Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an important export earning crop of the country which has earned a foreign exchange of Rs. 2569 crore in 1999-2000. The mean yield of existing cashew orchards in the country is hardly 834 kg/ha. Many factors likeuse of nondescriptive cultivars, non use of grafts of improved varieties, lack of proper nutrient management and soil and water coservation under unirrigated conditions are associated for such low yiel. Under rainfed conditions the low soil moisture availability during the fruiting season that normally coincides with the onset of dry season in Cashew growing areas, results in poor yield. Hence, the factors responsible for high produtivity and the strategies required for getting increased yield in cashew through efficient water management practices are discussed in this paper.
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