What are the growing conditions and suitable growing regions for jackfruit?

Jackfruit, also known as wood pineapple, tree pineapple, large tree pineapple, honey wax gourd, and cow stomach fruit, belongs to the Moraceae family, Artocarpus genus, and is an evergreen tree. It is a world-famous tropical fruit, with the fine names “Queen of Tropical Fruits” and “Fragrance that Lingers on the Teeth.” So what are the growing conditions for jackfruit? Where is it suitable to grow?

1. Growing conditions for jackfruit

[Temperature]

1. Jackfruit is a sun-loving tree species. It likes hot, humid tropical climates and is not cold-tolerant;

2. The annual average temperature at the planting site is required to be ≥21, the average temperature of the coldest month ≥13, and the absolute minimum temperature ≥0;

3. When the temperature is below 5°C-7°C, it is prone to flower and fruit drop;

4. Jackfruit is sensitive to frost in its early stages. Leaves can suffer frost damage at 0°C, branches at -1°C, and branches and the tree body can be frozen to death at -2°C to -3°C. However, adult fruiting trees have relatively strong cold resistance. In Florida, the tree body can endure short-term low temperatures of -3.89°C to -.333°C, but at -67°C conditions, it dies within a very short time. The temperatures most favorable for jackfruit growth are an annual average temperature of 27°C to 13°C.

[Light]

The daily sunshine duration is 5-7 hours. Slight shading or full sunlight is beneficial for flowering and fruiting.

[Water]

It adapts to arid climates, but if good growth and fruiting are desired, good irrigation conditions are needed. Generally, annual rainfall of more than 1500 mm is required. Under cool conditions, it needs less water. The tree body cannot tolerate continuous high humidity or waterlogging stress. Under high humidity conditions, 2-3 days can cause tree decline or even death.

[Soil]

1. It has no strict requirements for soil. It can grow normally in deep, fertile, loose, well-drained acidic soil, slightly alkaline clay soil, or sandy loam. Cultivation on low hills below 600 m altitude or on flat land is best.

2. Jackfruit grows well under warm, humid tropical and near-tropical climate conditions. It grows better below 1542 m altitude, and grows even better in low-altitude areas of 125-231 m, where fruit quality is better.

3. According to reports, jackfruit is not tolerant of soil conditions with high salinity. It generally requires sandy loam, sandy soil, or alluvial soil, with a deep topsoil layer rich in organic matter, for optimal growth.

[Space]

Jackfruit is generally planted at a spacing of 5-6 m between plants and 6-7 m between rows. The planting hole size is 80 cm × 80 cm × 80 cm. Plant 16-22 trees per mu.

2. Where is jackfruit suitable to grow?

Jackfruit originated in India and is widely cultivated in humid tropical regions. It is now abundantly produced in China, India, Indochina, the South Sea Islands, Bangladesh, and Brazil.

In China, it is cultivated in the tropical and subtropical regions of Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, and Sichuan, but apart from partial large-scale production in Hainan and Guangdong, most other provinces and regions grow it only in scattered plantings.

According to incomplete statistics, over the past 10 years or so, the jackfruit planting area has increased at a rate of nearly 15% per year, and large-scale commercial planting has appeared in some advantageous production areas. By the end of 2015, China's jackfruit planting area reached 13,300 hectares. Hainan ranks first in both planting area and output, with the main cultivated variety being “Qiongyin No. 1” (Malaysia No. 1), with an annual output of 150,000 tons.

3. How should jackfruit be grown?

1. Orchard site selection for jackfruit

Jackfruit likes warm, humid tropical climates. It is not cold-tolerant. The annual average temperature at the planting site is required to be ≥21°C, the average temperature of the coldest month ≥13°C, and the absolute minimum temperature ≥0°C. It has no strict requirements for soil. It can grow normally in deep, fertile, loose, well-drained acidic soil, slightly alkaline clay soil, or sandy loam. Cultivation on low hills below 600 m altitude or on flat land is best.

2. Orchard establishment for jackfruit

For jackfruit, the spacing is 5-6 m between plants × 6-7 m between rows. Dig planting holes of 80 cm × 80 cm × 80 cm. Place weeds and branches at the bottom of the hole mixed with 0.5 kg of lime, then return a layer of topsoil, and add 30 kg of pond mud, poultry and livestock manure, and 0.5 kg of phosphate fertilizer.

Jackfruit can be planted throughout the year, but spring planting (March-April) and autumn planting (September-November) are best. When planting, break up the soil in the planting hole finely, straighten and arrange the seedling roots, then press in fine soil layer by layer, with the root crown level with the ground being appropriate. After planting, immediately water thoroughly to settle the roots, and cover the tree basin with plastic film.

3. Reasonable fertilization for jackfruit

Fertilization for young trees: Young trees have relatively shallow and narrow root distribution, so frequent light applications are appropriate, preferably applied as water-soluble fertilizer. Generally, one flush and two fertilizer applications is more reasonable, namely a shoot-promoting fertilizer and a shoot-strengthening fertilizer. Between before shoot buds sprout and when a small number of shoot buds have sprouted, apply 20 g of urea per tree per time in the first year to promote shoots. When most young shoots have grown 6 cm and the new leaves from the shoot base have changed from light green to dark green, apply compound fertilizer and potassium fertilizer to strengthen the shoots. In the first year, apply (20 g compound fertilizer + 15 g potassium sulfate) per tree per time, increasing year by year thereafter.

Fertilization for fruiting trees: Fruiting trees are generally fertilized 3 times a year. Flower-promoting fertilizer: Apply flower-promoting fertilizer before flower spikes emerge, mainly compound fertilizer. Apply 1 kg compound fertilizer, 0.5 kg potassium sulfate, and 5 kg manure water per tree. Fruit-strengthening fertilizer: Apply during the young fruit stage, mainly nitrogen and potassium, with the purpose of promoting rapid fruit expansion. Apply 5 kg pig manure water, 0.5 kg urea, 0.5 kg compound fertilizer, and 0.5 kg potassium sulfate per tree. Post-harvest fertilizer: In October, in conjunction with renewal pruning. Apply heavy organic fertilizer to promote adventitious bud sprouting and accumulate nutrients for renewing the canopy. Apply 15 kg chicken manure, 0.5 kg urea, 1 kg compound fertilizer, and 0.5 kg superphosphate per tree.

4. Shaping and pruning of jackfruit

The fruiting parts of jackfruit are on the trunk, main branches, and small lateral branches. In production, the canopy height should be controlled, and a good round-headed canopy should be cultivated. Young trees should focus mainly on canopy development, along with shaping. When the trunk height reaches 1 m, cut back the trunk to promote branching. Cross branches, dense branches, and overlapping branches should be pruned as necessary. Generally, cultivate 3-4 first-order branches, with a canopy height of 3.5 m, to form a reasonable tree structure. Pruning of fruiting trees is mainly winter pruning, primarily removing dead branches, weak branches, overly dense branches, residual fruiting branches, and male flower branches. To control the canopy well, individual large branches and vigorous water shoots should also be appropriately cut back to keep branches evenly distributed and protect the inner canopy from sunscald.

5. Flower promotion for jackfruit

After planting, if vegetative growth is too vigorous and affects flowering and fruiting, ring barking or ring cutting can be done on the trunk and main branches to allow more nutrients to accumulate in the aboveground branches and trunk, promoting the emergence of fruiting branches and flowering and fruiting; alternatively, scoring the trunk and main branches every 30 cm can also achieve the effect of promoting flowering and fruiting. The degree should be to pierce the cortex without injuring the xylem, and it is not necessary to wipe away the flowing sap.

6. Fruit thinning and fruit retention for jackfruit

Thin fruits every year in March-April. It is appropriate to retain 3-5 fruits per square meter of canopy, with even and reasonable distribution. The principle of fruit thinning is to remove overly dense fruits and deformed fruits. During the young fruit stage, spray insecticide + fungicide + foliar fertilizer once every 15 days; when the fruits have basically set their shape, spray insecticide + fungicide once every 30 days to prevent disease and insect damage and promote fruit expansion.

7. Pest and disease control for jackfruit

Among the insect pests of jackfruit, longhorn beetles and beetles are common and serious, damaging branches and trunks, causing gum exudation, branch dieback, tree decline, trunk hollowing, and even rot and death. Adults can be captured and killed, eggs scraped off, or chlorpyrifos 600 times solution used to coat the trunk and inject into insect holes. The main diseases include leaf spot, sooty mold, and soft rot of flowers and fruits, which can be controlled with 1000 times carbendazim or 1500 times chlorothalonil.

8. Timely harvesting of jackfruit

The fruit maturation period of jackfruit is relatively concentrated from June to August, with earlier or later timing depending on regional climate differences. When temperatures are high, the flowering period is early and maturity is earlier; when temperatures are low, the flowering period is later and maturity is later. Because the flowering period of the same jackfruit plant is relatively long and maturity occurs successively, harvesting should be done in stages to ensure quality, increase yield, and also benefit tree vigor recovery. When the hexagonal wart-like protrusions on the rind are rounded and protruding, the shape is plump, the rind feels slightly soft to the touch, and a fragrant aroma can be smelled, it can be harvested. After harvesting, let it ripen for 2-3 days before eating.