eChapters

INTRODUCTION

The cultivated almond (Prunus dulcis (Miller). D.A. Webb; Syn. Prunus amygdalus L. Batsch.) known as “Badam” in hindi is an important stone fruit tree species producing highly nourishing nuts of great medicinal value, called as almond. Badam Pappu (Telugu), Badam Paruppu (Tamil), Baadami (Kannada), Badam kayu (Malayalam) are other local names for almond in India. Surprisingly, the almond is not a true nut member, but rather is actually a family member of stone fruits such as nectarines, peaches, plums and cherries. For this reason, some people refer to an almond as a fruit. It is a medium sized deciduous tree belonging to Rosaceae family which produces edible seeds in hard outer shell and is cultivated mainly between latitudes 36o and 45o N. The almond is the most favoured nut with Indians and is very much relished by people. Spain , USA, Itlay, China, Iran, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Morroco, France, Persia and Syria are the important almond growing countries. In India it is mainly cultivated in the Kashmir valley and some parts of Himachal Pradesh.

INTRODUCTION

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) is of great importance across worldwide where nuts are harvested from wild stands, backyard gardens and rarely from commercial orchards that vary considerably in their size and degree of management. Nuts are collected for home consumption, sale at local roadside stands and markets and for shipping to cities. Walnut trees are further utilized for their high quality timber to make a wide array of products. The leaves, bark and other plant parts are used for medicinal remedies and trees are grown and maintained for soil conservation purposes (Mamadjanov, 2006b). A diverse mix of seedlings, local selections, and advanced cultivars are grown for nut production, many with unknown origins, including some of which are the direct result of selection from the wild.

INTRODUCTION

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), belongs to the family Rosaceae and is one of the most important fruit crop of mid hills and dry temperate regions of India. It was introduced in India by the European settlers and Missionaries in the late 19th century. Cultivated apricot has its origin in North-Eastern China, whereas wild apricot, popularly known as zardalu, appears to be indigenous to India. It grows wild in hills of Shimla and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. Fruit is delicious, rich in vitamin A and contains more carbohydrates, proteins, phosphorous and niacin than many other common fruits. Besides its use as dessert, it is also canned and dried. Fruit is processed into jam, nectar and squash. The kernels are either sweet or bitter, depending upon the variety. The sweet kernels are used as a cheap substitute for almonds in pastries and confectionery. The bitter kernels are used for oil extraction. In India, apricot is grown commercially in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and to a limited extent in north eastern hills. Some drying type apricots are being grown in the dry temperate areas of Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.

INTRODUCTION

The European plum (Prunus domestica L.) is the most important plum species grown in different countries in the world. The Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is the next important species grown in many Asian countries. It is more vigorous, productive, precocious in bearing and more resistant to diseases than the European plum. The Japanese plum a temperate fruit is unique amongst the stone fruits. It is a strong small growing tree, performing well as major crop of hills and considered as important minor fruit crop in north India. Its low chilling varieties comes into the market when the other crops are scarce and find little competition in the market. The fruit growers are now preferred to grow Japanese plum on account of giving higher yield and excellent return per unit area. It is successfully grown in temperate zone and subtropical climate of northern Indian states. Moreover, it is preferred as filler tree in permanent orchards of mango, litchi and pear. It start bearing after 2-3 years of planting and giving good economic return to the growers during pre-bearing period of permanent fruit crops.

INTRODUCTION

Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] is a temperate origin crop but well adapted to sub-tropical regions. It is an important fruit crop of Rosaceae family and is the third most important temperate tree fruit species behind apples and pears. Trees of most peach cultivars require from 100–1000 hours of chilling.

NUTRITIVE AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Peaches are good source of sugars, vitamins and minerals. It has a rich source of vitamins A and C and also contains potassium and fibre. The fruit has over 80% water and one average sized peach have 7% of the dietary fibre which is required each day. It helps in maintaining healthy vision, skin care, nervous system, healthy bones, and teeth. It has anti-aging properties and also helps in detoxification, as well as improving digestion and cellular health. It has a wealth of essential nutrients and antioxidants which are valuable during pregnancy and it helps in strengthening the immune system. Peaches contain carotenoids and anthocyanins which have antioxidant properties and act as a protective agent against various problems i.e inflammation, cancer, atherosclerosis, obesity, cholesterol and other circulatory problems (Prior and Cao 2000; Wargovich 2000).

INTRODUCTION

Pear is one of the important fruit crops of temperate regions of India after apple. It is one of the few fruit crops that is adaptable to wide range of climatic conditions. It belongs to genus Pyrus and family Rosaceae, subfamily Pomoideae. The pear belong to three categories i.e. European pear (Pyrus communis L.), Japanese or Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia (Burm F.) Nakai, var. Culta) and their hybrids (Pyrus communis x Pyrus pyrifolia) are grown commercially in different parts of the country. Asian or Japanese pears are crisp and juicy with some having apple like flavour. European pears are very soft and have melting texture. Japanese pear has gained importance as a commercial crop in Northern India. The area under this pear has been increasing due to its high yield potential and good economic returns.

INTRODUCTION

The apple ( Malus x domestica Borkh.) is an important temperate fruit, grown in areas experiencing cold winters, frost free springs and mild summer. The genus Malus has 25 species. Apple is considered best premier table fruit of the world. The commercially grown cultivars of apple are sweet, juicy and have a pleasing grainy texture. Apple is the most important crop or cash crop of hilly states and occupy 49 per cent of the total area under fruit crop.

Nutritive and Cultural Significance

Apple fruit is in rich source of proteins, minerals, potassium, thiamine, vitamin B6 and carbohydrates. Apple fruits contains sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose), dextrins, starch, hemicellulose, cellulose and pectin substances. Maleic acid is the major acid of apple fruits. The fruit contain Carbohydrates 14.5 per cent, protein 0.3 per cent, potassium 110 mg, phosphorus 10 mg, iron 0.12 mg and calcium 6 mg per 100 g of fruit. Among the vitamins, it contain vitamin C 10-40 mg, vitamin A 90-120 1U, thiamine (B1) 0.017 mg, Riboflavin 0.026 mg per 100g of fruit. Apple fruit contains 86 per cent water content.

INTRODUCTION

Fig  (Ficus carica L.) is commonly known as Anjeer. It has a luscious taste as a fresh fruit. The fruit of fig have been prized over centuries for the medicinal and dietary properties. The figs are consumed fresh, dried, preserved, candied, jam and canned. 

NUTRITIVE AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Medicinal Uses:The latex is widely applied on warts, skin ulcers and sores, and taken as a purgative and vermifuge, but with considerable risk. In Latin America, figs are much employed as folk remedies. A decoction of the fruits is gargled to relieve sore throat. Figs boiled in milk are repeatedly packed against swollen gums. Similarly, the fruits are much used as poultices on tumors and other abnormal growths. The leaf decoction is taken as a remedy for diabetes and calcifications in the kidneys and liver. Fresh and dried figs have long been appreciated for their laxative action. The food value of edible portion of fig (Morton, 1997) is given in detail in Table 1. 

INTRODUCTION
    
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is considered to be oldest among the domesticated tree fruits. It considered a symbol of life in desert because it tolerate high temperature, drought and salinity more than many other fruits. Date palm fruits are eaten as raw dates (Khalal stage), Soft dates (Tamar stage) and dry dates (Chhuhara). Different processed products viz sugar, starch, vinegar, juice, toffies, wine, chutney, jam, pickels etc. are prepared from date fruits. Leaves of date palm trees are utilized for preparation of baskets, brooms, ropes, building materials, fuel and paper. The plantation is also useful for stabilization and maintenance of ecological balance in the desert regions

INTRODUCTION

Phalsa, Grewia subinaequalis DC (syn. Grewia asiatica L.) is native to the Indian sub-continent and South-East Asia and belongs to family Tiliaceae, to which jute, our major money earning fiber crop, also belongs.Phalsa has been mentioned in our Vedic books and is native to India and other parts of southeast Asia, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It is known by many names viz., Hindi (Phalsa, Shukri, Tadachi, Dhaman, Parusha); English (Indian phalsa, phalsa); Bengali (Phalsa, Shunkri); Kannada(Phulsa), Telegu (Phutiki), Tamil (Unnu), Malayalam (Chadicha) Gujarati (Shukri), Filipino (Bariuangulod) and Thai (Potaohai,Yapkheethao,Malai,Laikhon). The plant is commonly known as Gangeran. Grewia species is one of the best examples of multipurpose fruit species which are useful source of food, fodder, fiber, fuelwood, timber and a range of traditional medicines which cure a number of diseases (Sharma and Patni, 2012). 

INTRODUCTION

The avocado (Persea americana Mill) is the highly nutritive fruit. Its common names are alligator pear or butter fruit in English; Aguacate, Palta in Spanish and Avokado in Afrikaans. It is an evergreen sub-tropical fruit. 

NUTRITIVE AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Avocado is the most nutritive among fruits. The pulp is rich in proteins and fat, but low in carbohydrates. Avocados have the highest energy value of 245 cal/100 g and reservoir of several vitamins and minerals. Avocado is rich in copper and iron, potassium and is associated with lower blood pressure as it is high in monounsaturated fat. It contains all amino acids. Another benefit is avocados shown to maintain good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol and triglyceride level.. Avocado is considered healthy for heart ,good for digestion and vision. It is a natural detoxification fruit and may help in preventing osteoporosis
Avocado is mainly used fresh, in sandwich filling or in salads. It can also be used in ice creams and milk shakes and the pulp may be preserved by freezing. The fat in avocado is similar to olive oil in composition and is widely used in the preparation of cosmetics.

INTRODUCTION

Jamun (Syzygium cumini (L) Skeels Syn Eugenia jambolana Lamk.) is an important commercial indigenous minor fruit of India and is highly suitable for avenue and for social forestry plantation. It belongs to family Myrtaceae. The other major plants belong to this family are eucalyptus, bottle brush and cloves. It is known by different names like black plum, Indian black berry, Ram jamun, jambolan, Jambul and Phalinda in different parts of country. Trees are found growing throughout the tropics and subtropics as an avenue plantation on road side, school, religious places and as wind break around the orchards. It is also occurs in the lower range of the Himalayas up to an elevation of 1,300 meters and in the Kumaon hills up to 1,600 meters above mean sea level. It is widely grown in the larger parts of India from the Indo-Gangetic plains in the North to Tamil Nadu in the South. The importance of this fruit is increasing day by day due to increasing awareness of hypoglycemic properties of this fruit against diabetics. It is adequately rich in antioxidants.

INTRODUCTION

Loquat (Eriobotrya Japonica Lindl.) is an evergreen fruit tree and grown extensively in subtropical regions of world which belongs to family Rosaceae. It is also known as Japanese Plum or Japanese Medlar. The word Eriobotrya has been derived from two greek words i.e ‘erion’ and ‘botrys’ meaning wool and cluster respectively which stands for wooly inflorescence The plant is often planted in parks and gardens due to its ornamental appearance. The fruit of loquat is available in the months of March - April when very few fresh fruits are available and fetches maximum returns.

INTRODUCTION

Aonla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) is an important indigenous minor fruit grown in tropical and subtropical regions of India. It is known with many vernacular names such as amla, aura, amlaki, nelli, amolphal, amlakamu, amlet, amlay. Aonla, cultivation is highly remunerative due to its high productivity even on marginal lands. The plant is quite hardy, heavy bearer giving better income to the farmers. It can be grown successfully in marginal soil and various kinds of wasteland conditions such as sodic and saline soils, ravines, dry and semi dry regions.

INTRODUCTION

Litchi(Litchi chinensis) is an important sub-tropical evergreen fruit crop. The tree bears heart-shaped, conical, or spherical drupaceous fruits with a thin, indehiscent pericarp that surrounds the sweet, translucent, succulent, and juicy aril. Although litchi originated in the Asia-Pacific region, orchards are found in more than 80 countries. Having introduced into India by the end of the 17th century, litchi is an important fruit crop in India and is a source of livelihood to millions especially in the Gangetic plains along the foothills of the Himalayas where the crop is grown popularly. Bihar is the major litchi-producing state in India accounting for about 37% of both national acreage and production. Muzaffarpur is famous for its Shahi litchi and is popularly referred to as the ‘Litchi City’ or ‘Litchi Hub’.In India it is grown in an area of about 85000 ha with total production of 528000 MT. Bihar is followed by West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam in terms of production, while the highest productivity of litchi (16 MT/ha) is reported from Punjab.

INTRODUCTION

The ber or Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) in the most common fruit crop grown in arid and irrigated zones of Indian sub-continent. It is one of ancient fruits of India which is cultivated practically all over the country for its fresh consumption. Ber is a tropical as well as subtropical fruit and can be successfully cultivated even in the most marginal eco-system of tropics and subtropics. Ber is a hardy fruit tree and is best known for growing under adverse soil and climatic conditions. It can thrive well even in drought, water-logged and salinity conditions. It is common notion among the people that ber is a poor man’s fruit. It is one of the most nutritious fruit compared to other ones. The grafted varieties of ber fetch even higher price in the market than several other fruits. Hence, ber stands no longer the poor man’s fruit. Now, ber growing has received a great attention and preferred as a commercial fruit crop in North Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on account of its potential for higher yield and good economic return to the growers. Moreover, the tree has less water need in the summer months during the period of dormancy, thus considered an ideal fruit for cultivation in the arid and semi-arid regions of North India. Apart from ber, no other fruit trees grow wild so extensively in this region, thus it is becoming popular among the growers.

INTRODUCTION

The pomegranate(Punica granatum L.) is one of the oldest known edible fruits, occupies the eighteenth place among the main world-fruit cultures.The fruit was naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region through ancient times and today the main areas of world production are Turkey, Spain and California. Around the world pomegranates are generally grown in Mediterranean climates, often with very warm dry summers (Wetzstein et al., 2011). During recent past, this ancient fruit has emerged as commercially important fruit, owing to its enormous medicinal and nutritional properties, built-in ability to tolerate heat and drought, low resource input demanding nature and high returns on investment (Singh et al.,2012). The fruit has growing consumer demand both for fresh use as well as processing into juice, syrup, squash and anardana (an acidulant product), owing to its attractive, juicy, and refreshing arils (Pruthi and Saxena, 1984).

INTRODUCTION

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the important fruit crop in world grown commercially in temperate, tropical and sub-tropical regions. At present, it is one of the major horticultural industries over an area of 7.5 million hectares. Grape berries are attractive for their unique flavour and are utilized in many different ways, so its cultivation is becoming more popular. Approximately 71% of world grape production is used in wine industry, 27% as fresh fruits and only 2% as dried fruit. China is the largest producer of grapes followed by Italy, USA, France and Spain. In world, India hold 9th position in grapes production with an annual production of 2822.78 thousand MT.Peninsular India comprise of accounts for 90 % area under grapes. India has the distinction of having highest productivity (21.4 MT/ha) of grapes in the world

INTRODUCTION
 
Citrus is the most economically important fruit crops widely grown in developed and developing countries of the world and is one of the main sources of vitamin C. There is also an increasing demand of “high quality fresh citrus” driven by World Health Organization recommendations. Citrus fruits contain the largest number of carotenoids found in any fruit and extensive array of secondary compounds with pivotal nutritional properties such as vitamin E, provitamin A, flavonoids, limonoids, polysaccharides, lignin, fiber, phenolic compounds, essential oils etc. These substances greatly contribute to the supply of anticancer agents and other nutraceutical compounds with anti-oxidant, inflammatory, cholesterol and allergic activities, all of them are essential to prevent cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, thrombosis, cancer, atherosclerosis and obesity. In spite of these beneficial traits there is still a major need to improve fruit quality to meet current consumer’s demand.

INTRODUCTION

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam) belongs to family Moraceae. It is popularly known as ‘Poor Man’s food’ in eastern and southern India. It is also known as Kanthal, Kathal, Penasa, Kontaka and Phanas in India. Jackfruit is a very unique fruit crop and common tree of low land tropics and grows well without much care. It has considerable potential but it is yet to receive due attention. It is mainly grown in homestead for domestic uses and as a shade tree in coffee or cardamom plantations. It is cultivated in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Nepal. India is the second largest producer of jackfruit in the world and is considered as ‘Mother land of jackfruit’. In India, it is widely distributed in Assam, Tripura, Bihar Uttar Pradesh, and foot hills of Himalaya, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Maharashtra (Sidhu, 2012). It is seldom grown in an organized form as that of other fruit crops viz. mango, guava, etc. Most of the jackfruit trees are observed in kitchen garden or orchards of other fruit crops, roadside or in forests. Well managed orchards of jackfruit are seen in Panruti area of Pondicherry, where the production is at almost throughout the year. At present the area under jackfruit in the country is 157.58 (000’ ha) and the production is 1572.87 (000’ MT) (Anon. 2015).

INTRODUCTION

Custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) is considered as one of the delicious fruit meant for table purpose. In India, during the year 2014-15 the area under cultivation of custard apple was 29870 ha with production of 228370 tones and productivity of 7.65 tones ha-1 (Anon, 2015a). In Maharashtra, the area increased by 9 to 10 times recently i.e. since 1990 onward, after start of Economic Guarantee Scheme (EGS) of Government of Maharashtra. Hence, Maharashtra is the leading state in custard apple production, wherein during the year 2014-15, the area, production and productivity of custard apple was 8660 ha, 59330 tones and 6.85 tones, respectively. This accounts about 25.98 per cent share of the state in the national production. This is followed by Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. (Anon, 2015a). The largest area of nearly one third of the Maharashtra State is in Purandar tahsil of Pune district. An average production of custard apple in Purandar area is about six tons ha–1. The farmers fetch high economic returns at very low input cost. Besides, export quality fruits get very high price ranging from Rs. 70 to 800 kg-1 (Anon, 1998) in foreign countries.

INTRODUCTION

Cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.), in the current global scenario, has attained the status of economically important crop with considerable export potential. Ancient sea route traders have been responsible for the spread of cashew from Brazil, its native, to other parts of tropical and sub tropical regions. In the rainforest areas with hot and humid regions of North east Brazil that the people from the long past knew to roast and use the cashew kernels. The owning of cashew trees meant the wealth, prosperity and social status of the family even in those days around 1500 AD in Tropical American region. The commercial importance of cashew nuts was not aggressively known at the time of its initial introduction into Asian and African countries.

INTRODUCTION

Sapota [Manilkara zapota (L) P. Royen] commonly known as chiku in India, is an exotic fruit crop originated in Tropical America. The name sapodilla is derived from the Spanish word zapotilla, meaning “small sapote.” Tree have dark green beautiful radiating canopy with central flag having aesthetic values.It is a popular crop widely cultivated in most tropical countries. The cultivation of sapota is a profitable venture as it does not need much spraying, pruning and it is a long-life fruit tree. Moreover, the fruit fetches good price in market as it ripens in April and May in North India, when mango and litchi fruits are scarce. At international level in India crop attained an important place in fruit industry. In India this fruit species is cultivated only for its delicious fruit for table purpose but in South America, it is cultivated for chickle the “gutta parcha” which is used as base material for chewing gum.This is extracted from bark. Sapota fruit present a climacteric behavior. In India farmer from Bordi village near Gholwad, late Sri Gopal Rao Patil realized the commercial potential of this evergreen and ever fruiting tree and procured a few plants and began to propagate for distribution among poor farmers of this area and within short time it had spread from Palghar in Maharashtra to Amalsad in Gujarat. Subsequently commercial cultivation in his region was helped by lranis and Marwari settlers. The best sapota orchards in this area belong to lranis and Marwaris. It is from this area that this fruit went to various other parts of the country like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, Punjab and Haryana etc. In India crop become very popular among farmers as a cash crop. There is a possibility of extending cultivation of this crop into warm and humid climate of all tropical regions of the world. In India area under this crop increasing every year. Therefore, in recent years, it has attained the status of major fruit in peninsular India. Popularity of this fruit is on increase due to high production per unit area and continuous fruiting throught out the year.

INTRODUCTION

Pineapple [(Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., Bromeliaceae)] is a commercial, tropical American crop, popularly known as “Golden Queen” all over the globe. The name ‘pineapple’ was given in the mid-17th century because of its resemblance to ‘pine cone’. Its botanical name Ananas comes from ‘anana’, the Tupi word for the fruit, meaning “excellent fruit” and comosus means tufted and refers to the stem of the fruit.
 
Pineapple is a monocotyledonous, low-growing,herbaceous and perennial with a spiral of spiny sword-shaped leaves on a thick stem. It has 90 to 100 cm height with spreading leaves, which give the plant a rosette appearance.The plant bears a single fruit terminally on a peduncle protruding out from the centre of the rosette. The fruit is mostly a large juicy fruit containing aromatic, edible, yellow flesh surrounded by a tough segmented skin and topped with a tuft of stiff leaves.

INTRODUCTION

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is known as wonder fruit of the tropics. It is unique plant, which produces fruits throughout the year. It owes its popularity due to various reasons, i.e., requires less area per tree, comes to bearing in a year, easy to cultivate and has high nutritive and medicinal value. Papaya is an ideal fruit for growing in kitchen gardens, backyard of homes as well as in orchards, especially those near the cities or big towns. India ranks first in production of Papaya in the world with share of 31% of the total production. Its productivity is highest (43.70 t/ha) among the fruits grown in. It is also  India. It is famous intercrop due to its small stature, short life cycle, precocious in bearing and grown extensively as a filler crop in orchards.
 
Papaya is quick growing, bearing fruits within 8-10 months of transplanting and giving yield in same year. Fast growth with high photosynthetic rate, reproductive precocity, low production cost and more output characterize the uniqueness of this fruit. Now a day, the area under this crop is growing rapidly due to its higher productivity. Indeed, papaya cultivation is very profitable if done on modern lines. Demand for its fruits is growing in domestic as well as export markets and require modern technological interventions for commercial exploitation of these fruits. A ready market for its fruits becomes a big bonus for growers. Immediate availability of a selling point and a good price from a buyer encourage the farmers to grow more papaya crop.

INTRODUCTION

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is an important fruit crop of India. It is a tropical fruit but also grows well under sub-tropical conditions. Guava is one of the commonest fruits liked by all the people and is known as ‘Apple of Tropics’. It is one of the major fruit of India and considered the fifth most important fruit in area and production after mango, citrus, banana and apple. Guava is quite hardly, prolific bearer and highly remunerative fruit which needs relatively less care as compared to other fruits. It excels most of other fruit crops in productivity and food value and as such has wide adaptability to soil and climatic conditions. Guava is such a fruit which is practically grown all over the country on commercial scale and especially in kitchen gardens and near the tubewell premises. The best quality of guava in India is grown in the area around Allahabad. Guava bear heavy crop every year and offer handsome economic return to growers.

INTRODUCTION

Banana (Musa species) also known as ‘Apple of Paradise’ is an important and commercial fruit crop of tropical regions of the world. It is the only tropical fruit traded to the extent, that it is the 5th largest agricultural commodity after cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa in world market.

The word ‘banana’ is now applied to all table varieties. Formerly, it was applied to ‘Nendran’ banana of Kerala which was however called ‘Plantain’ by Westerners. The English used the word ‘Plantain’ to represent cooking banana while in parts of South India, even sweet fruited clones were called ‘Plantains’. The variant with persistent bracts and male flowers with large fruits held in lax manner and eaten after cooking were grouped under plantains. All other types which had small fruits, held compact in a bunch with softening of the pulp when ripe, dropping of withered bracts and staminate flowers as the banana. In other words plantain are starchy, not sweet and cooked as vegetable. They usually resembles green bananas, are longer and have thick skin. Bananas are sweet, shorter and have thinner skin. They are eaten as a fruit and have yellow colour when ripe.

INTRODUCTION

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) belonging to Family Anacardiaceae is the most important commercially grown evergreen tree of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Due to its wide range of adaptability, high nutritive value, colorful fruits, richness in variety, delicious juicy taste and excellent flavor, it possesses high commercial value. It is sometimes also called ‘apple of the tropics’. It is believed that cultivation of mango originally started in South East Asia where it is being cultivated for last four to six thousand years. Now, it is cultivated in 112 countries of the world. India has the richest collection of mango cultivars.

INTRODUCTION

As per National Horticulture Database published by National Horticulture Board, during 2014-15 India produced 89.15 million metric tonnes of fruits. This value however differs from the consumption value depending upon the post harvest losses, storage losses or transportation losses. Transportation and distribution of fruits being the most important factor, plays a key role in determining the net income from horticulture trade. It is an essential link in the modern food chain and exists as complex matrix where not only fresh goods finished products are transported but there is also transportation of bulk raw materials. Locally grown produce may be transported directly from farms to retail outlet. For local market, the produce is brought by bullock cart, tractor, trollies. Mainly the long distance transportation is by trucks, rails which is costly. In India the transportation by Railway is much less than the other means. The road transport is 3-4 times more expensive than rail, yet it is preferred for shipment of fresh fruits simply because of the faster movement of perishable commodities.

INTRODUCTION
 
Once a crop is harvested, it is almost impossible to improve its quality. Therefore, proper storage conditions—temperature and humidity—are needed to lengthen storage life and maintain quality once the crop has been cooled to the optimum storage temperature. In modern times, the storage of perishables has become more sophisticated because of the demand for a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables at all the times of the year and because of need to spread peaks of production over longer periods to maximize profit and reduce waste. But in our conditions, storage of fruits and vegetables is practiced to avoid the low prices during the glut season in anticipation that prices will increase during the lean period or off-season. Certain crops like potatoes and apples can be stored for long period whereas for the crops peach and plum, the storage period is very short. However, for both long-term as well as short-term storage, high level of technical know-how about the crop is necessary for successful storage. There are a few important factors, which need to be taken into account before storage of the produce.

In post-harvest management of horticultural crops, post-harvest treatments play an important role in maintaining the quality and enhancing the shelf life. There are number of treatments viz non-chemical, chemical and biological treatments which are being used commercially depending on the requirement of trade. Fresh fruits are living tissues subject to continuous change after harvest. Some changes are desirable from consumer point of view but most are not. Post-harvest changes in fresh fruit cannot be stopped, but these can be slowed down within certain limits to enhance the shelf life of fruits
 
1. Low Temperature Treatment

Pre-cooling: Pre-cooling refers to the rapid removal of field heat from freshly harvested fruits in order to slow ripening and reduce the deterioration prior to storage and transportation. The major effect of pre-cooling consists in reducing respiration rate, retarding the growth of decay organisms and reduces wilting and shrivelling, since transpiration and evaporation occur more slowly at low temperature. The harvesting of many perishable crops is done at evening or early morning to avoid excessive field heat.

Grading is defined as sorting of fruits into different grades according to the size, shape, colour, and volume to fetch high price in market. Grading of fruits after harvesting is an essential step in post-harvest management. Grading of fruits is done on the basis of physical characteristics like weight, size, colour, shape, specific gravity and freedom from diseases. The known methods of grading of fruits and vegetables are manual grading and size grading. Sizing produce is usually a part of grading and is optional for direct marketers, but may be worthwhile if certain size grades receive a higher price than others. Round produce units can be easily graded by sizing rings. Several types of mechanical sizers are available for small-scale operations. Sorting by maturity can maximize the market value of crops such as stone fruits and mangoes .The grades of different fruits suggested by Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) are given in Table 1.

INTRODUCTION

Fruits of commercial importance comprise various combinations of tissues that may include an expanded ovary, the seed and other plant parts such as the receptacle (apple, strawberry), bract and peduncle (pineapple). They may develop from a single ovary of a flower as in simple fruits (apple, banana, mango, peach, plum, tomato etc.), number of ovaries of a single flower as in aggregate fruits (strawberry) or from a number of ovaries of different flowers as in compound fruits (pineapple). They are derived from members of a wide range of families of both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Inspite the huge diversity in origin, structure, composition and climate adaptabilities that exists among different fruits, there is considerable similarity in the pattern of maturation and ripening that occur in different fruits.

INTRODUCTION

With the change in world scenario from plentiful resources to limited with population increasing geometrically, shrinking land and climate change, the pressure on agriculture is mounting continuously. Meeting the nutritional requirements of population by optimum supply of food is the pre-requisite for sustainability of life under such conditions. Rapid urbanization is causing scarcity of cultivable land. Therefore, the productivity per unit area of the crops needs to be increased manifold. Horticulture, in general, has attained a pride status in the field of modern agriculture. However, radical changes are expected in horticultural practices in near future as the situation in terms of area as well as production is not as comfortable as the food grain production.

INTRODUCTION

The initial care of young seedlings and propagated plants is very necessary and important. Efforts should be made in such a way that the young plants can be propagated and grown to a saleable size with no insect-pests and diseases attack and nutrient deficiency. The supply of healthy plant material to the growers helps in good reputation of a nursery as well as to make fruit crops more profitable.

Sometimes young nursery plants suffers from various problems like attack of insect-pests and diseases, nutrient deficiency, scanty or excessive moisture and stagnation of excess or rain water in the field. The young seedlings/plants require light and frequent irrigation and need special care to make them grow well and to save them from adverse weather conditions. They must be protected from intense heat and cold. The young nursery plants growing on light or sandy soils can exhibit deficiency symptoms of macro and micro elements. Such nutrient deficiencies can easily be corrected by foliar or soil application of desired nutrient.

INTRODUCTION

For survival of young seedlings and rooting of cuttings it is essential that they maintain a healthy water and air balance especially to make up the water lost in transpiration. Water stress within the cuttings hinders metabolic activities and cell regeneration and consequently initiation of roots. So medium should be such that it provides adequate water required for rooting and growth. Also these substrates must provide initial nutrients necessary for plant growth. These should also contain micro-organisms that seedlings may need.

SEED GERMINATION

Germination is the growth of a plant contained within a seed; it results in the formation of the seedling, it is also the process of reactivation of metabolic machinery of the seed resulting in the emergence of radicle and plumule. The seed of a vascular plant is a small package produced in a fruit or cone after the union of male and female reproductive cells. All fully developed seeds contain an embryo and, in most plant species some store of food reserves, wrapped in a seed coat. Some plants produce varying numbers of seeds that lack embryos; these are called empty seeds and never germinate. Dormant seeds are ripe seeds that do not germinate because they are subject to external environmental conditions that prevent the initiation of metabolic processes and cell growth. Under proper conditions, the seed begins to germinate and the embryonic tissues resume growth, developing towards a seedling.

INTRODUCTION

Plant tissue culture is basically in vitro culturing of any type of explants such as leaf, root, bud and stem or even single cell except the seed or embryo on a suitable culture medium under controlled environmental conditions. Plant tissue culture employs the totipotency of plant cells to produce whole plant. The term totipotency was coined by German plant physiologist, Haberlandt (1902) who is known as father of tissue culture techniques.

Definition of Micropropagation

Micropropagation is one of the best and most successful examples of commercial application of tissue culture techniques. The concept of micropropagation was first presented to the scientific community in 1960 by Morel, who produced the virus-free cymbidium through meristem culture. It entails in vitro propagation of plants starting with very small plant parts (0.2-10mm) grown aseptically, followed by their establishment in soil under green house conditions. It is the art and science of plant multiplication in vitro. This technique has been standardized and commercialized for various fruits and vegetable crops.

INTRODUCTION

Plant propagation involves three main aspects: knowledge of mechanical manipulations and technical skills which constitutes the art of propagation; knowledge of plant growth and structures which constitutes science of propagation and knowledge of different kinds of plants and their methods of propagation. The basic objective of plant propagation is to increase the number of desirable types and to preserve the essential characteristics of the plant. Generally, sexual propagation or the seed propagation is used to raise the seedling rootstocks on which to graft or bud the desirable types. The clonal rootstocks are multiplied through vegetative means- layering, cutting etc. Various sexual and asexual methods such as use of seeds, apomicts, specialised plant parts, cuttings, layers, grafts and buds are employed to multiply plants of different fruit crops. In this chapter, the techniques used for raising rootstocks and multiplying the desirable types of different fruits have been discussed.

INTRODUCTION

The propagation of plants has been one of the fundamental occupations of mankind since beginning of civilization. Plant propagation involves the application of specific biological principles and concepts in the multiplication of plants for useful purposes. The present day plant propagation industry is large and complex and involves not only the group that multiplies the plants for sale and distribution, but also a large group of industries that provide services, sell the product, is involved in regulation, provides consultation carries on research or is involved in teaching. The key person with in this complex, however, is the plant propagator who possesses the knowledge and skill either to perform or to supervise the essential propagation tasks for specific plants.

INTRODUCTION
 
Growth and development are often used interchangeably, however, these describe separate events during the life cycle of a plant. To understand these precisely, let us take the example of multicellular organisms like annuals, monocarpic or flowering plants (angiosperms) including fruits, vegetables, flowers etc. which begins their life from a single cell fertilized egg, the zygote. The zygote develops into embryo through the cell division and differentiation. When we sow the seed in garden or pots, in a few days a young seedling emerge. With the passage of time, the seedling grow in size, the number of leaves increases, in perennial plants branching occurs for few years, and after putting forth the requisite vegetative growth plant begins flowering, produces fruits, seeds and finally the plant senesce at certain period. Generally three terms “growth”, differentiation” and “development” are used to describe the different events during the life cycle of a plant.

INTRODUCTION

Plant growth regulators (PGR) are bioactive molecules that modulates the physiological processes in plants and are effective at ultra-low concentrations. Minute alteration in the concentration and bioactive forms of PGRs’ throughout the plant development phases regulate the flowering, fruit set and development. The use of plant growth substances to control fruit set, size, shape, and maturation has become important in agriculture today because they have the ability to increase fruit size, colour, and shape, thereby increasing the marketability. By hastening or delaying maturation the grower can utilize peak demands, avoid unfavourable environmental conditions, and extend the market period. PGRs are applied in fruit crops at all developmental stages for various purposes as discussed below: 

INTRODUCTION

Water is one of the most important inputs essential for tree growth, development and fruit production. Fruit trees need it continuously during their life in optimum quantities. It profoundly influences photosynthesis, respiration, absorption, translocation and utilization of mineral nutrients, and cell division besides some other processes. Both its shortage and excess affect the growth and development of a plant directly and, consequently, its yield and quality. In India, however, rainfall is notoriously capricious, causing floods and droughts alternately. Its frequency distribution and amount are not in accordance with the needs of the particular fruit crops. Artificial water supplies through irrigation on one occasion, and the removal of excess water through drainage on another occasion, therefore, become imperative, if the fruit crops are to be raised successfully. Water management in India, thus, comprises irrigation or drainage or both, depending considerably on the environmental conditions, soil, crops and climate. Applying the proper amount of water at the right time is important for reducing costs and maximizing profits. It is essential, therefore, that there be a scientifically sound method for determining when to irrigate and how much water to apply for optimum crop response and efficient use of resources.

INTRODUCTION

The chemical compounds needed for growth and metabolism in plants are termed as nutrients. Mineral nutrition of fruit plants is a vital soil management practice in an orchard. The nutrients are converted to cellular constituents or used for energy purposes through metabolic process. Broadly the essential plant nutrients may be divided into macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. Macro nutrients are needed in plants in relatively higher amounts than micronutrients.
 
Macro nutrients: C,H, O, N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg. 
Micro nutrients: Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B, Cl, Ni.
 
Altogether 17 elements are considered essential for normal growth and production of a plant.While elements like cobalt, sodium and silicon have been established as essential elements for some plant species and not all. C-H-O matrix accounts for over 90% of the dry matter and is usually 20 to 50% of the fresh weight of the whole plant. Chloride is a most unusual nutrient as it is often present in plants in high concentrations yet its essential requirement is very much lower. Chlorine like Na and K plays an important role in osmoticum. The nutritional needs of fruit trees can be assessed through leaf and soil analysis, tree growth and cropping, and past experience.

INTRODUCTION
Canopy management is one of the most important management practices in an orchard. It is the ‘art’ of fruit growing involving manipulation of tree canopies to optimize the production of quality fruits. In fact it forms the basis of precociousness, productivity and longevity of the fruit trees. Canopy management is an important aspect of fruit culture due to its effect on yield, quality, vigour, and the prevention of diseases.
 
In orchard, light is critical to the growth and development of trees and their fruits. The green leaves harvest the sunlight to produce carbohydrates and sugars which are transported to the sites where they are needed – buds, flowers and fruits. Better light penetration into the tree canopy improves tree growth, yield and fruit quality. Training and pruning, affects the tree shape and facilitate exposure of leaves to sunlight. An ideal training strategy centres around the arrangement of plant parts, especially, to develop a better plant architecture that optimizes the utilization of sunlight and promotes productivity. Besides, development of strong scaffold system helps the trees to produce heavy crop loads of quality fruits without any major limb breakage.

INTRODUCTION

Soil is one of the most important factors associated with the success or failure of fruit production. Orchard soil management refers to those practices in the soil that aim at getting maximum productivity/production of quality fruits within the limits of soil, water and fertility management over the years. The decision regarding the practices of orchard management should always be taken well in advance before planting of an orchard. The practices for orchard management should be executed in a timely manner during the lifetime of the orchard. An efficient orchard management system always ensures higher return to the grower. However, no single management practice can be recommended for all orchards. The management systems varies from orchard to orchard, locality to locality, soil to soil, from one set of climatic conditions to another set of climatic conditions etc. These systems also have their own merits and demerits. Thus the choice of best suitable system depends on many factors such as climate, topography, rainfall, tree spacing, planting system/ orchard design, root depth of tree, economic condition of orchardists, fertility status of soil and type of main fruit crop etc.However, it should be combined with pruning, nutrient and water management, provision for pollination, fruit thinning and disease and pest management in order to obtain desirable tree growth and vigour with the aim to promote precocity with high productivity. The objectives of an ideal soil management system should be:

INTRODUCTION

The planning of new orchard is very important aspect of fruit glowing which needs special attention and care to make it more profitable venture. The climate and soil of particular area are the major chief natural factors in the orchard establishment. The proper combination of this governs the success of fruit growing
 
A. SUITABILTY OF CLIMATE FOR FRUIT PLANTS

Climate refers to an average condition of the atmosphere over a long period, whereas, the term weather refers to the current and temporary atmospheric conditions of an area. Climate is the principal factor for optimum vegetative and reproductive growth of plants. The success or failure of crop in a particular locality depends upon the prevailing climatic conditions. In our environment it is fundamental force which includes various components of climate like temperature, humidity, wind, light, rainfall, hail and frost. These factors should be taken care of for successful fruit production. All cultivated crops including fruit crops have certain natural threshold limits of the climatic parameters for their normal growth. The important climatic components which affect fruit crop production are given below:

A. PLANNING OF AN ORCHARD

Orchard is a long-term investment and needs proper planning and layout before establishment. Mistakes committed during planning and planting of fruit trees cannot be rectified. While planning and planting a new orchard, it is very important to carefully assess all the factors that will ultimately affect fruit yield and orchard sustainability. The aspects like location and site selection, suitability of soil and subsoil, suitability of fruit crop and varieties, plant spacing, market potential and source of nursery plants must be taken care of seriously. Thus, one should avail of expert advice on the establishment of new orchards and their proper maintenance.

INTRODUCTION

The climate of India is favourable for production of a variety of tropical, subtropical and temperate fruits. The area under cultivation, production and productivity of fruit crops has increased significantly during the last fifteen years. Horticulture has emerged as major area of growth in the agricultural sector and has out performed other crops with respect to production and productivity. The increase in fruit production was improved considerably from 43.0 million tonnes in 2001-02 to 91.4 million tonnes in 2015-16 (Table 1). This increase in production has come from an increase in area under different fruit crops and overall increase in productivity. In this way, India has maintained its second rank in global production of fruits next only to China. The fruit area increased from 4 million hectares in 2001-02 to 6.4 million hectares in 2015-16. On the basis of fruit production, it is estimated that per capita fruits availability in India 190 g per day which is still less than the recommended quantity of 230 g per capita per day.