter, they should not be raised for broiler production.

Layer cages should not be too high preferably a 5″ and 6″ height can accommodate the Japanese and American breed, respectively. Providing too much space will encourage too much movement thereby increasing the risk of injuries.

IIB. Brooding Management

Temperature

During the first five days, the temperature requirement of the quail chick is 95°F. this may be reduced to 90°F on the 6th day down to 85°F on the 10th day after which the quail birds will have developed enough feathers to keep their body warm under ordinary room temperature

To ensure better circulation of air in the brooding box, air vents should be provided. Used clean cloth or sack can be spread over the screened portion of the brooder especially during the first 10 day. This will help conserve the heat in the brooder. Five or six layers of clean and dry newspaper shall be used to cover the mesh wire flooring during the first 10 days.

This practice is necessary because it will not only help conserve the heat inside the brooder box but more importantly, cleaning and removal of quail manure (which is done on every other paper) is facilitated by just rolling the topmost layer of paper. After the 10th day, all the papers are removed and feeding through covered with 1/4 mesh wire (to avoid too much spillage) will be used. Water in the drinking fountain should be changed daily and care must be exercised to avoid spilling of water over the paper to prevent unnecessary dampness.

Gas lamp or electric bulb may used to control the temperature inside the brooder. The brooder box must be cat and rat proof. With proper feeds. Enough water and optimum temperature maintained, the mortality of quails can be kept at 5%-8% during the brooding stage which usually last up to 15 days.

IIC. Rearing Management

After the 15th day, the birds are transferred to the growing cages. During the growing stage, it is not advisable to expose the birds to more than 12 hours of light. For smaller operation, a brooder/grower box combination can be constructed but the space requirement of the birds

should be observed.

Only birds which are healthy and with uniform size should be transferred to the growing cages. The small ones should be disposed. The average mortality from the start of the growing period up to 35 days is 1% – 4%. On the 35th day, the male birds are already discernable by the dark brown color of the breast feather. At this stage, the female birds can be segregated and transferred to the laying cages. Approximately 40% of the total population can be chosen as layers on an assumed 50/50 male/female ratio. The remaining birds can be fattened up to 60 days before these are dressed and sold as broilers. During the 25 days fattening period, light should be restricted form 6-8 hours a day. This practice will improve the quality of meat.

IID. Layer Management

On the average, quail start laying after 45 days from hatching. The production cycle lasts for 300-320 days and within this period the laying efficiency should be maintained at 65 %. Some of the major consideration when managing layers are;

1. Feeding – this will be discussed separately
2. Water – like any other bird, quail needs a lot of fresh and clean water. Whenever possible, flowing water should be maintained except when there is supply problem in which case water should be replaced daily and the watering trough must be cleaned everyday.
3. Culling – For large scale operation, it is advisable that massive culling be done regularly, preferably on a quarterly basis or even once every 4 months. Birds that have physical defects should be removed including those which have grown fat, or are sickly and are not laying eggs. This later condition is manifested by the size of the vent and the conformation of the abdominal parts.
4. Removal of Waste – Because of the high protein content of the quail feeds, quail manure has high ammonia content which will cause discomfort for the birds if not removed daily. Removal of the manure can be facilitated by placing a manure receptacle or receiver under the cage.
5. Light – Laying quails may be given extra light up to midnight. This will allow the birds to consume the feed in the trough. Furthermore, the weaker birds in the group will have enough time to eat after the dominant ones have eaten their share.
6. It is not advisable to mix male birds in the laying cage except when fertile eggs are to be produced. If there is an intention of producing fertile eggs for future replacement, the male should be kept in separate cage and should only be mixed with the layers at the time fertile eggs are to be produced at a ratio of 1:6 and 1:3 for the Japanese and American breed, respectively.
7. Quail birds are very sensitive to high salt level in the feeds. The optimum level of this mineral should be kept at 7% and in no case be more than 1%.

IIE. Feeding Management

The major cause of failure in quail raising is the faulty feeding practice employed by the raiser . most of our quail raisers today feed commercial chicken feeds to quails. This is an erroneous practice and it should be corrected. The protein requirements of chicken and quails are different and as such the use of chicken feeds in quail raising is not advisable. Below is a comparison of the crude protein requirement of chicken and quail.

Quail / Chicken:

• Chick stage, 28% / 21%
• Grower stage, 24% / 16%
• Layer stage, 26% / 15%

From the above information, we can clearly see the mark difference in the Primary requirement of both birds. Quail cannot survive on chicken feeds for a long time. If ever they will survive, the mortality rate will be very high sometimes reaching up to 70% from day old to 45 days. Moreover, the growth of the birds is very uneven and the survivors will not be efficient layers. The productive laying period for quails fed with chicken feed do not go beyond six months.

Another disadvantage of feeding chicken mash to quails is the very occurence of molting which affects severely the egg production.

The claim that mixing quail feeds with higher protein is expensive and not economical is baseless. The advantages of giving the right ration far outweigh the cost of giving chicken feeds. This advantages can be summarized below:

1. Mortality rate can be kept low with good feed:

• 5-8% from 1-15 days
• 1-4% from 16-35 days
• 8-12% from 36-360 days

2. Production:

• a) Laying efficiency can be easily maintained within the average range of 63%-68% for a period of 300-320 days. It is not rare to get laying efficiency of 80%.
• b) Eggs are bigger and more nutritious
• c) For breeders – fertility and hatchability are high

These things when quantified and taken together would positively refute the claim that feeding quails with higher protein content as recommended here is costly and uneconomical.

The feed consumption of quail at different stages are: (Japanese vs American)

• Chick stage (per bird) 7 grams/day vs 10 grams/day
• Growing stage (per bird) 17 grams/day vs 32 grams/day
• Laying stage (per bird) 23 grams/day vs 45 grams/day

During the first 15 days, the feeds of the birds should be grounded to a fineness enough to pass an ordinary window screen wire. Like chicken, quails are affected by abrupt changes in feeding. Hence, it is not advisable to change feed abruptly.

IIG. Maintaining Health

There is no known morbid disease of quails. While they suffer from some respiratory disorders, these do not spread fast and the mortality rate is very low. Hence it is not difficult to maintain the health of birds. Regular cleaning and disinfection program, however, should be followed. Cages and broiler boxes including the incubator and hatchery trays can be cleaned with strong water dried under the sun. spraying with disinfectant follows. Vitamin premix can also be added to the feeds or the drinking water to promote growth and improve the laying performance.

III. MARKETING

A. Eggs – Eggs are the main product of quails. For small scale/backyard quail raising, this can be placed in a basket and marketed fresh. For bigger operation, it is advisable to pack eggs in carton boxes with individual dividers to protect the quality of the eggs. Storing eggs in a cool dry place where air circulation is good can keep the eggs fresh for a period of seven days.

B. Broilers/stewers – The average feed conversion ratio of quail is 3:1. this poor feed conversion efficiency makes a broiler production uneconomical and therefore any broiler produced should be treated secondary product in quail raising. The procedure in dressing quail is the same as in chicken. The birds are bled and scaled in hot water (about 132-135 F) after the feathers are removed. Evisceration follows. The dressed birds are then chilled and packed by the dozen or in kilos.

C. Prices – Broilers are more tender than stewers (culled layers). As such, the former are sold at a higher price. The selling price of these should be based on the cost of production from day old to 60 plus the dressing, storage and related selling cost.

D. Quail Production

1. Cost of Production (100 Quails)
2. Income computation
   • 70 eggs/day x P 0.60/eggs-P42.00
   • 100 quails x 2 kgs feeds x P 8.50/kg
3. Housing Equipment
   • 100 quails x P 5.00/quail
4. Other sources of income
   • a. male quails which are not needed
   • b. feathers
   • c. dungs

 source: drquail.multiply.com