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George Mathew has developed a new method for
the cultivation of vanilla in order to get more yield as well
as some other advantages. A one-metre long stem of
vanilla is planted initially. After six months, it starts sprouting
from where it was bent below the node. After nine months,
it starts flowering between the sprout and the point of
cut. After one year, the second sprout starts at the point
of initial bend. The stem is cut one metre away from the
point of second sprout. It starts flowering and fruiting in
bunches from all the stems that have got cut at their end.
These bunches are tied to the stem to make them grow
straight. Sprouts arise at every bending point of the stem.
Some distinctive features of this variety are: farmers
can decide the exact place to grow the shoots and pods,
the total length of the stem can be controlled to 18
metres thus reducing the load on the supporting tree, since
stem is not entangled, the problem of disease is minimized.
Stem growth being controlled, new unwanted sprouts and
suckers are also averted. About 2500 plants can be grown per
hectare. Supporting trees need not be interconnected for
reinforcement and the expenditure on labour is reduced. Some amount of
rainfall during November to February will not affect the yield adversely. The
plants start yielding within one year, bunches of pods spring up
from many nodes of the same branch and 20 to 25 fruits are obtained from
each bunch. Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore in
its comments acknowledged that induction of flower from the cuts
on the stem was a novel technique.
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