Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)

Soil is an important natural resource supporting the life on earth. Majority of the agricultural activities depend on soil. Maintaining soil health requires scientifically sound management of the soil in order to preserve its ability to function as a living ecosystem that supports bacteria, humans, animals, and plants. It became apparent that soil and land resource was negatively impacted by both intensive agricultural systems and careless and ineffective agricultural methods that did not take soil health into account. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.), a tree nut crop that grows in tropical regions of the world, is treasured for its very edible nut that is traded all over the world. The soil resources of cashew-growing regions across the globe are reported to suffer from the problems of soil acidity and deficiencies of major and micronutrients. The soils in cashew-growing regions exhibit low base status, water-holding capacity, and organic carbon status due to the region’s distinctive climate and inadequate implementation of management practices. In order to stop the deterioration of soil resources under cashew farming, it is crucial to evaluate the soil conditions and adjust its acidity. It has been demonstrated that site-specific soil and water conservation techniques increase crop productivity and retain moisture in addition to keeping the topsoil from being washed away during periods of heavy rainfall. Application of manures, soil test-based inorganic fertilizer application, biofertilizers, green manuring, and recycling of the biomass available in the plantations helped to improve the soil health in cashew plantations and prevented further degradation. There is a need to spread awareness about the importance of managing soil health for sustainable crop production among all the stakeholders.