eChapters

Introduction

It is a tall, handsome evergreen tree of tropical and subtropical regions and has its origin probably in India or the East Indies. It is one of the hardiest fruits and best suited for wastelands. It is drought tolerant and, at the same time, can tolerate water stagnation and marshlands, where other fruit crops cannot be grown successfully. It is more popular as an avenue tree and for wind breaks. The wood is used as timber in buildings and railway sleepers. It is often found growing as a wild and semi-wild in tropical and subtropical parts of India viz., Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Introduction

Karonda is an evergreen shrub or short stature tree. It grows naturally in the Himalayas and Western Ghats at elevations of 300 to 1800 meters. It is found grown in wild in India, Malaysia, South Africa. It is a well suitedto arid climate and grown well at higher temperature. It is commonly uses for making hedge for orchards. It is suitable for the arid tropics and subtropics and is grown for its attractive, edible fruits. It also grows successfully on marginal and wastelands. It thrives well as a rainfed crop; the plant hardly needs any care and gives yield with the minimum management. The plants can be trained as a strong hedge. Karonda is suitable for growing throughout the sub-tropical and tropical climatic zones of India. Major natural areas of occurrence of karonda have been observed in the states of Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and in the Western Ghats. In Maharashtra, the major area under this crop is scattered in sub-mountain areas like Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, and Pune district.

Introduction

This dioecious fruiting vine is native to the Yangtze River valley in south and central China. This dioecious fruiting vine. Seed requires stratification. Although this fruit vine is originated in China, yet its full economic potential was exploited by the New Zealand which accounts for over 70 per cent of world trade. In other countries of the world, its cultivation gained momentum after 1960, and now it is cultivated on a commercial scale in the China, New Zealand, Italy, USA, Japan, France, Germany and Australia. In India it is grown in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, J& K, Uttarkhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Nilgiri hills of south India. It was first introduced at Lal Bagh garden, Banglore, but the plant did not come to bear due to a lack of chilling requirement during winter for its bud break. Later on, in 1963, it was introduced in the Shimla hills, where the plant came to bear in 1969. The kiwifruit is rusty brown with a hairy surface and looks like a sapota fruit. Fruit has a refreshing and delicate flavour, a pleasing aroma and high nutritive and medicinal value. It is high in vitamin C, has more potassium, phosphorus, and iron than any other food, and has a low calorie count.

Introduction

Kokum, is native of the Western. Ghats in India, and Malaysia. In India it mainly grows in the western parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa. It is found in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests and as a home garden tree. Kokum is an evergreen tree it is seldom planted in the form of an orchard and generally scattered trees are found in gardens and on waste lands.

Fertilizer Requirement of Fruit Trees

Fertilizer requirement of the tree is determined by visual assessment of deficiencies soil nutrient status and plant tissue nutrient status. Among these methods, tissue nutrient analysis is gaining importance primariarily due to fact that it assesses the effective amount of nutrient utilized by the plant. It also detects the hidden deficiency of the nutrient before the symptoms appears on the tree. Standardised tissue nutrient norms for various elements are available for different crops.

Introduction

Litchi is a popular subtropical evergreen fruit; the white, translucent, flavoured aril is liked very much and is used for table purposes in India. The fruits are available during May-June in northern India. It is a native fruit of the warm subtropical zone of China and has excellent quality juice. Each fruit is a one-seeded nut. The pericarp is the skin, which has a papillate projection like a strawberry. Litchi is commonly consumed as a table fruit, but in China it is very popular in dried (litchi nut) or canned form, which is very popular among Chinese foods. A highly flavoured squash is also prepared from the fruits. The Chinese use the leaves for making poultices; the seeds are used for treating skin disorders. The fruits can be canned, made into squash, pickles, and wine, or dried to form litchi nuts. The tree is a medium sized evergreen with more branches. The fruits are borne in bunches. Flower bark and root decoction are used for gargling throat infections.

Introduction

Longan is a close relative of lychee, having similar growth and fruiting habits but being somewhat hardier than lychee. The fruits are smaller, smooth-surfaced with a yellow to brown colour. It originated in the subtropical region of China or in the area between Myanmar and India. Fruits contain 25.2% carbohydrate, 1% protein, 0.5% fat, vitamin A (28 IU/100G) and vitamin C. Longan contributes to the greatest fruit export of Thailand. Longan/Lungan, also known as “Dragon’s Eye” or “Little Brother of Lychee”, is an important sub-tropical fruit crop.

Introduction

Evergreen and subtropical fruit crop, used as an ornamental purpose. Japan is the largest producer, followed by China in the world. Loquat is a strictly subtropical evergreen pome fruit. Pome means consisting of 5 carpels united and covered by an edible portion of fruit. Loquat is a delicious summer fruit. Depending on the cultivar, it contains 60 to 70% pulp and 15-20% seed. The pulp is composed of 88% water, 0.6% proteins, 9.6% carbohydrates, 0.5% minerals, and 1.0% fibre. Fruit is a rich source of vitamin-A: 500–2300 IU/100g, potassium, and manganese. Seeds and peels contain amygdalin, which causes toxic symptoms in children when converted to HCN. Some preparations like jam, jelly, and squash are made from the pulp. It is consumed as a fresh fruit. The colour of epicarp usually ranges between yellow and red. The fruit tastes sweet and sour with good flavour.

Introduction

The macadamia nut (Macadamia ternifolia) is a fruit from Australia that was recently introduced into India. The macadamia nut is a unique, world’s finest dessert nut characterized by its creamy colour, delicate flavour and crunchy nature. Having two important species, M. integrifolia and M. tetraphylla where the former one is adapted to a subtropical climate and the latter to temperate regions. Another species, M. ternifolia, produces bitter, inedible nuts. Hawaii is the world’s largest producer, followed by Australia, South Africa, Guatemala and Kenya.

Introduction

Mahua is an indigenous tree of high economic value. A characteristic tree of the dry region. It is found in northern and central India. It is commonly grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The tree has been well known to rural folk for ages in India. Its flowers, fruits, and oil obtained from seeds are eaten in various ways. The corolla, commonly called mahua flowers, is a rich source of sugar, containing an appreciable amount of vitamins and minerals. Fruit, a berry, is eaten raw or cooked. Pulp is a good source of sugar, while dry husk makes a good source of absolute alcohol. Seed is a good source of oil. Linoleic acid, a major unsaturated fatty acid found in mahua oil, is used to lower cholesterol levels in blood serum, making it useful for heart patients. Madhuca is derived from the Sanskrit word madhu.

Introduction

It is the national fruit of India. No other fruit can compete with mango in respect to area, production, nutritive value, and popularity. For this reason, the mango is known as the king of fruits. In India, mango cultivation is 40006000 years old. Growing states are U.P., followed by A.P. and to some extent in all the rest of the states. It is also grown in India, China, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Malaya, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Africa, Florida, Hawaii, Brazil, Mexico, etc. Unripe fruits are used for culinary purposes, such as pickles, powder, chutney, and sarbat. Ripe fruits are used for squash, jam, toffee, juice, slices, and canning of pulp and slices.

Introduction

The mangosteen is one of the finest fruits of the tropics. It is a sweet, soft, and delicious fruit with an exciting flavour. They are formed from the nucellar tissue in the ‘parthenocarpy’ fruits. broad-leaved evergreen tree. A natural staple food for man.

Maturity (commercial or horticultural): Refers to the stage at which the produce is optimally accepted to the consumer.

Maturity index: The maturity at harvest determines the quality and postharvest shelf-life of the fresh fruits. The study of maturity indices helps to harvest the crop at right time.

Judging maturity: There are various means of judging maturity but they vary according to the kind of fruits, local soil and climatic conditions, but generally farmers follow visual means (appearance). But this is not a perfect method, many a times it may mislead the farmers.

Introduction

Mulberry is one of the important minor fruits found to grow all over India from tropical to temperate regions. It is mainly cultivated in India for rearing silk worm. Silk worms feed on the leaves of the mulberry plant. Its sour-sweet taste of fruits is becoming very popular in India and abroad. It is cultivated in South eastern and Southern parts of Asia, whole Africa, Southern-Europe, Australia and some parts of North and South America. It is mainly found to grow in the sub-Himalayan tracts. It is grown in the states of Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttra Pradesh and some parts of West Bengal. In Indian its cultivation was introduced from Persia. In India it is widely cultivated in about 40,000 hectares of area. Karnataka has the largest area of about 28,000 hectares and Kashmir occupies the second position.

Introduction

Oil palm is recognized as the highest and cheapest edible oil-yielding crop. Palm oil is extracted from the fruit’s fleshy mesocarp, which contains 45-55 percent oil. The crop is unique in producing 2 distinct types of oil palm oil and palm kernel oil, which are used for culinary and industrial purposes. Being rich in beta carotene, palm oil contributes substantially to the nutritional and energy requirements of the masses. It is also grown in India Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Mizorum, Orissa.

Introduction

Olives are found growing wild in the Himalayan region comprising Kullu, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmour districts of Himachal Pradesh. It is extensively used for the extraction of oil from its fruits. Its oil is edible, possessing a valuable therapeutic character. About 92% of its production is used for oil extraction. The main producers of olive oil are Spain, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, and the adjoining gulf countries. Olive cultivation in India has been limited to the north Sub-Himalayan region, which includes Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

Introduction

The palmyrah is believed to be a native of tropical Africa. It grows extensively in drier parts of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is recognised as the state tree of Tamil Nadu in 1978, recognising its importance. It has been estimated that there are about 8.6 crores of Palmyra palms existing in India, of which 5.02 crores of palms are alone spread over Tamil Nadu and the remaining 3.58 crores of palms are in Andra Pradesh.

Introduction

Papaya has long been known as the wonder fruit of the tropics and is one of the five major fruit crops of the tropical world. Papaya fruits throughout the year are a remunerative fruit crop which is grown in almost every part of the country. Next to bananas, it has the highest yield and income per unit. It is generally grown as a fruit plant in kitchen gardens, home gardens, or nutrition gardens and later as a commercial fruit. Papaya is usually dioecious, but hermaphrodite and gynodioecious types are also Recognized. It is the most remunerative crop (highest net return/unit area) of any other fruit crop. India is the 4^th largest producer in the world. Karnataka has the highest production and productivity in India. A valuable proteolytic enzyme is called papain, which helps in the digestion of protein-rich foods. Transgenic PRSV resistant varieties: Sunup and Rainbow were created from coat protein genes grown in Hawaii in 1992.

Introduction

Commercial in South Africa, Srilanka, Kenya, Cameroon, Hawai, Zimbabwe and Australia. In India, it is growing wild in Nilgeria, Wynad, Kodaiknal, Coorg and Malabar. It is being cultivated in H.P. Nagaland and Mizoram. Brazil is the world’s largest producer. A rich source of vitamin A, it also contains fair amounts of sodium, magnesium, sulphur and chlorides. It gives a very good squash and is used in jam, jelly, nectar and ice cream making. Dried flowers contain an alkaloid called ‘Passiflorin’, which is used for relieving pain and inducing sleepness.