Abstract

ORDUZ-RODRIGUEZ, Javier Orlando  and  RODRIGUEZ-POLANCO, Eleonora. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) a crop with productive potential: technological development and prospects in Colombia. Agron. Mesoam [online]. 2022, vol.33, n.2, 47268. ISSN 2215-3608.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/am.v33i2.47268.

Introduction. The world demand for cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) nuts has increased at more than 7 % per year, while production keeps on a rate of 6 % per year. This global market status makes the cashew nuts and its derivatives, as a promising agricultural alternative in Colombia, where about 270 t of kernels are imported per year. Objective. To present the basic aspects of cashew crop, and to show the current technological development and future prospects in Colombia. Development. Approximately 60 % of the area cultivated with cashew in Colombia presents average yields lower than 100 kg ha-1 of walnut, considered low compared to 1000 kg ha-1 or even higher that can be obtained with a technician management of the crop, a situation due to the lack of knowledge and scarce application of technologies for intensive production by producers. However, there is currently a technological offer of cashew clones with outstanding productive and quality characteristics, as well as technical recommendations for agronomic management of the cultivation and post-harvest of the walnut, which can be disseminated and implemented to address the main limitations of the crop, to improve cashew production in a profitable and environmentally sustainable way. Conclusions. The sustainability of current commercial cashew plantations and the increase of planting areas in Colombia require the validation and adoption of innovative technologies in integrated crop and postharvest management that could have an impact on the cashew crop in the country, by presenting alternatives to improve its productive behavior, as well as profitability for producers.

Keywords : cashew nut; cashew kernel; agronomic management; technical recommendations.

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