Agriculture notesTerm 2 2020
St Theresa Primary school 1. Fruit production
3.2: FRUIT PRODUCTION
A fruit is usually defined as a mature ovary. This is formed after the ovules have been fertilized.
Botswana does not produce a lot of fruits
Indigenous fruits Exotic fruits
These are fruits that grow naturally in Botswana. These are fruits that originate or come from other
Examples countries. Examples
1. Snot-apple(morojwa) 1) Banana
2. Monkey-orange (mogorogorwane) 2) Peach
3. Buffalo-thorn (mokgalo) 3) Apples
4. Andasonia/Baobab (mowana) 4) Pineapple
5. Wild-plum (moretologa) 5) Guava
6. Baobab (mowana) 6) Plum
7. Shepherds-tree (motopi) 7) Mango
8. Cape velvet (motsotsojane) 8) Orange
9. Wild berries (moretlwa/mogwana) 9) Strawberry
10. Wild medlar (mmilo) 10) Pear
11. Wild raisins (moretlwa) 11) Avocado
12. Prikle pear (motoroko) 12) Grapes
13) Coconut
14) Lemon
15) Leech
Importance of fruits consumption
When fruits are consumed, they give the body:
Energy (carbohydrates)
Vitamins and minerals
Fibre
Protein
water
Advantages and disadvantages of indigenous and exotic fruits
Advantages Disadvantages
Indigenous No care is needed because they grow They are seasonal
fruits naturally It’s not easy to get their seeds and
Give the body valuable vitamins and seedlings
minerals Not easy to find them in shops
Cheaper than exotic fruits Not many types are available to choose
Adapted to local weather conditions from
No money and time are spent in taking Knowledge on how to grow and manage
care of them them is not available
Exotic Give the body rich vitamins and Expensive to buy, most people cannot
fruits minerals afford them
Easy to get their seeds and seedlings Some are new and familiar to local
Many kinds are available to choose people
from Expensive to grow and manage
Information is available on how to They bring with them pest and diseases
grow and manage them Not adapted to local weather conditions
Available throughout the year
Nutritional value of fruits
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Nutritional value of fruits means the usefulness of fruits as food in our bodies. For example;
1) Contains vitamins and minerals that protect our bodies from diseases
2) Provide our body with fibre, which keep our bowels and stomach working well
3) Contains carbohydrates which gives our body energy to do work
4) Vitamins and minerals strengthen the immune system so that we can resist diseases
5) Contains protein that help build and repair body cells, tissues and organs
The importance of eating fruits to HIV and AIDS infected people
HIV/AIDS infected people because fruits;
contains vitamins and minerals that help strengthen the immune system and thus helping fight
infections and making the body to heal fast
have carbohydrates which gives them energy to do work
contains proteins which build and repair worn out tissues and cells
have a lot of water which is easy to digest
Are colorful thus appetizing. Sick people will be appetized by the fruits
Problems and solutions to the problems faced by fruit producers
Problems Solution
1) Shortage of water/rainfall Building dams that can be used to water the orchard
Building reservoirs to store water
2) Poor soils Using fertilizers and manure to fertilize the soil
Looking for places with rich soil to avoid spending
money on manure
3) Lack of money Applying for loans from commercial banks
Treating farming as a business
4) Lack of knowledge and skills Farmers should work-shopped on how to grow and
manage fruits
Agriculture demonstrators should be readily available to
help farmers
Farmers should gain knowledge and skills before
venturing in fruit production
5) Hot and dry weather conditions Farmers should grow fruit trees that can grow well under
hot and dry conditions
Farmers a should practice good field management
system to protect the fruit trees
6) Outbreak of pests and diseases Farmers should use chemicals to control pests and
diseases
7) Tough competition from neighboring The government should limit the importation of fruits if
countries they are produced locally
more TAX should be charged on imported fruits
8) lack of market government should help fruit producers set up market
where fruits can be sold
9) Reduction in productivity due to HIV Farmers should take care of themselves and go the clinic
and AIDS when they are not well
Preparing a planting hole for growing a fruit tree
Fruit trees are grown in an orchard.
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Dig hole using a pick and shovel
Separate topsoil and subsoil
Dig as deep as possible (it will improve aeration, water and root penetration)
Mix topsoil with manure and fertilizer
Below is an illustration of how a hole is dug.
Planting a fruit tree
If the tree is covered with a plastic, remove the plastic bag carefully making sure that the soil around
the roots is not destroyed.
Put a mixture of topsoil, manure and fertilizer in the hole leaving just enough space for the tree
Put the tree at the centre of the hole.
Put topsoil, manure and fertilizer around the seedling
Press the soil firmly around the seedling to remove pockets of air
Use subsoil to make a basin or ridge
Water the tree.
Fruit production management practices
After planting fruit trees, they must be taken care of.
1. Watering
This is application of water to supplement rainfall.
The plants should be given the right amounts of water and should not be over watered.
Water transport food and air around the plant.
Watering can is used to water/irrigate.
2. Pruning:
Diseased, infested and dead parts of crops are removed from the growing crop.
This is meant to control the spread of the disease or pest and also to reduce waste of nutrients,
which could be transported to these unproductive plant parts.
Is also done to initiate flowering in some fruit trees. Some fruit need to lose some parts, for
them to bloom in spring and produce fruits. Eg. Grapes.
It allows for sunlight to reach all parts of the plant which helps fruits to ripen.
Pruning shears are used.
3. Training
This is some form of training where the objective is to get some form or shape.
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It is done mainly for decorative purposes or to get the tree to grow into some shape.
It is commonly done in grapevines.
4. Fertilizer application
Fertilisers make the soil rich making fruit trees to grow well.
Fertilizer is usually applied to the fruit trees at different rates depending on the needs of the
tree and the concentration levels of these nutrients.
The application of fertilizers before or at planting is called Basal dressing and when the tree
is growing is referred to as Top dressing.
5. Mulching
It means covering the soil is covered with materials to reduce evaporation.
This is normally done just after planting, where the basin is covered with crop residues or
grass to regulate the soils temperature.
Mulch is usually removed after the seedlings have emerged. In extreme water shortages and
high temperatures, the mulch is left on the field permanently.
If the mulch is grass, leaves or twigs, it will rot and become humus thus adding nutrition to
the soil
6. Pests and disease control
Pests and diseases have to be controlled as they cause a lot of damage to fruits and reduce
drastically the yield and the quality of these fruits.
Chemical called Pesticides are used to control pest, other pests can be controlled by hand
picking.
7. Weeding
Weeds need to be removed because they can cause poor growth to fruit trees.
They compete with fruit trees for space, nutrients, water, air and sunlight.
Chemicals known as weedicides can be used to control them
Tools such as spade, hoe and rake can be used to control them
8. Cultivation
It is done to loosen the soil thus improving aeration, root and water penetration.
Tools such as rake are used to cultivate
9. Staking
Fruit trees with weak steams need to be supported so that they can grow upright. Eg. Grapes
Pools, wires and strings or ropes are used to support them
10. Harvesting
When fruits are ripe, we harvest them so that we can eat or sell them.
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Ripe fruits are handpicked.
Fruits have to be thoroughly cleaned and graded before they can be nicely packaged.
Preserving fruits
It means protecting fruits from rotting or getting spoilt.
Fruits have to be preserved immediately after harvesting, as they are highly perishable.
It enables them be kept in a good condition for a long time.
It enables them to be available throughout the year.
1. Refrigeration
Clean fruits are kept in a refrigerator where temperatures are very low (between 1 ℃ and 24 ℃).
Low temperatures slow down the growth of microorganism which are responsible for the rotting
of fruits.
2. Freezing
Putting fruits at extremely low temperatures (below 0℃).
Frozen fruits will not rot or get spoilt for a very long time after harvesting. This because
microorganisms will be inactive and cannot grow and multiply.
3. Dehydration
It means removing moisture from fruits.
Fruits are often put under the sun to remove moisture from them.
Microorganisms need moisture to grow and multiply.
4. Canning
Fresh fruits are cleaned, sliced and then put in cans. Sugar or fruit juice is added to the cans
which help to remove water from fruits thus preventing them from rotting.
Fruit production records
Production record is written information showing the amount of produce/yield/harvest received.
It shows quantities of fruits produced in a given period of time.
Proper records must be kept because improper/false information can give a farmer false
information about the business.
Fruit harvested Date harvested Total yield Comments
Oranges 12/6/2020 100kg Most oranges were not damaged by pests and
diseases
Bananas 20/06/2020 150kg Some fruits were attacked by pests
Apples 01/07/2020 200kg Some fruits had been damaged by fruit flies
Marketing of fruits
Marketing of fruits includes all the activities or processes done immediately after harvesting.
These would include;
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Cleaning (washing)-consumers will buy clean fruits than dirty ones
Grading-putting fruits according to size
Packaging-putting fruits in grates or boxes
Pricing-the price at which fruits are soil
Transportation-taking fruits to retail shops or customers
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