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Monkey Jack: The best alternative as a fodder crop
Agroforestry systems can be playing an advantageous role over conventional agricultural and forest production methods. They can offer increased productivity; social, economic and environmental benefits, as well as greater diversity in the ecological goods and services provided. Multipurpose trees are also a part of the agroforestry system. In addition to providing fodder, fuel, wood, and other products, trees in agroforestry systems promote soil and water conservation, enhance soil fertility, and act as windbreaks for nearby crops. Multipurpose tree species that is purposefully grown so as to provide two or more than two products and also service function like shelter, shade, land sustainability of the land-use system. Fodder trees are important feed sources for livestock in a wide range of farming systems over the world.
Low quality and quantity of feeds are major constraints limiting livestock productivity among smallholder farmers. In many country’s farmers have fed tree foliage to their livestock for centuries, using wild browse or trees that grow naturally on their farms. New agroforestry systems for feeding livestock have emerged over the last three decades, involving the planting of mostly exotic species, grown most frequently in hedges along field boundaries or along the contours to limit soil erosion.
As mentioned above the Monkey jack (Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb.) is an important agroforestry species. The lakoocha is one such important multipurpose plant species member of the family Moraceae. Lakoocha is a tropical tree species widely distributed in the countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It is generally found in Sub-Himalayan humid regions of India and grows up to an altitude of 1200 A MSL (Dwivedi et al., 2011).
Lakoocha is a medium to large deciduous or evergreen tree. The deciduous period is very short in Eastern India which generally commences in February and ends in early March. The deciduous period has been reported to be absent in Western Ghats (Krishnamurthy and Sarala., 2013). It can grow up to 15 m in height and makes a handsome ornamental tree. The leaves are oblong, acute, alternate, 10-25 cm, long, glossy green on the upper side whereas old leaves are rough. Lakoocha is a multipurpose tree that provides fruit, fodder, fuel, timber, medicine, dye and thick shade. The large leaves are excellent fodder and contain 16 per cent crude protein (Kharel et al., 2000). A single tree can produce 60 to 200 kg of leaves per year (Orwa et al., 2009). It is considered as one of the best forages for milch animals due to its palatability and nourishing values in Nepal and fodder for goats in Jharkhand (Dhungana et al., 2012).
A single fruit weighing between 250 g and 300 g contains 10-30 seeds that are irregular in shape and vary in size. The seeds containing white sticky latex are highly recalcitrant and are dispersed by birds and monkeys (Orwa et al., 2009 and Islam et al., 2016). Fresh fruits and seeds have high nutritional and medicinal value. The unripe fruit and male flower spike are used as vegetables and also used to make pickles, sauce and chutney. The fruits are sweet-sour in taste. The edible pulp is reported to have hepatoprotective properties due to the presence of antioxidants (Gautam and Patel., 2014) and is considered a liver tonic (Hari et al., 2014). It is used in anti-inflammatory therapy and also as an anti-ageing agent (Mongolsuk et al., 1957). The powdered bark is used as a paste for curing skin ailments like boils, pimples, and sores etc. Lakoocha is reported to be widely used in the ethnomedicinal formulations by the tribal people of Jharkhand (Pandey and Bhatnagar., 2009).
(Photographs taken from forestry farm of College of Horticulture and forestry at Khaggal, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (one single tree from natural germination)
Artocarpus lakoocha is a potential tree species for nutrition, poverty alleviation, environmental, agricultural and forest ecosystem diversification and is capable of creating new market opportunities for livelihood security. Hence, a number of problems are associated with the regeneration and propagation of lakoocha including, (1) tree population of lakoocha is gradually decreasing due to its extensive exploitation for food, fodder, timber and other uses; (2) seeds, once extracted from the fruit, quickly lose viability within a week, or sometimes even in few days; and (3) vegetative propagation methods such as rooting of hardwood or softwood stem cuttings have not been successful (Napier and Robbins, 1989). Budding has been reported to be successful with only a single report in Western Himalaya (Sharma et al., 2005).
It belongs to family Moraceae other fruit like Jack fruit, Bread fruit belongs from same family. These are sour in test and the edible pulp is reported to have hepatoprotective properties due to the presence of antioxidants (Gautam and Patel., 2014) and is considered as a liver tonic (Hari et al., 2014). Photographs taken from forestry farm of College of Horticulture and forestry at Khaggal, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (one single tree from natural germination).
Leaves of A. lakoocha containing moisture (61.0%), total ash (8.0%), crude protein (28.6%), crude fat (1.52%), crude fibres (26.3%) and carbohydrates (0.84%) respectively. Due to the high amount of protein content and palatability, it will help to eradicate fodder deficiency in dry months. It’s containing a higher amount of crude protein it will help to enhance milk production in milch animals even though it can help to maintain body weight and reproduction. By considering the importance of this tree it will provide help to provide an ample amount of essential nutrients to livestock in each and every season.
References:
Gupta A K, Rather M A, Kumar Jha A, Shashank A, Singhal S, Sharma M, Pathak U, Sharma D and Mastinu. 2020. A. Artocarpus lakoocha roxb. and Artocarpus heterophyllus lam. flowers: New sources of bioactive compounds. Plants. 9:1329.
Sharma K and Thakur S. 2005. Vegetative Multiplication of Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb. a Hard to Root Species. Indian Forester 131:259-260.
Napier I and Robbins M. 1989. Forest seed and nursery practice in Nepal.” Forest seed and nursery practice in Nepal 412p.
Mongolsuk S, Robertson A and Towers R. 1957. 429. 2: 4: 3′: 5′-Tetrahydroxystilbene from Artocarpus lakoocha. Journal of the Chemical Society 92: 2231-2233.
Kanak A R, Khan M J, Debi M R, Pikar M K and Aktar M. 2013. Nutritive value of three fodder species at different stages of maturity. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 41: 90- 95.
Islam S M, Hasan F M, Ali M, Robbani M and Hossain T M. 2016. Socioeconomic potential of monkey jack: a promising underutilized fruit in Bangladesh. International Journal of Innovative Research 1:40-44.
Gautam P and Patel R. 2014. Artocarpus Lakoocha Roxb: An Overview. European Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine 1:10-14.
Dwivedi D H, Mishra V, Singh N and Dwivedi S K. 2011. Genetic Variability Studies in Barhal Emile, Jean-Claude. Nutritive value and degradability of leaves from temperate woody resources for feeding ruminants in summer. 3rd European Agroforestry Conference Montpellier pp. 23-25.
Orwa C, Mutua A, Kindt R, Jamnadass R and Simons A. 2009. Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide. Version 4. Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide. Version 4.
Krishnamurthy S R and Sarala P. 2013. Phytochemical studies of Artocarpus gomezianus Wall. ex Trecul. var. lakoocha Roxb. fruits collected from various altitudes of Central Western Ghats. Indian Journal of Natural Product and Resources 4:398-411.
Kharel R, Amatya S M and Basukala R. 2000. Survival and growth of selected fodder species in Dhading, Kabhra and Sindhupalchok districts. Proceedings of the national-level Workshop on Improved Strategies for Identifying and Addressing Fodder Deficits in the Mid-Hills of Nepal (Eds Khare, R, Amataya SM, Kiff L. and Regmi, BN) Department of Forest Research and Survey, Kathmandu. 13p.
Pandey A, Bhatnagar SP. 2009. Antioxidant and Phenolic Content of the Bark of Artocarpus lakoocha. The Pharma Review 1:23-8.
Dhungana S, Tripathee H P, Puri L, Timilsina Y P and Devkota, K P. 2012. Nutritional Analysis of Locally Preferred Fodder Trees of Middle Hills of Nepal: A Case Study from Hemja VDC, Kaski District. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 13: 39-44.
Hari A, Revikumar K G and Divya D. 2014. Artocarpus: A review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology. Journal of Pharma Search 9: 7-12.
Vaibhav R Jumale
Ph.D Research Scholar
Forestry (Silviculture)
Email@ vaibhav.jumale@gmail.com
mob:7350777626
Future aspects in value addition of Banana Pseudostem
Introduction
Banana (Order: Zingiberales; Family: Musaceae; Genus: Musa) is an important tropical and sub-tropical fruit crop grown all over the world. India is the largest producer and consumer of banana globally, producing about 30.46 million tons in the year of 2019 (FAOSTAT, 2021), contributing about 23% of world production. India is the largest producer of banana and the major producing states are Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Banana is commonly known as Kela in Indian sub-continent and regionally as Vazhappazham in Kerala, Vazhakkai in Tamil Nadu, Aratipandu in Andhra Pradesh, Kola in Bengali and Kol in Assam.
Banana is a large perennial monocotyledonous herbaceous plant having height up to 9 m with a long pseudostem that arises from the underground rhizomes (Ghag & Ganapathi, 2018). The leaves are oval, elongated and dark green in colour with each plant producing a single inflorescence. The fruits are oblong and fleshy with very small black seeds (Imam & Akter, 2011). All parts of plantain plants namely fruits, leaves, pseudostem, rhizomes and inflorescence are useful. Thus, it is known as a ‘Kalpataru’ in India, which is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘wish granting tree’ (Ghag & Ganapathi, 2018).
The plant is traditionally used as a medicinal herb. The leaves serve as a wrap for cooking, wrapping and serving food in certain traditions. Pseudostem and inflorescence are ingredients in many traditional cuisines. Rhizomes and the outer layer of pseudostem are utilized as animal feed. The fruit part is most commonly used either as raw fruit or in desserts, breakfast dishes when it is ripened. Unripe fruits are used commonly in curries, fried chips etc. The banana fruit, peel, and banana pseudo-stem from various species of banana have been reported to be rich in total carbohydrates, fibre and minerals specially potassium.
The cultivation of plantain is mainly carried out for fruits and the other parts such as leaves, inflorescence, pseudostem, peels and rhizomes are practically wasted. However, currently they have gained the status of valuable by-products generated from banana cultivation (Padam et al., 2014). It is estimated that, for each ton of banana fruit harvested, approximately 4 tons of biomass wastes including rotten fruit, leaves, pseudostem, rhizome and fruit bunch stem are produced (Subagyo & Chafidz, 2018). That is, in a hectare, on an average about 60 to 80 tons is of pseudostem alone. Conventionally, there are a few constraints in utilizing them, for instance pseudostem and inflorescence are considered as a vegetable in certain cultures, but the acceptance is very limited when compared to other leafy vegetables due to discoloration and taste. The surface of the banana pseudo-stem is easily subjected to browning after harvest, which will affect the sensory evaluation and economic value of the banana pseudo-stem made products. Other than the medicinal and culinary uses of banana, recent researches identified plantain and its parts as a great source of phytochemicals (Reddy & Hemachandran, 2014). Several applications of the banana pseudo stem in functional food and nutraceutical industries have been explored.
The part of the plant that looks like a trunk is actually a false stem, called pseudostem. It is formed by the imbrication of the leaf sheaths.
Banana Pseudostem
Banana Pseudo-stem (BPS) constitute a major part of plant biomass, which are wasted usually left in the plantation or incinerated. BPS is a rich source of fiber, total carbohydrate and cellulose (Saravanan et al., 2011). Pseudostem is the part of plantain plant, which is formed by tight overlapping of leaf stalk one over another with a center having tender core in a cylindrical shape. Plantain stem is a low cost agricultural waste, which can be altered into certain value added products in the current scenario.
Banana Pseudostem Applications
At present, the banana pseudo-stem are dumped on road side or burnt which causes environmental pollution. The usage of agricultural wastes contributes to the concept of green technology and hence paves the way towards sustainable development. Moreover it is an additional income for both small scale farmers and processing industries (Padam et al., 2014).
Natural fibre
Some researchers have successfully demonstrated the use of banana pseudo-stem and leaves for extraction of fibers on a small scale. The pseudostem fiber is used for making several value added products namely rope, cordage, fishing net, mat, packaging material, paper sheets, textile fabrics, bag, table cloth, handicrafts, absorbent, polymer/fibre composites etc. (Subagyo & Chafidz, 2018). The fiber is extracted by using a decorticator machine then retting and degumming processes are done.
Fuel
Bio-ethanol can be produced from banana pseudostem by fermentation process. Similarly, through banana waste methane can also be produced using anaerobic fermentation.
Substrate for edible
Banana pseudo stem can be utilized as a good substrate for edible mushrooms because of its high cellulose content.
Heavy metal and dye
Studies reported that banana pseudostem can be powerful absorbers of mercury and lead. Similarly it is also reported that banana pseudostem adsorbed methyl red in aqueous solution.
Organic manure
Banana pseudostem outer peels are used as organic manure for banana plantations itself.
Organic farming
Since banana pseudostem is having a good water retention capacity it can be used in organic farming. It can be done through digging small holes in the banana stem with the help of a sharp object like a knife. Add a little soil and feel free to plant as required.
Others
Pseudo-stem can be used in pulp and paper industries due to its cellulosic content. The banana pseudostem fiber can also be used for ropes such as marine rope since this fibre has good resistance to sea water and has buoyancy properties.
Banana pseudostem: Food applications
The banana central core finds use in south Indian cuisine. The tender core in the centre of the banana pseudostem is edible. In southern part of India, pseudo stem is cooked both as gravy and stir fry seasoned with ginger, garlic, chillies, shallots with curry leaves and grated coconut. In Assam, a dish called kolposola is prepared from young banana pseudostem. Some commonly prepared dishes using banana pseudostem and their recipes are Stir fry, curry, soup, stew, thor ghonto, and stem bajji.
Recently, value added innovative products from banana pseudostem are developed from Central Food Technological Research Institute, Karnataka. Apart from this, the high value products viz., mordant from sap, microcrystalline cellulose powder from fiber and edible products like candy from central core can also obtained (Desai et al., 2016). Stem juice can be prepared with or without addition of other juices like lemon or grape and sugar or jaggery (Kumar & Reddy, 2015; Ravi et al., 2011).
Extensive studies are undergone to explore various possibilities of value addition of banana pseudostem. Banana pseudostem can be dried into powder and can be utilized for carbohydrate and mineral fortification in different bakery products like bread, biscuits, cookies and dairy products like shrikhand, paneer and cheese (Thorat & Bobade, 2018).
Health benefits of Banana pseudostem
- Banana stem is a rich source of fibre and helps in weight loss (Chandrasekaran, 2012).
- Rich in potassium and vitamin B6.
- It helps to control obesity.
- It is said to be a diuretic and helps detoxify the body.
- It can be used as a source of starch, pectin, cellulose, natural dye, bio generation of flavours and nutrients like dietary fibre, carbohydrates and minerals (Padam et al., 2014).
- It has less glycemic index and high dietary fibre and antioxidant content which is good for diabetes (Bhaskar et al., 2011).
- In southern India, it is consumed as fresh juice to prevent kidney stones (Dawn et al., 2016).
- Banana pseudo-stem powder is a well-known remedy for urinary disorders, stomach troubles like diarrhoea, dysentery and flatulence.
- The food products which are fortified by banana pseudo-stem powder served as nutraceutical food and these show nutritional improvement as well as prove as medicine.
- It is known to be nutritionally superior and associated with several health benefits.
Recently researchers are more focused on identification, quantification and isolation of different bioactive components present in the pseudostem which have potential nutraceutical applications. Few are listed in Table 1.
| Variety/Species | Study/ Bioactivity | REFERENCES |
| Musa spp. (8 cultivars) | Invitro Anti-oxidant activity | Saravanan & Aradhya, 2011 |
| Musa sapientum Linn. | Invivo Anti-diabetic and Anti-lipedemic activity | Dikshit et al., 2012 |
| Musa parasidiaca Linn. | Invitro Anti-oxidant activity | Joyetal., 2016 |
| Musa acuminata | Invitro Anticancer activity | Nindiaetal., 2019 |
| Musa spp. (10 cultivars) | Antimicrobial activity | Jouneghani et al., 2020 |
Banana stem extracts
Banana stem extracts having potential hypoglycemic properties are traditionally used as anti-diabetic agents. A comparative study among various plant parts of plantain plant for hypoglycemic effect showed that the banana stem juice extract exhibited highest anti-diabetic activity than other plant parts as fruit, rhizome and peels (Reddy & Hemachandran, 2014).
Conclusion
Banana pseudo-stem is a by-product of banana plant which has a potential for providing profitable products. Banana pseudostem is an agro waste in plantain cultivation. So there is a great possibility of utilizing banana pseudo-stem in the food processing and other industries thereby providing an additional income for both small scale and large scale farmers. In India, the fibers are being used for preparing handicrafts, ropes etc., which otherwise can be used for making fabrics, home furnishings and good quality papers. The presence of various bioactive components in the pseudostem enhances the nutritional quality but also the therapeutic values of the products. So it will be a great opportunity for researchers in future. At the same time, the problem of waste management can also be solved and provides a new scope for the efficient utilization of banana pseudostem. And the farmers will get benefitted directly and it will contribute to our national economy.
References
Dikshit, P., Shukla, K., Tyagi, M. K., Garg, P., Gambhir, J. K., & Shukla, R. (2012). Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of the stem of Musa sapientum Linn. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Diabetes, 4(4), 378–385. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.17530407.2012.00198.x
Dong, N., Alena, N., Klára, S., Jiří, H., Huong, P., Jitka, V., Milena, S., Jana, H., & Tomáš, R. (2017). Antidiabetic compounds in stem juice from babana grown in natural and greenhouse. Czech Journal of Food Sciences, 35(No. 5), 407–413. https://doi. org/10.17221/172/2017-cjfs FAO (2021). http://www.fao. org/3/t0308e/T0308E03.htm, Accessed on March 10, 2021 FAOSTAT. (2019). http://www. fao.org/faostat/en/, Accessed on March 10, 2021.
Thorat, R.L. and Bobade, H.P. (2018). Utilization of banana pseudo-stem in food applications. Internat. J. Agric. Engg., 11(Sp. Issue):86-89, DOI: 10.15740/HAS/IJAE/ 11.Sp. Issue/86-89.
Ravi et al., “A review on composition and properties of banana fibers” Cellulose 60: 65, 2015.
Subagyo, A., Chafidz, A. (2018). Banana pseudo-stem fiber: preparation, characteristics and applications. IntechOpen.
Author Details:
Gadha Sreekumar
Ph. D Research Scholar, Department of Vegetable Science,
Horticulture College and Research Institute,
Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Email@gadharajee@gmail.com
The part of the plant that looks like a trunk is actually a false stem, called pseudostem. It is formed by the imbrication of the leaf sheaths. 
Scope of fruit and vegetable carving : An innovative pathway towards generating employment in urban horticulture sector
Fruit carving is the art of sculpting fruit, a very common technique in Europe and Asian countries, and particularly popular in Thailand, China and Japan. Carving art on the fruits and vegetables has become the sign of attraction for the guests attending the parties. There are many fruits that can be used in this process; the most popular one that artists use are watermelons, papayas, muskmelons, pineapples etc.
Regardless of its origins, vegetable carving is flaunted in many different Asian restaurants, cruises, hotels, and other various places. In the mid-20th century, the art of vegetable carving began to grow outside Asia. Since then, other cultures have slowly come to appreciate the beauty and culture associated with the practice. Today, one can marvel at vegetable carving throughout the world.
Irrespective of the occasion and place, fruit and vegetable carvings find a prominence. They are not easy to make and are a testimony to the skills and talents of the artisans carving it. In most cases, these specialized artisans have taken formal training from culinary institutes and this gives them a hold on the basic techniques. The rest is up to their imagination and practice.
Artisans carve fruits and vegetables about three hours before the event starts and they leave it in cold water for the carvings to set. The tools they need to carve include cutting board, small and medium sized knives with sharp edges, a sharp peeler with preferably an oval edge, bells pins, tooth picks and dry sticks used to represent the stem of flowers. With these tools, the artisan is all set to run his or her imagination wild and come up with a variety of flowers, baskets, insects, birds, animals, toys and just about anything that is appropriate for the occasion.
Other than restaurants, one can see carvings done by artisans in all major food festivals today. In some cultures, fruit and vegetable carvings are displayed in formal gatherings and in private parties. In India, for example, one can see fruit and vegetable carvings displayed in many wedding halls just before guests enter the dining area. The idea behind such display is not only to show the skills of the artisans, but also to entice guests to enter the dining hall. Some chefs believe that a visual display of food triggers taste buds and helps guests to better relish their food. For these reasons, it is common to find different carvings on the entrance of dining halls in Indian weddings.
Present scope and future prospects of carving fruits and vegetables
The demand for fruit and vegetable carving is increasing day by day as the people are looking towards alternatives that are livelier and more attractive to decorate in the functions. The abundance of fruits and vegetables throughout the year even in the off-season has been achieved due to advanced horticultural techniques which overcome the problem of non-availability of raw materials for carving. There are very less artisans who are experienced in this art and there is lot of scope in training through workshops and symposiums.
Once fruit carvers have mastered the techniques past the intermediate stage and become professionals, they can price their services to restaurants, professional caterers, hotels and resorts. On a smaller scale, fruit carvers can present a dish with decorative garnishing to add an aesthetically pleasing experience to their viewers. Rural women, self-help groups, FPO(Farmer Producer Organizations) can be trained with the art of fruit and vegetable carvings to propagate the skill in this field which helps them to generate income as an association. Several food carving competitions are being held across the world which brings the artists great reputation and opportunities to work with some of the biggest events, restaurants and ceremonies. The art of carving fruits and vegetables is eternal and has a never-ending demand. In short, when you see a carved fruit or vegetables the next time, spend a few minutes to admire its beauty and intricacy. It will not only give you a glimpse into the culture, but will also make the artisan happy.
Limitations
The major obstacles of fruits and vegetable carvings include the lack of quality raw materials, pattern designers, transmission of knowledge and creating added value. Quality fresh fruits and vegetables are needed so that the finished carvings can be kept and displayed longer which also depends on the atmosphere and time period where the carvings will be displayed. Fruits and vegetable engravers lack experience and consistency in their art forms where there must be a consistent balance in the lines, patterns, shapes, weight, color and texture. The lack of understanding these factors result in underdeveloped carvings and development of patterns. The limited time available to prepare the carvings has limited the designs and patterns for each venue. The transmission of knowledge between artisans is still limited due to the closure and unwilling transfer of knowledge from senior artisans. The limited transfer of knowledge and skills due to competing attitudes of modern society has led to in-efficient development of fruit and vegetable carvings and lack of apprentices.
References:
https://asian-recipe.com/methods/fruit-vegetable-carving
- Panprom, S., Somtrakool, K., & Tidpad, P. (2013). Fruits and Vegetable Carving: Development of Carving Patterns for Banquets. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(9), 697.
For more information about fruit and vegetable carvings you can contact our author.
Author Details:
Sai Teja
M.Sc (Agronomy)
ASSAM AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY,ASSAM,INDIA
Email@kandapu.saiteja.amj19@aau.ac.in
Mob:91-7032865674
