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A climate-resilient agriculture, which we need urgently, will have to be based on a two-pronged strategy: maximising farm productivity and production during a normal monsoon period, and minimising the adverse impact of unfavourable weather as witnessed during 2009.  Unfortunately, we are yet to develop an anticipatory research and extension programme to minimise damage during unfavourable monsoon periods.  For example, the deficiency in rainfall during the southwest monsoon of 2009 was 23 per cent.  The growth in agriculture and allied sector GDP was minus 0.2.  The highest growth rate in agriculture GDP of 5.2 per cent was observed during 2005-06 when the growth in total GDP was 9.5 per cent.  Had we had a scientific monsoon management strategy, we could have minimised the loss in 2009-10.  Similarly, if we have a strategy for maximising the benefits of a good monsoon, we can hope to achieve at least 5 per cent growth rate during 2010-11 in agriculture and allied sectors.  In parts of China like the Yunnan province, which has experienced 60 per cent less rainfall than normal, there is a move to grow different crops together in the same field, thereby distributing the risk arising from monoculture. It is time to develop a pro-active monsoon management strategy.

How can we develop a sustainable water security system in an era of climate change and global warming ?  In my view, every country should develop a sustainable water security system with the following four major components.

Supply augmentation

The major sources of irrigation water are from rainfall, rivers, tanks, reservoirs and other surface water resources, groundwater, industrial and domestic effluents, and seawater.  Seawater comprises almost 97 per cent of the global water resource and is an important social asset.  With the melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice, sea level will go up with disastrous consequences. The tsunami of December 2004 gave a glimpse of what could happen in the future.  To augment supplies, we must harvest rainwater and store it carefully, both above and below ground.  Also, we should ensure that all waste water which emerges from industry and domestic use is purified and recycled.  Rainwater harvesting should become a way of life, so that it becomes everybody’s business.

There are reports in financial newspapers that the ongoing (2010) drought affecting nearly 200 districts in the country may not have much effect on GDP, since the farmers in the drought-affected areas contribute hardly 3 per cent to GDP.  It is sad that such a measure of the impact of drought on the lives and livelihoods of millions of rural families is even considered. It is this mindset, typical of the growing insensitivity to human suffering in our country, that is responsible for India being the home for the largest number of undernourished and malnourished children, women and men in the world.  No wonder we are finding it difficult to achieve the first among the UN Millennium Development Goals, namely, reducing hunger and poverty by half by 2015.  Unless we realise that agriculture in India is not just a food- producing machine, but is the backbone of the livelihood of over 60 per cent of our population, rural deprivation and suffering will not only continue to persist, but will get worse, leading to severe social unrest.

Managing the National Food Security System

Rajiv Gandhi understood the wisdom of Gandhiji’s doctrine that Gram Swaraj is the pathway to Purna Swaraj and launched the Panchayati Raj movement. Schedule 11 of Constitution Amendment 73 entrusts panchayats with the responsibility of managing natural resources and fostering sustainable agriculture. Representative democracy through elected members, one third of whom are women, and participatory democracy through Gram Sabhas, are powerful tools for ensuring a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women, and pro-livelihood orientation to all rural and agricultural development programmes.
 
The National Commission on Farmers has emphasised the need for community-managed food and water security systems promoted with the help and oversight of Gram Sabhas.  The Gram Sabha can serve as a Pani Panchayat to ensure that rainwater is not only harvested, but is used in a sustainable and equitable manner.

India’s Northeast region — one of natural beauty and cultural richness — is both a mega-biodiversity area as well as a “hot-spot” for genetic erosion. The rural population is around 82 per cent and depends largely on agriculture and allied sectors for work and income security. The forests harbour 8000 out of the 15,000 species of flowering plants occurring in the country. Of about 1300 species of orchids reported from India, the Northeast has the highest concentration with about 700 species. The species richness is highest in Arunachal Pradesh where over 5000 flowering plants occur and the lowest in Tripura with 1600 species. Bamboo is the lifeline of the Northeast and 63 out of 136 species found in India occur in this region. Sadly, however, 25 species of bamboo fall under the rare and endangered category. The region is also home to the eri and muga silkworms. The yak and the mithun are unique animals which are threatened by the spread of non-edible invasive species like Lantana, Eupatorium and Mekenia. The cultural diversity of this region is well known, with 225 tribes out of 450 in the country living here. 

Livestock and livelihoods are intimately linked in our country.  Mixed farming involving crop-livestock as well as sometimes fish integration has been both a way of life and a means to sustainable livelihoods.  Also, the ownership of the livestock is more egalitarian than that of land.  That is why in our ancient culture, livestock has been given a pride of place in the area of spiritual veneration and natural resources conservation.  Maharashtra is rich in its livestock resources and has also a long coastline with a wide range of living aquatic resources.

The crop-livestock integrated farming system provides an opportunity for promoting organic farming and restoration of soil health, and thereby of an ever-green revolution leading to an enhancement of productivity in perpetuity without associated ecological harm.  It also strengthens household nutrition security.  The country as a whole has over 500 million farm animals.  However, grazing land has been reduced to less than 5 per cent of the arable land area.  Village common property resources, which used to provide fodder and shelter to farm animals, have been overexploited.  Consequently, our farm animal productivity is very low.

Mahatma Gandhi mentioned to those who wanted to serve rural India that their most useful contribution would be in linking brain with brawn.  Only such a combination of intellect and labour can lead to sustainable advances in the productivity and profitability of agricultural holdings.  West Bengal’s Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (BCKV), almost four decades old, is a fitting example of such work.  It has helped the development of two more universities in the State, namely, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences and the Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya.  It is important that these three universities function like a consortium of educational institutions mandated to help in achieving agricultural advance, agrarian prosperity and rural transformation in the State.

Livestock and livelihoods are intimately related in our country.  The ownership of livestock is more egalitarian than that of land.  Similarly, West Bengal is full of fish ponds.  It is important that cultivation of crops like rice is done by adopting integrated pest management procedures, so that the water in which fish is cultivated does not get polluted with pesticides.

Mamata Banerjee has raised the important issue of land use and acquisition for public, political, professional and media debate. With increasing population pressure on land, this issue deserves careful consideration and rational discussion. The Singur dilemma in a wider sense relates to both land use policy and norms of compensation for land acquired by government for non-farm purposes. Land conflicts are also spreading in other parts of our country, as far example where land is needed for establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The Maharashtra Government has wisely adopted the policy of holding a referendum to seek the views of farmers and others who will be dispossessed of their land for meeting the needs of SEZs. Pro-active consultations will help to avoid difficulties later. Water conflicts are also affecting important irrigation projects. Land conflicts are likely to do the same and may affect the balanced growth of the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy. How can we deal with this situation in a manner which leads to a win-win outcome for all the stakeholders ?

During the last 21 years, the scientists and scholars of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) have been working on the design and implementation of projects which could have a large extrapolation domain in respect of imparting a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women and pro-sustainable livelihood orientation to technology development and dissemination. I would like to write about a few of the MSSRF initiatives, which have now become state, national and global programmes.

Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana: Strengthening the role of women in agriculture

MSSRF initiated the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in 2007 for empowering women farmers, including the widows of farmers who had committed suicide, in areas related to enhancing the productivity, profitability and sustainability of small-scale rain-fed farming. The empowerment measures incorporated access to technology, credit, inputs and market.

The term Geographical Indications (GIs) attained significant status in trade agreement negotiations after the establishment of World Trade Organization (WTO).Under WTO, Agreement on the Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) sets forth standards to regulate international intellectual property protection and enforcement and establishes international minimum standards for GIs. Geographical Indications identify goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess a quality, reputation or other characteristics which are due to that place of origin. Geographical Indications are now widely accepted as valuable marketing tools in the global economy and are useful to protect rights of communities. Geographical Indications are not granted to individuals but are granted to the group/association of producers as the symbol of collective ownership.

Biology, the science of living organisms, is linked with microscopes, test tubes and Petri dishes, but these conventional methods are changing with the advent of Bioinformatics. Due to the advancement in molecular biology and genome sequencing techniques, there is an overflow of biological information. This flood of information has led to a requirement for computerized databases to store and organize the data and to design specialized computational tools to view and analyze the data. Accordingly Bioinformatics can be defined as conceptualizing biology in terms of macromolecules (in the sense of physical-chemistry) and then applying “informatics” techniques (derived from disciplines such as applied maths, computer science and statistics) to understand and organize the information associated with these molecules on a large-scale (Tramontano, 2007).

Very little is known about the basic principles governing the chemistry of flavour or fragrance. In English, the term aroma chemicals is used for both fragrance and flavour compounds. Any compound with a sufficiently high vapour pressure will have an odour and this is normally of the molecular weight of around 300, a relatively low polarity granted (Frater et al., 1998). Generally only compounds with pleasant smell are considered to fall under the realm of fragrance chemistry, but purified individual components from a mixture may have a malodour. Almost all ancient civilizations had their tradition of making fragrances from natural materials, mostly of plant origin, but also of animal origin – these are mostly essential oils, exudates, balsam and resins (Arctander, 1969).
 
It was in the latter half of the 19th century that synthetic fragrance chemicals were experimented upon and brought into the market, examples being coumarin (Fig. 1) (in the year 1866), salicylaldehyde (Fig. 2) (1876), vanillin (Fig. 3) (1876), phenylacetaldehyde (Fig. 4) (1883), piperonal (Fig. 5) (1890), musk xylol (Fig. 6) (1891) and b-ionone (Fig. 8) (1893) (Frater et al., 1998).

Reasons for serious concern for food security in developing countries are, increasing food demand for the rapidly growing population, decline in productivity in high productive areas due to ‘Green revolution’ fatigue, and increasing vulnerability of agriculture to potential climate change. Climate scientists predict that global warming will make arable land in many developing countries less productive or unusable. Of all the parameters, abiotic environmental stresses contribute significantly to reduction in potential yield (Flowers and Yeo, 1995). Abiotic stresses arise from extremes of climate. The stress factors especially drought and salinity negatively effect plant growth and development, salt stress being one of the most serious environmental factors limiting productivity of crop plants (Ashraf, 1999). Therefore, extensive research into plant salt tolerance was carried out, with the aim of improving resistance of crop plants. With a large majority of the world’s population relying on crops like barley, maize and rice to survive, crop salt tolerance is globally important.

In general terms, dormancy can be defined as a period during the biological cycle of the plant in which growth of the whole organism (seed) or a plant organ (bud, tuber, corm etc.) is suspended eventhough the environmental conditions for growth may be favourable. More specifically, dormancy refers to a condition in which growth is inhibited by a restriction of essential metabolic processes, such as water uptake, gas exchange and cell division, either as a result of endogenous dormancy-controlling factors or in response to exogenous factors such as changes in the environment. It is distinct from a transient state of quiescence or rest imposed by an unfavourable environment in that dormancy persists even when the environment becomes favourable for growth whereas quiescence ceases.

For wild plants, dormancy has evolved as a means of enabling the plant to endure periods of stress due to drought or low temperatures and is therefore critical for the survival of the species. In cultivated arable or vegetable crops, breeding has generally led to a loss of dormancy or a reduction in the length of the dormant period. In arboreal crops of temperate climates, however, bud dormancy is still an essential feature of the annual growth cycle of the tree.

India produces 9.2% of world’s vegetables and fruits, nearly 109 million tons of vegetables and 57.69 million tons of fruits. The production of horticultural commodities is expected to grow to 300 million tons in near future (Kaur, 2008). India accounts for 18.2% of global trade in vegetables and 0.5% in fruits. The overall food wastages are very high amounting to around Rs. 10.4 lakh million. India wastes more fruits and vegetables than what U.K consumes. It is estimated that cumulative wastage of fruits and vegetables, on the farm, during procurement, storage and at the retail outlets, is worth about Rs.422250 million. 

Grafting is a horticultural technique. It is used commercially for many woody plants and some herbaceous plants. The purposes of grafting include asexual propagation, obtaining resistance to soil borne diseases, nematodes and unfavorable conditions, and improving fruit quality. Although there are advantages to grafting, graft incompatibility often prevents its practical use. Graft incompatibility occurs when the combination of scion and rootstock is inappropriate. The enormous range of genotype varieties used in grafting results in a wide range of physiological, biochemical and anatomical interactions between graft partners. Therefore, the causes and mechanisms of graft incompatibility vary according to graft combinations. Garner (1979) defined graft incompatibility as the failure to unite into a strong union, the failure to grow in a healthy manner, or premature death, when such failures could be attributed to differences between rootstock and scion.
 
The purpose of this review is to understand graft incompatibility as an aid to solving graft incompatibility problems. The symptoms and types of graft incompatibility are described, the causes and mechanisms of graft incompatibility are explored, and directions for future research are identified.

Micronutrients play an active role in the plant metabolic processes from cell wall development to respiration, photosynthesis, chlorophyll formation, enzyme activity, hormone synthesis, nitrogen fixation, etc. Micronutrient requirements of crops are relatively small. Use of chemical fertilizers with accompanied changes in soil management practices resulted in steady decrease in micronutrient content in soil. The future of agriculture depends on sustainable management of land, water, flora, fauna and the atmosphere. In order to produce 240 m tones of food grains by the end of twentieth century, removal of major nutrients from soil will be to the tune of 7 m tones N, 2.7 m tones P2O5 and 11.2 m tones K2O. Similarly, a good amount of secondary (Ca, Mg, S) and micronutrients would also be removed proportionately which should be compensated through application of well rotten FYM or micronutrient fertilizers in soil.

Bioinformatics encompases the use of tools and techniques from three separate disciplines; molecular biology (the source of the data to be analyzed), computer science (supplies the hardware for running analysis and the networks to communicate the results), and the data analysis algorithms, which strictly define bioinformatics. So the list below incorporates events from these areas into a brief history of the field.

Entomology, a Greek word entomoV, entomos, “ that is cut in pieces or engraved/segmented”, hence “insect”; and -logia, logia -study, is the scientific study of insects , a branch of arthropodology. The arthropods made their appearance during the earliest Devonian period while humans appeared only in Quarternary. Insects possess an immense degree of evolutionary maturity as against man, account for more than two-thirds of all known organisms, date back some 400 million years, and have many kinds of interactions with humans and other forms of life on earth. Entomology is a speciality within the field of biology and it is rooted in all human cultures from prehistoric times.

In India, insects were known from Vedic era and records of insects in India were evident from India’s mythological epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharatha. 

Horticultural crops play an important role in Indian agricultural economy. Though only 2.4% of cultivated area is under these crops, they contribute about 21% to the Agricultural GDP. Though horticultural crops contribute more for the national economy, its contribution could be further increased by minimizing 30% loss of horticultural crops due to pests and diseases. Continuous and unrestricted use have dictated the need for development of ecologically safer pest management technologies. Among the non-chemical methods, resistant varieties, cultural practices, plant derivatives and biocontrol agents are important and these methods can be integrated successfully. In recent years, interest among regulatory authorities, agricultural advisors and growers has forced to seek for alternative solution of plant disease management. It has encouraged intensive research of microbial products as agents for plant disease management. This resulted in commercialization of a number of microbial biocontrol products.

India is predominantly an agriculture based country and 65% of the Indians depend on agriculture. To meet the ever increasing nutritional demands of Indian population, production and productivity of vegetables have to be increased manifold within the limited available land and other resources. Seed is the basic and critical input in which the expected dividends from all other inputs depend and it plays a crucial role for enhancing the stability of productivity. With the ever increasing demands for a mechanized, energy efficient type of agriculture, each seed is expected to produce a vigorous plant, which would develop. uniformly under a wide range of environmental conditions.

Seed enhancement technologies have historical basis dating back hundreds to thousands of years. Seed coating was being practiced by ancient Chinese farmers who coated seeds of rice with mud balls to anchor the seeds in water saturated soil . The Greeks presoaked the cucumber seeds in milk or water to make them germinate quicker. Keeping the seeds in moist cloth or soaking in water prior to sowing was a common practice among the farmers of India from time immemorial.

Fruits are living commodities which continue to respire and transpire even after harvest. The storage life of fresh fruits is indirectly proportional to the rate of their respiration which in turn depends on the atmospheric gas composition in which they are stored. Normal air contains about 20.9% oxygen (O2), 78.0% Nitrogen (N₂) and 0.03% carbondioxide (CO₂). Lower levels of O₂ and higher levels of CO₂ in the storage environment result in reduced rate of respiration, delayed ripening and increased storage life. The reduction in O₂ concentration and increase in CO₂ concentration in the storage room with precise control and maintenance of these gases throughout the storage period is generally referred as controlled atmosphere (CA) storage.

CA storage is generally used for long term storage or long distance transportation of fruits in combination with low temperature storage. The use of CA storage for extending the post harvest life of fruits has increased steadily worldwide during the past 60 years. This trend is expected to continue with the advancement of technologies in attaining and maintaining CA during transport, storage and marketing of fresh fruits.

Fruit ripening is a highly coordinated, genetically programmed and an irreversible phenomenon involving a series of physiological, biochemical and organoleptic changes which finally lead to the development of a soft edible ripe fruit with desirable quality attributes. Ripening is the process where changes take place in the fleshy fruit and make it edible. It represents the unique coordination of developmental and biochemical pathways leading to changes in colour, texture, aroma and nutritional quality of mature seed-bearing plant organs (Barry and Giovannoni, 2007). Physiologically mature fruit is transformed from an unfavourable state of firmness, texture, colour, flavour and aroma to favourable state for consumption. It is the final phase in the development of fruit and involves major metabolic changes and it is normally an irreversible event. The ripening phase does not start until the fruit has developed considerably from the tissues present at anthesis and it is difficult to stimulate ripening before it attains maturity. The ripening changes which are common during softening are accumulation of pigments and changes in cell wall.

Floriculture is increasingly regarded as a viable diversification from traditional field crops due to increased per unit returns and increasing habit of “saying it with flowers” during all the occasions. All over the world, the floriculture sector is experiencing rapid changes. Opening up to the world market in the WTO regime paving way to free movement of floricultural products world wide, globalization and its effect on income generation have all contributed to increase in per capita consumption of flowers in most countries. Noticeable feature of global floriculture is the development and expansion of floriculture in non traditional areas. Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and Japan had strong tradition for growing and consumption of flowers. The concept of commercial floriculture was perpetuated across the world from those regions. Now production centers are developing in Latin America, Africa and also in Asia to meet the demand of consuming countries and also to expand domestic market, commensurate with improved economic conditions, These countries provide highly qualitative floricultural products with low cost price which is finding a favourable place in markets of Western Europe, America and Japan. Emergence of new production centers has made floriculture more competitive and this in turn is benefiting the ultimate consumers.

Genus : Mangifera 
Species : indica L.
Family : Anacardiaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 40

In the early Sanskrit literature  Amra, mango was known to Indian at very early times. Mango occupies an important place in the Hindu mythology as well as in various religious observances. Various archaeological discoveries also mention the presence of Mango in India. Alexander the Great in 327 BC during his invasion found mango cultivation in the Indus Valley. The Buddhist and Chinese pilgrims in their travel notes have also indicated mango cultivation. Amir Khusru a famous Turkoman poet has quoted ‘Mango as the pride of garden, the choicest fruit of Hindustan’. During the Mogul Emperors, mango occupied an important place in fruit culture. The Ain-e-Akbari an encyclopaedia work written during the rule of Akbar, gives detail account of mango, varietal characteristics, quality etc. In praise of mango, British authors lavished huge praise and designated it as King of Fruits and that the Goa mango is perhaps the largest and most delicious, wholesome and best tasted of any fruit

Genus : Musa 
Species : paradisiaca L.
Family : Musaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n =22,33,44

The genus Musa has been named after Antonio Musa, who was the official physician to Octovius Augustus the first emperor of Rome, 63-14 BC. Banana (Musa spp.) was perhaps the first among the fruit plants to be cultivated and there is hardly an difference of opinion that banana was one of the first food on which human relied upon. Banana was cultivated in India at very early times which is evident from the fact that Alexander the Great found banana cultivation in Indus river valley. In tropics, banana constitutes an important food crop for man and is a staple food of Buganda (Uganda), Wahaya (Bukoba) and Wachagya (Tanzania).

Genus : Citrus
Species : Sinensis aurantium, limon, medica grandis L. paradisi Macf. reticulata Blanco
Family : Rutaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 18

Citrus is one of the most important and popular fruit of the world which is widely cultivated in almost all of the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Amongst the subtropical fruits in respect of average it occupies the third position. In India too it is next to mango and banana in commercial perpective. Citrus fruits on account of extensive adaptability are successfully cultivated in tropical, subtropical and even in the marginal temperate regions where the condition are somewhat favourable with its attractive appearance (foliage) distinct flavour and above all its excellent fruit quantity, citrus is liked by one and all. Fruits are not only refreshing and delicious but are also very rich in vitamin C and is good source of A and B, with fruit sugar acids, minerals like Ca, P, Fe. They are essential and play significant role in health promoting constituents in human diet, significance of citrus fruits in diet is very well established. Limes and lemons

Genus : Carica 
Species : papaya L.
Family : Caricaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 18, 36

The papaya plant is a huge/giant herbaceous plant and in general appearance looks more like a palm although there exists no botanical relationship between them. Papaya is said to be native of tropical America where it is a common fruit however the exact place of its origin is not well determined. Presently the plant is widely distributed and is abundant in India, Sri Lanka and many other countries of the Malaya Archipelago, Hawaii. Papaya fruit as well as all plant parts contain a milky sap called papain. This enzyme resembles animal pepsin in its digestive action and has become an important article of commerce, is utilized in the clarification of beer and its digestive action too has been very well recognized. Another remarkable papaya character is the irregularity which it presents in the sex distribution. Being dioecious, staminate and pistillate flowers are produced on different plants, besides a number of intermediate form have also been observed.

Genus : Ananas 
Species : comosus L. Merr
Family : Bromeliaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 50, 75, 100

Pineapple (Ananas comosus L) ‘Golden Queen’ belongs to order Farinosae and family Bromeliaceae. The name is derived from genus Bromelia in honour of Olaus Bromel, a Swedish botanist. Herbs or sub-shrubs  mostly epiphytic, has the distinction to be one of the major food plants of the world, which was selected, domesticated and developed by the early pre-historic people, who passed this valuable knowledge gathered for hundreds of years through earlier civilization. Pineapple developed to its present form in its natural habitat – New World, and was not know to the Old world before Columbus discovered America. Red Indians the local inhabitants of South America at that early time had already developed and named number of varieties which were partially selected by them or their ancestors based upon various desirable horticultural traits like fruit size and quality, earliness, long storage, and absence of seeds etc.

Genus : Anacardium 
Species : occidentale L.
Family : Anacardiaceae 
Chromosome No. : 2n =42

This delicious nut fruit of family Anacardiaceae is unique in number of ways firstly for fruits brilliant shades of colour (yellow to dark red-scarlet) characteristic aroma makes it one of the most enticing of tropical fruits. Secondly it multiplies and grows very fast and produces in abundance its attractive handsome fruits. Thirdly the cashew fruit is very peculiar for at the first look the swollen peduncle and disc (cashew apple) is taken to be the real fruit, a fact which is not true. The real fruit of commerce is the kidney shaped nut attached to the lower portion of the cashew apple. The English name cashew is adapted from Portuguese word ‘Caju’. India is one of the major cashew producer and exporter.

Genus : Cocos 
Species : nucifera L.
Family : Palmae
Chromosome No. : 2n =32

“Tree of heaven, Tree of life, Mankind’s 
                                                  greatest provider in the tropics”    

The generic name Cocos is after Portuguese for monkey which refers to the end of the nut being like a monkey’s head. The genus comprises of beautiful palms and grows to majestic form in its natural habitat usually unarmed trees with pinnatisect leaves. Spadices appear in leaf axis grown widely in almost all the tropical countries. Coconut is often considered as Kalpa Vriksha (Tree of Heaven) for it not only supplies drink, food and shelter but also provides raw material for number of industries.

Genus : Phoenix 
Species : dactylifera L.
Family : Palmae (Sub family-Phoenicoideae)
Chromosome No. : 2n=36

Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Finger bearing is derived from Greek word Phoenix. This ancient plant has been named phoenix after the mythological bird which was native of Egypt and also very likely after ‘Phoenicia’, an old country on the coastal regions of Syria where palms were found growing in plenty. The date palms are usually planted as ornamental for their luxurious crown which is spreading at the top. The trunk and crown is covered with stiff pinnate leaves, suckers or offshoots at the base, markedly transforms the site or scene and provide an exotic charm.

Genus : Annona 
Species : cherimola Mill.
Chromosome No. : 2n = 14, 16

Other species
A. squamosa 2n =14, 16 L.
A. reticulata 2n =14, 16 L.
A. muricata 2n =14, 16 L.

Collectively all the Annona fruits technically are syncarpous is composed of more or less numerous carpels coherent with the fleshy receptacle. Fruit has been described as ‘Deliciousness itself’ compared to pineapple, mangostean and cherimoya the finest fruits of the world. Its native place is the mountains of Ecuador and Peru as terra-cotta models of cherimoya fruits are frequently obtained from prehistoric graves in Peru. The word cherimoya is from the Peruvian name ‘cherimuya’ meaning cold seed. Although originated close to the equator the fruit attains best quality or performs better where climate is cold and relatively

Genus : Psidium 
Species : guajava L.
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 22, 33

Guava (Psidium guajava) for its high adaptability to varied soil and climatic conditions along with plants hardy nature, in short period of time has naturalized so much to the Indian condition effectively that today it is a common backyard fruit in almost every house. The round topped plant with wide crotched branch and light green foliage has an added advantage as landscape plant. From horticulture perspective it is one of the most common fruits grown commercially in India and is ranked next to mango, banana and citrus in respect of area and production. Guava fruit is often referred to as apple of tropics probably as it is the only tropical fruit which matches the high nutritive values of more commercially important temperate fruit apple. In the present tropical fruit culture scenario guava is considered to be the precocious, most prolific and highly paying fruit crop and the horticulturist admire this specie as it is least

Genus : Syzygium 
Species : cumini (L.) Skeels
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 40

Syzygium cumini Jamun, Genus name Syzygium in from Greek word united, referring to the calyptra petals and is an important minor fruit of considerable commercial significance besides being tall growing with evergreen handsome foliage is often used as road side avenue plantation to provide shade. As with other genera this fruit crop is indigenous to the East Indies, is cultivated for its fruit which is refreshing when taken with salt in scorching summer heat in India. The plants are small evergreen with attractive glossy light green foliage found growing along river sides and also planted in avenues.

Genus : Feijoa 
Species : sellowiana Berg.
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = unknown

Origin
Feijoa is native of subtropical South America, widely distributed in western Paraguay, parts of Argentina southern Brazil and Uruguay.

Uses
All parts of the plants are edible, the fruit has great resemblance to guava in respect of its appearance and size and other important pomological traits. Usually consumed as dessert or cooked, petals being thick are used in salad, on accounts of its high fruit flavour is also made into jams, jellies etc., besides these fruit juice is used to add aroma to non-alcoholic beverages.

Genus : Syzygium 
Species : aromaticum
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = unknown

Origin and Distribution

The wild species are found growing wild in New Guinea and its cultivation was found on some islands of Moluccas. By the 17th century its cultivation has spread to number of other islands and from Moluccas crop reached Asia. The Britishers further introduced it to in India, Sumatra, Sri Lanka and other countries of south east Asia. Through French, the crop reached Mauritius which further spread to Madagascar, Zanzibar (Africa) and finally reached tropical America (Brazil).

Uses
Chinese valued clove as a spice. In India, regarded as an important spice, dried clove buds or after grinding are used to flavour food, valued for medical purposes (flower and fruit) in south east Asia.

Genus : Eugenia 
Species : uniflora  L.
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 22

Eugenia uniflora, L. Is another important genera in family Myrtaceae which produces edible fruit. The fruit is known by several names like Pitanga, Surinam cherry, Cayenne cherry and Florida cherry. The word pitanga is derived from Tupi meaning ‘piter’ and ‘anga’, scent or odour. From its native home in Brazil the fruit was introduced in India at an early time probably by the Portuguese but is not cultivated commercially. The shiny deep green foliage is very attractive and the crushed leaves results in a pungent but agreeable odour which drives away the flies.

Genus : Litchi 
Species : chinensis  Sonn.
Family : Sapindaceae
(Sub family-Nepheleae)
Chromosome No. : 2n=30

A Chinese renowned statesman Chang Chow-ling of the eighth century in a poem on litchi indicated it as the most luscious of all fruits, and in quality surpasses the other two southern China’s famous fruits i.e. orange and peach. Litchi cultivation has been restricted to few selected sites mainly for its somewhat exacting in its climatic and cultural requirements. In recent times as litchi has established in the tropical America, there appears no doubt that very soon the fruits shall be in abundance in different parts of the tropics and subtropics. The most limiting factor in early dissemination of litchi was the perishable nature of seed and prior to steam navigation it was very difficult to transport the seeds from one continent to another successfully.

Genus : Nephelium 
Species : lappaceum L.
Family : Sapindaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 22

Rambutan is one fruit from the Malay Archipelago which has become very popular in its place of origin and is well distributed here. Besides, rambutan a number of other valuable tropical fruits are present which are yet to be cultivated extensively in other tropical and subtropical parts of the world. In Singapore and Penang the fruit grows in abundance. Though very popular in Malay Archipelago, Sri Lanka, however it is unknown in India, Madagascar, Mauritius etc. The fruits common name has been derived from Malayan word rambut referring to hairs by which the fruit surface is covered with. The fruit is also known by other names like Rambustan, rambotang, ramboetan etc. The crop is strictly tropical in climate requirements and is very sensitive to frost. For best performance it likes a hot and moist climate and is a major factor why the crop has not succeeded in most other places.

Genus : Euphoria/Nephelium/Dimocarpus
Species : longana (Lour.) Stend. cinerea
Family : Sapindaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 20

The longan (Euphoria longana) belongs to the Sapindaceae or soapberry family to which more important fruits like litchi and rambutan also belongs. The family contains more than 1000 spp. from 125 genera widely distributed in the tropical and warm subtropics. Most of the species are native to Asia though some are also found in south America, Africa and Australia. The genus has seven species but only longana is both horticulturally and commercially important as it yields/produces edible fruits. For most of the growth, flowering and fruit characters it is similar to the two above horticultural crops mentioned. In respect of soil and climate it is less demanding and does adapt or tolerates drier and cooler condition better than litchi.

Genus : Ficus 
Species : carica L.
Family : Moraceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 26

Fig along with fruits like date palm, grape (vinifera) and olive was regarded as an important food crop of the ancient civilization that developed in the Mediterranean region. The fig description occurred prominently in number of songs as well as in the mythological and historical events that took place at that time. Fig is thought to be native of southern parts of Arabian peninsula, Italy, Balkan and USSR region. Fig was in cultivation as early as 300 BC and from Arabian peninsula it spread to Turkey, Syria, Iraq and later to many subtropical parts of the western hemisphere.

Genus : Artocarpus 
Species : heterophyllus L. (Lamk.)
Family : Moraceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 56

Afamous traveller John de Marignolli has described jackfruit as ‘there is again another wonderful tree, which produced fruit on the trunk, and was very pleasing to see and the fruit was as big as a lamb‘. The rind is hard and has to be cut open by a sharp knife, the pulp inside is of pleasant flavour sweetness of which matches the honey and usually contains 500 or more chestnut like seeds which are eaten after roasting. In its place of origin (India) where it has been grown since ancient times it is held in great esteem. Theopharatus and Pliny who wrote about jackfruit also expressed similar opinion about the fruit. In India several vernacular names are given like Kanthal, Kathal, Panasa and Kantaka.

Genus : Morus 
Species : alba, nigra, rubra L.
Chromosome No. : 2n=28  
2n=42  2n=28 (56, 84)

Plants are ornamental and fruit bearing trees have wide adaptability. Plant loves to grow on garden soils but also grow or rocky and marginal soils. The number of species is disputable but two species are native of North America. Mulberries are usually cultivated as food or for rearing of silkworms and for the edible fruits. The silkworm mulberry is M. alba and fruit bearing mulberry is M. rubra. In India and elsewhere mulberry is known primarily as a fruit bearing tree, although it is not yet planted extensively, though few trees around home ground are common. Mulberry is remarkable for its foliage and for variable forms. The extent of variability is so pronounced that several forms may be present of a single tree and different trees of the same species show distinct individual

Genus : Diospyros 
Species : kaki L.
Family : Ebenaceae 
Chromosome No. : 2n=60, 90

Persimmon-Kaki, though native of China, but it was in Japan where the fruit developed to its present status and much of the cultural practices were established or developed in Japan, hence the Japanese name by which it was popular in Japan was accepted all over the world. Japanese persimmon sometimes called as date plum and Chinese date-plum are the names generally used to describe persimmon in United States. The Chinese name is Shitz and in France it is called as plaquemine. In Japan Kaki is regarded to be their prime and best fruit and about 800 cultivars have been recorded and described. Likewise the Chinese also fancy persimmon and large areas have been put under its cultivation.

Genus : Diospyros 
Species : kaki L.
Family : Ebenaceae 
Chromosome No. : 2n=60, 90

Persimmon-Kaki, though native of China, but it was in Japan where the fruit developed to its present status and much of the cultural practices were established or developed in Japan, hence the Japanese name by which it was popular in Japan was accepted all over the world. Japanese persimmon sometimes called as date plum and Chinese date-plum are the names generally used to describe persimmon in United States. The Chinese name is Shitz and in France it is called as plaquemine. In Japan Kaki is regarded to be their prime and best fruit and about 800 cultivars have been recorded and described. Likewise the Chinese also fancy persimmon and large areas have been put under its cultivation.

Genus : Persea 
Species : americana Mill.
Family : Lauraceae
Chromosome No. : 2n =24

Horticulturally avocado (Persea americana) is a new fruit and is often considered to be  one of the most   nutritive of present day fruit crops. Genus Persea, name has been derived from ancient Greek name of an Egyptian tree with sweet fruits  derived probably from Perseus. Avocado belongs to the family Lauraceae, has 47 genera and about 1900 species. Genus Persea has some 150 species of tropical evergreen trees. Its discovery in the new world has contributed much to the human diet. Fruit is a rich source of fat (27%), 2 per cent protein content is higher than in any other fresh fruit, mineral like Ca, Cl, Fe, Mg, P, K, Na and sulphur are also higher that makes avocado as a useful food which produces more of base forming elements rather than acid forming elements that are found more only in nut crops.

Genus : Achras /Manilkara
Species : sapota L. zapota (Mill.) Forberg 
Family : Sapotaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n=26

Thomas Firmingaer, an English horticulturist while in India in praise of sapota wrote ‘a more luscious, cool and agreeable fruit is not to be within this or perhaps any other country in the world’. A French botanist described sapota as ‘the sweet perfumes of honey, jasmine and lily of the valley’. In view of these the fruit is considered to be one of the best fruits of tropical America, although cannot be compared with the other more popular fruits of the region i.e. pineapple and cherimoya. In many tropical parts of the world this delicious fruit is held in high esteem.

Genus : Zizyphus /Rhamus
Species : mauritiana Lam. jujube Lam.
Family : Rhamnaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 24, 48, 96

According to famous writer David Fairchild it is the jujube, the large fruited Chinese type which is at its best compared to the inferior type which are in abundance in Arabia, northern India and southern Europe. The resultant inferior fruits are either from a different species compared to those of China or from varieties which have not been much influenced and improved by selection and cultivation.

Genus : Punica 
Species : granatum L.
Family : Punicaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 16,18

Pomegranate has originated in Afghanistan and Iran the abode of prophet Mohammad and for very long has been associated with grape and fig and is still held in higher esteem. Acknowledging the multi usefulness of pomegranate Prophet Mohammad said ‘Eat the pomegranate sententiously for it progress the system of envy and hatred’. The crop was very much in demand and liked by the inhabitants prior to the days of Mohammad in the Orient, as pomegranate has something special in the form of refreshing which the people of hot arid region like and adore enormously. The ancient Semitic name rimmon was adopted by Arabs as rumman. The Potruguese roma or roman was formed from rumman. The present botanical name Punica granatum has been derived from Roman name malum punicum (apple of Carthage) and granatum.