Post-harvest Management Techniques for Pomegranate

In early to mid-September, pomegranates ripen successively and enter the harvest stage. Post-harvest management must be carried out promptly to accelerate tree vigor recovery, strengthen fruiting mother branches, and lay a good foundation for high and stable yields next year.

Clear weeds, dead branches, fallen leaves and fallen fruit from the orchard. Prune out shaded branches inside the canopy and pest-damaged branches, dried branches, weak slender branches, overlapping branches, excessively overlapping branches and damaged branches on the outside of the canopy. Cut back branches that dropped flowers and fruit, harvested fruit branches and water sprouts, then gather them outside the orchard to be deeply buried or burned.

Apply post-harvest fertilizer in a timely manner. Apply within 5-10 days after harvest, mainly using high-quality organic fertilizer or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer. For trees more than five years old, apply 40-50 kg of decomposed human, livestock and poultry manure per tree, or 3-4 kg of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer. Dig 4-6 radial trenches under the canopy in the surface soil, 15-20 cm deep, 25-30 cm wide and 80-100 cm long. Spread the fertilizer evenly in the radial trenches and cover back with soil.

Strengthen pest and disease control. After clearing the orchard and pruning, spray the leaf surfaces inside and outside the canopy once with a 0.8-1 degree Baume lime sulfur aqueous solution. During the period of tree vigor recovery, it is also necessary to spray the canopy once every 15-20 days with a mixture of 1000-fold Lorsban and 800-fold Thiophanate-methyl, or a mixture of 800-fold trichlorfon and 600-fold carbendazim, or a mixture of 1000-fold dichlorvos and 600-fold Dexon, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. Spray all branches and leaves evenly, until water droplets begin to drip down.