Jack fruit-Inter cultivation

Jack is rarely manured. Even without fertilizer application, the jack trees come up well under Kerala conditions.

All side branches that emerge in the early stage of growth have to be removed.  This will help a uniform smooth trunk development for a height of 1.5 –2 meter. On this trunk fruit buds will develop.

Though jack is cultivated under rainfed conditions, it is very sensitive to drought. Hence, irrigation should be done depending on the type of soil, season etc. There should not be any moisture stress especially during flowering and fruit set.

Too much of soil moisture will affect the quality of fruits. The flakes will develop an insipid taste when there is excess soil moisture. Hence, special care should be taken for drainage.

During the pre-bearing age pulses can be raised as intercrop and dried leaves can be spread below the trees to serve as mulch for moisture conservation.

Sometimes there will be more production of female flowers as well as male flowers but there will be no fruit set. This is mainly due to lack of proper pollination. Artificial hand pollination has to be done in such case.

The dead, infested, broken, weak or overlapping branches should be removed regularly.