The production, consumption and marketing of the fruit crops, especially the commercially produced ones, have gained their own place as the second large pillar of horticulture, after the vegetables. Unfortunately not all crops coming under the category of “fruits” are harvested from huge commercial orchards, loaded with selective and effective inputs, packed with expensive kits and even transported along miles of distance for being exported. A vast portion of the fruit family also exits that are random bearers and most underrated. More than about 150 species of such fruit crops exists and are referred to as stray fruits/ minor fruits/ under-utilised fruits/ under-exploited fruits/ lesser-known fruits/ wild fruits,etc. These are usually numerable, stand as a single tree or an aggregation of a few at a particular area, lasting from months or years back. Some of the recognized names are Passion Fruit, Fig, Karonda, Persimmon, Loquat, Kiwi, Phalsa, Carambola, Mangosteen, Mulberry, etc. while some other like Bilimbi, Hog plum, Elephant apple, Durian, Bread Fruit are even lesser known in Indian states, in spite of some being the native to India.
Pic 1.#Longan Fruit(Dimocarpus longan),Belongs to family Sapindaceae. (Other fruits like Litchi and Rhambutan are from the same family.These are sweet in taste and has effective treatment for diebetic patients.Photographs taken from my neighbours backyard.(one single tree from natural germination) at Jajpur District of Odisha.)
The sad part of this group of flora is that they are not manually regulated, starting from their propagation till the end of their life span. The category is basically nature dependent for growth, where the planting material follows the process of germination, blossoming, etc. only when tapped by the nature. These fruit crops are usually self-occurring humus feeders, wind harvesters and the canopy is often managed by natural calamities. Though the management is non-commercial here, the production and distribution of these fruits is indefinite. And where the same is negligible, there is no question of marketing. Even if some fruits are fate-favored, they are limited only to the trolleys of some fitful vendors, earning them hardly a lunch for the day.
However, irrespective of their habit, habitat, abundance and the ongoing market demands, they are no less contributors of luscious flavor, nutrition, aesthetic gratification and vital medicinal values to the society. In contrast, most of the values are only restricted to the pages of Horticultural text books. It would be surprising to know that in India still many of the fruits from the list are potentially higher in terms of local consumption rate, culinary utility, spiritual demand, etc. and gain tremendous values in comparison to the frequently available ones. Some fruits are even found effective against deadly cancerous diseases, hypoglycemia, heart diseases, dermatological disorders, hair abnormality, sexual dis-functioning, ageing, etc. A number of the stray fruits help tuning up of the CNS and stabilising the body red blood cells count as the primary function.
Pic.2#Kumbhi Fruits(Careya arborea)Belongs to family Lecythediaceae (Also called as Wild guava, Slow match tree .The fruit has a lot of medicinal values.Photograph taken from a road side forest at Keonjhar District of Odisha.)
It is acceptable that there is a strong reason for the minor fruits to be under-utilised. Perhaps due to the fact that most of the minor fruits are non-palatable and without an eye-catching morphology, unlike other dominant fruits, these are swiped out of the marketing chain system. Selection of promising varieties of such fruit crops, followed by analytical studies on their physiological and genetic behaviour along with the chemical components present in them would perhaps be the front line revolution to their success. Moreover, understanding the values of food security, the studies and researches on the minor fruits are to be prioritised and simultaneously creating commercial orchards for their smooth cultivation, establishment of small scale industries, as startups, for the post-harvest treatments especially grading and packaging is also a vital factor.
The produce, in some cases, may not be consumed raw but can be effectively converted into wide range of value added products like pickles, marmalade, jam and jellies, squash, etc. indulging a large number of youths to find their way to self-employment. Due to the medicinal significance, a number of stray fruits can provide raw materials for the pharmaceutical industries and Ayurvedic homes for manufacture of drugs and medicines out of their dried flesh, rind or kernels. Again, the same can be made to contribute to the wine industries, oil industries, fibre industries, etc. as well.
Last but not the least, introducing and popularising the minor fruits in all over the nation through advertisements of value added products, extension educations through campaign programs and setting up of fruit kiosks at affordable prices would even add to the purpose.Large more aspects are yet to be covered in order to encourage the production and productivity of stray fruits. However, these stray fruits are under-exploited resources of our nation which perhaps deserves, not just an extended syllabus, but an ultimate ‘Minor Fruit Revolution’ in the coming days.
Kinnow belongs to the citrus group of fruits. It is botanically known as Citrus reticulate Blanco with a chromosome number of 2n=18. It is also known as King’s willow mandarin, an interspecific hybrid between Citrus nobilis x Citrus deliciosa. It was first developed by H.B Frost in the year 1915 at the University of California Research Center, Riverside.
picture 1.A healthy bearing Kinnow plant at the Central Field of Department of Horticulture,SHUATS,PRAYAGRAJ,UTTAR PRADESH,INDIA.
In India, kinnow came in acquaintance during 1954 when it was first introduced by J.C Bakshi at the Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Fruit Research Station, Abohar. Kinnow gain its popularity in India mainly due to its high yielding attribute as well as of its flavor also. The tree grows vigorously and has an upright form, with a strong tendency of bearing heavy fruit yield. The fruit is the rich source of vitamin C and their daily consumption protects mankind from scurvy. The rind of the citrus fruit contains a number of alkaloids, out of which is limonene which have the potential to act as an insect repellent.
Prayagraj comes under the sub-tropical region of India, due to its climatic conditions it experience only one bahar in a year i.e mrig bahar (winter flowering). The kinnow orchard of SHUATS was first established by W.B Hayes in the late 90’s who was the British Agriculture scientist also the first HOD(Head of Department) of Department of Horticulture, SHUATS. The soil of the Prayagraj is clay loam which is enrich with nutrients and also good for the cultivation of most of the fruit crops. And thus this soil type provides suitable environment for the growth of micro-organisms and suitable for the use of bio-fertilizers. Being a sub-tropical region, it experiences a hot dry summer with a maximum temperature of 48°C. Due to this, kinnow cultivation at Prayagraj region need more frequent irrigation in order to prevent the june drop. It experiences an annual rainfall of 981mm (approx) which leads to the heavy infestation of flies and moth in the kinnow plants and causes a huge pre-harvest loss (upto 80-90% yield losses).
Kinnow is a nutrient loving plant and requires an adequate amount of nutrients in order to produce a good quality yield. It also requires a fair quantity of micronutrients in order to enhance its juice quality. Use of organic farming as well as bio-fertilizer reported to increase the quality of fruits as well as it helps in restoring the soil nutrients in a natural way. It not only provides good quantity of nutrients to plants also helps in saving the soil fauna. One can use bio-fertilizers like Azotobacter, PSB (Phosphorus Solublizing Bacteria), Azospirillum as a replacement of chemical fertilizer. These bio-fertilizers require substrate to grow, so using FYM as a substrate is very effective. FYM not only serves as a good substrate for these eco-friendly bacteria but also acts as a chelate and makes other micronutrient available to plants.
Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) under acidic or calcareous, fixes large amounts of phosphorus in the soil but are unavailable to the plants. Phosphobacterins are mainly bacteria and fungi which can make insoluble phosphorus available to the plants. The solublization effect of phosphobacterins is generally due to the production of organic acids that lower the soil pH and bring about the dissolution of bound forms of phosphate and hence making the soil available with the phosphorus. Azospirillum is the associative symbiotic nitrogen fixer, aerobic bacteria, which have the ability to associate with growing root system of a variety of crop plants. This nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum when applied to the soil undergoes multiplication and fixes atmospheric nitrogen in the soil for utilization of various crops. Azospirillum is a gram-negative bacteriumthat fixes atmospheric nitrogen and makes it available to plants in non symbiotic manner. Azotobacter, aerobic, free living bacteria, acts as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the rhizosphere of almost all crops. Azotobacters are abundant in well-drained, neutral soil. They can fix 15-20kg/ha N per year. Azotobacter spp. can also produce antifungal compounds to fight against many plant pathogens.
In order ensure the maximum benefit of these bio-fertilizers; it is very important to apply them in a right way. These fertilizers are mainly applied along with compost, mix the recommended amount of bio-fertilizer with the compost and leave it overnight in order to multiply the bacteria in compost and then apply it. In this may the bio-fertilizers give the best result.
Kinnow mandarins are medium sized with thin, tight and orange colored skin. It is rich in vitamin-C, sugars and in addition to this it also contain vitamin-A, vitamin-B, and vitamin-K and contains a sweet sour taste. Due to this it fetches a high price in the market and also utilized by the processing industry. India earns a sizable amount of foreign exchange by exporting kinnow to various countries of the world like Iran, Singapore, Qatar, Nepal, Switzerland etc. In India, the best quality of kinnow was obtained from the Nagpur region of Maharashtra where these fruits got its characteristic flavor due to the climatic conditions of that region.
picture 2.Harvesting of Mature Kinnow
Kinnow is also heavily attacked by insect and pest out of which one of the most damaging pests of kinnow is fruit sucking moth (Eudocima fullonia). They mainly puncture the fruit and suck out the juice from them, a heavy infestation results in yield loss of upto 80-90% was reported. As they are nocturnal in nature it is hard to control them, setting light trap or poison bait is effecting against them. Dilute suspension of fermented molasses or jaggery and malation 0.05% (50 EC at 1ml/l) as poison bait is effective, or bagging of fruits with 500 gauge polythene bags also prevent the adult moth attack.
picture 3.Poison bit to kill fruit sucking moth in kinnow
Plant nutrients are the key factor in order to increase the fruit yield. Adopting organic means of farming practices are not immediate result giving but it improves the quality of fruits in the successive years. Organic farming improves the soil physical properties such as aeration, texture, water holding capacity, infiltration as well as chemical properties such as pH, CEC, etc. Apart from this the price of organic produce are fetching good price in the market. So, this is the high time that we should slowly move towards the organic farming and make our food a little more healthy and free from chemicals. Thus keeping in mind, the climatic conditions and the soil type of the Prayagraj region adoption the organic farming not only in Kinnow but in other fruit crops not only helps in enhancing the fruit yield but also helps in restoring the soil fertility.
Licon Kumar Acharya Scientist (On probation) ICAR-National Centre for Integrated Pest Management (NCIPM)
(Pic.1.Sri Chakra Padhan demonstrating his testing plants stem using stethoscope while detection of Borer insects in Plant’s stem)
It is estimated that 20-30 % of farm produce is damaged annually due to insect attack. Borers in particular are a major threat to fruits and plantation crops causing huge reduction in yield and subsequently leads to death of the mature and bearing plant. These are a group of insects that spend part of their adult or larval life stage feeding inside roots and branches or tunnelling beneath the bark or into the heartwood of many trees and shrubs. Tunnelling cuts off the water supply and can cause foliage to be off coloured or drop prematurely, cracking of the bark and dieback of branches and twigs. Injury caused by the borers can be long lasting and moderate to heavy infestation can cause death of the plant.
An early detection of the borers can reduce the crop loss. Many attempts has been made by the scientific community as well as farmers. One of such innovative technique is developed by Mr. Chakradhar Pradhan, earning him the sobriquet “Gachhara daktar” ( Doctor of plants) in his locality. He hails from Jahnapada village in Attabira block of Bargarh. Owing to economic trouble he had to drop out from school at 13 just after completing his seventh standard. He started supporting his father in agriculture work but he never let go of his dream. At the outset he developed a passion for agriculture and always wanted to excel in is field. His passion and enthusiasm led him to start a lemon orchard on over 30 decimals of land in 1983.Much to surprise of the fellow villagers his orchard was spread over 5 acres within no time and he became a successful farmer.
To his dismay once ¾th of lemon plants started drying up and died in quick succession, leaving him devastated. Local expert in agriculture failed to find out a convincing reason. In the meantime Dr. Manoranjan Sahu, MBBS paid a visit to his orchard. He was having a stethoscope with him and that created an out of box idea to the curious mind of Mr. Chakradhar Pradhan. He thought it would be great if he can find the pest in the trees using a stethoscope.
Pic 2.Sri Chakra Padhan using stetho identify root grub insects in affected plants of lemon tree.
Surprised and amused with his idea Dr. Sahu gifted it to him and left. That day changed his life and rest is history. He started an expedition to discover something new by listening to the pulse of plant life. On examining dead plants with the stethoscope he could hear the sound of cutting which he could not hear in a healthy plant. Based on the observation he dug up the soil beneath the roots and found out insect of about 3c.m.
Excited at having discovered a cause he later came to know that the insect was root borer and it had indeed killed the plant. This identification of cause helped him to use necessary pesticide and eventually he was able to save his orchard. Initially his experiment was confined to lemon trees but later on he extended it to other plantation crops also.
This success came at cost of many struggle. Initially the villagers called him mad when they found him sitting underneath the dead lemon trees with a stethoscope to his ear. But he was adamant in his endeavour to succeed and years later his efforts were being recognised. His novel approach has been widely appreciated and has earned him many accolades. His work was documented by National Innovation Foundation(Autonomous Body of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India). Subsequently an American organisation “trees for life” had appreciated his technique and felicitated him. What began as a moment of inspiration followed by ridicule is now a novel idea for early detection of the borers.
Pic.3.During 5th National Conference on KVK at Udaipur,2010, he was highly appreciated and awarded by our former President of India Smt.Prativa Devi Singh Patil. H
His concept can be applied to all most all perennial fruit trees such as coconut, arecanut and different species of palm and different temperate fruit trees such as Apple, Pear ,Peaches and plums which are prone with different shoot and root borer insects. This early detection of insects save the tree from death and helps the farmers to use different insecticides to save the plan
Pic.4.Sri Chakra Padhan showing his stethoscope and the grub and adult stages of Red Palm Weevil(Ryncophorus ferrugienus) in Formalin Water preserved by him.
By using stethoscope we can detect Red Palm Weevil (Ryncophorus ferrugienus) in all palm species like Coconut, Arecanut etc and helps in preventing the damage and death of the mature bearing plant’s and save the crop.
Although his innovation of early detection of root and shoot borer insects using Stethoscope is already being recognised by ICAR(INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH) and patented by National Innovation Foundation(Autonomous Body of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India) on his name ,there is a lot of scope for further research in this area. He recommends that “Just like the medical science students are given stethoscope to measure the rate of hear beat and detects any health problems , agricultural science students should also use stethoscope to detect shoot and root borer insect in fruit and plantation crops.”
The students who are doing their research in the field of entomology; his method provides a great scope for further research of his concept of early detection by hearing the borer action sound in different fruits, vegetables, ornamental and plantation crops which are mostly affected by root and shoot borer insects. He is very kind enough to transfer his technology to the farmers and students who wish to contact him in this regard.We hope that his research in this early detection of root and shoot borer insects using stethoscope will help farmers across the world to detect the insects at early stage and save the plant from the damage and commercial loss it causes to the farmers.
(Mobile Number :91-9861697336, Sri Chakra Padhan,Janhapada,Bargarh,Odisha)
List of Photographs which provides an overview about achievments and works done by Sri Chakra Padhan (Farmer Innovator) from Janhapada village of Bargarh district of Odisha.
Abhilash Padhan Ph.D Research Scholar (Fruit Science)
Munmun Joshi Ph.D Research Scholar (Fruit Science)
Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) which is otherwise also known as Chinese gooseberry is an important fruit crop of temperate regions and is widely grown in the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, J & K, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand . They have been very newly introduced in the country and aren’t mostly grown locally. Estimation of area and production have not yet become available in terms of its high nutritive index and commercial value for the small and marginal farmers of mid hill range of Himalayan Mountains comprising Himachal Pradesh, Jammu n Kashmir, Uttarakhand and several north-eastern states such as Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. They have to be imported. Import means taxes, more transportation charge, and higher risk of damage. All this leads to higher prices.
It is a small fruit loaded with several health benefits and flavours. It is a bright green coloured fruit that contains several vitamins and minerals. It is highly recommended for consumption of Kiwifruit to safeguard ourselves from current situation of COVID-19. Presence of antioxidants and vitamin C helps in asthma treatment. Adding fresh kiwi to diet is beneficial for asthma patients. It is loaded with fibre which ensures better digestion. It also contains ‘actinidin’ which is a proteolytic enzyme that helps in breaking down protein. High fibre content can also prevent constipation. Presence of Vitamin C also helps to boost immunity and repairing skin and also keeps it hydrated.
PIC.1 A RIPENED FRUIT OF KIWI
Cultivation of Kiwi in commercial way is having a greater importance for the growers of mid hill areas of Himalayas. It is highly resistant to different insects, pests & diseases, whereas on the other hand fruit crops like Apple, Pear, Peach and Plum are susceptible to various insect, pest and disease attack in the same regions. So, due to its natural resistance against different biotic stress factors we don’t use any chemical pesticides on Kiwi Orchard and get a highly nutritive, tasty, healthy and chemical residue free fruit which fetches a high demand among the local consumer.
In terms of its marketing aspects kiwi is having a special importance. They are highly demandable in the local mandis. Due to its climacteric nature it is harvested at physiological maturity stage. Large sized berries are harvested first while smaller ones are allowed to increase in size. After harvesting, the fruits are rubbed with a coarse cloth to remove stiff hairs found on their surface. Hard fruits are transported to the market. The process of ripening when kept under proper storage takes about 8 to 10 days after harvesting. Subsequently, they lose their firmness in two weeks and become edible.
India’s first commercial Kiwi orchard was established in the year 1985 at Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan-Himachal Pradesh. The kiwi plants which were established nearly 35 years back is bearing heavy fruit each and every year with a maximum yield up to 100 kg Kiwi/Plant is harvested at present time. The average yield is 60-70 kg per plant/year of Kiwi. The average yield of Kiwi is up to 25 MT/Htr when we maintain 416 number of plants in a area of 10,000 square metre. This yield is comparatively the same with the kiwi producing countries of the World like Italy, China and New Zealand.
Pic 2. INDIA’S FIRST COMMERCIAL KIWI ORCHARD ESTABLISHED AT DR. Y S PARMAR UNIVERSITY OF HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY, NAUNI, SOLAN, HIMACHAL PRADESH IN THE YEAR 1985
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR KIWI ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
ARTIFICIAL HAND POLLINATION
Kiwifruit have male and female flowers on separate vines. Flowers do not produce nectar to attract insects. If there are other flowers around a kiwifruit orchard, insects may visit them instead. Another problem is that female flowers produce ‘fake’ pollen to attract insects. It is not the same as male pollen because it does not contain genetic material or food. Both of these problems make it tricky to grow lots of big kiwifruit. Kiwifruit growers often use artificial pollination to make sure their plants get all the pollination they need. Farmer collects pollen by hand from male flowers and spread it onto female flowers. Artificial hand pollination is an important step in increasing the overall pollination percentage and the overall yield of Kiwi.
FRUIT THINNING
Kiwi, being a heavy bearer crop, fruit thinning plays a very important role after artificial hand pollination to optimise the yield in preferred size of fruits (i.e., 90-100 gram) by keeping optimum number of fruits during pea stage for the market. After fruit thinning only a maximum number of 3 fruits are kept from a single point and maximum 6-8 numbers are kept in a single branch so as to maintain a good size and healthy fruit for the market. By this method the fruits produced are of grade A with a average weight of more than 100 gram.
ARTIFICIAL IRRIGATION
PIC 3.ARTIFICIAL IRRIGATION IN KIWI ORCHARD USING DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Artificial Irrigation is very much necessary to keep vines growing, productive and to maximize the fruit size. Water stress can reduce fruit size, limit flower numbers and can cause premature fruity drop. Summer drought can cause leaf drop and premature fruit ripening. Drip system is an important step towards fulfilling the annual water requirement for Kiwi Orchard and also economize the water use.
CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT
Kiwifruit can be grown in an area experiencing 700-800 chilling hours (no. of hours during which temperature remains at or below 70 C during the winter season). The plant can be grown at 800-1500 m. above mean sea level. It requires a high humidity and moderate temperature for its optimum growth, development and yield. High temperature during the month of summer is harmful for the growth of Kiwi plant. A moderate temperature in between 10-250 C with a high humidity is best for its growth and development.
TRAINING AND PRUNING
TRAINING
Training is required to establish and maintain a well-formed framework of main branches and fruiting arms. The supporting branches are erected even before planting the vines or thereafter as early as possible. A typical T-bar trellis consists of posts 5-6 foot long cross arm extending across in which the vines are trailed.
PIC.4. TRAINING OF KIWI USING T-BAR TRELLIS SYSTEM.
PRUNING
In kiwi, pruning is practised two times in a year.
Dormant Pruning
This is widely practiced during the winter season to initiate reproductive growth during the spring season.
Summer Pruning
Normally we avoid summer pruning but being a vine crop, summer pruning should be practiced. In this case, we cut the top portion of the branch while remaining 10-12 leaves after the fruits growth point. It helps in blocking the food material diversion towards the tip point and diverts it towards the growing fruits behind the branch which helps in increase in the size and weight of the fruits.
PICTURE 5. KIWI ORCHARD AFTER DORMANT PRUNING IN WINTER SEASON
HARVESTING
Normally 25 to 40 per cent of total produce of fruits and vegetables is loss in India due to post harvest losses. The annual loss of fruit and vegetables is estimated to be more than 60,000 corers annually. If we can able to save 5 to 10 per cent of that loss, we are adding it to the profit share 5 to 10 per cent more. The post harvest losses occur during different stages such as harvesting, storage, packaging, transportation etc. For a grower, important point is to prevent the post harvest losses by harvesting at the perfect time of harvesting maturity.
The harvesting maturity is clearly defined in other fruit crops such as Apple, Mango and Banana by changes in its peel colour which is not the same in Kiwifruit as it shows little visual change as it approached to maturity. Kiwifruit continue to increase in fresh weight and size until harvested, but the most rapid size increase occurs the first 100 days of after bloom. If kiwi is harvested at the right stage of maturity it gives a very nice taste with perfect blend of acid and sugar. TSS content (Total Soluble Solids) (° Brix) is the most commonly used maturity index for kiwifruit. TSS is measured with the help of hand refractometer. Cultivars are harvested at 6.5° Brix. Fruits at this stage will attain good quality in storage. TSS is around 12 to 18 per cent when ripe.
Picture 6.retaining of kiwi fruit (3-4) at a single point
Whereas, in case of Allison variety of Kiwi we can detect the harvesting maturity when the hairs above the fruit surface fall down by simply rubbing with finger above the fruit surface. The fruit hairs contains the fruit ripening hormone called as ethylene which should not be removed after harvesting during packing as its plays an important role in ripening after harvesting during the storage.
Due to lack of knowledge about the right stage of harvesting of Kiwifruits, the farmers harvest the crop in the month of September when it is having sour taste.
CALENDER DATE
It is used for calculating the harvesting maturity in many crops such as Wheat which is harvested in April 13th of each year on the day of Baisakhi. But due to climate change this method is not reliable in case of fruit crops.
DAYS FROM FULL BLOOM (DFFB) TO MATURITY
This is a most reliable method used in case of measuring the harvesting maturity of fruit crops when the plants having 60% of the total flowering till the maturity we calculate the number of days.
After taking this DDFB to maturity by various research trials at Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh is calculated for ALLISON (VAR): 190 days+- 1 week (7 days)
The days from full bloom to maturity varies according to the elevation (for Solan :190 days having elevation:1200-1500 m above mean sea level where as for Shimla its 190 plus 1 week extra having elevation:1500-2000 m above mean sea level)
CULTIVATED VARIETIES IN INDIA
Since kiwi is a dioecious plant, it bears pistillate (female) and staminate (male) flowers separately. Commercially grown important pistillate and staminate cultivars are: Abbott : This is an early flowering and early maturing cultivar. The oblong, medium sized, fruits are covered with dense hairs. This cultivar is very sweet in taste with lower ascorbic acid content and medium titrable acidity.
Allison: Fruits resemble those of Abbott, except that these are slightly broader in proportion to its length. The most suited variety for Himachal Pradesh. It is also used for pollenizing different cultivars.
Bruno : This cultivar requires comparatively less chilling period. The fruits are tapering in shape towards the stem end. They are longest among all the cultivars. The fruits is dark brown having very dense, short and bristly hair, highest in ascorbic acid and titratable acidity.
Hayward: Most popular cultivar or the world, Hayward is comparatively shy bearer with a tendency of biennial bearing. The fruit is broad and flat, being much wider in relation to length, It is superior in flavour with high sugar and ascorbic acid content. It requires more chilling hours comparatively to other varieties.
Monty : It is a late flowering cultivar but fruit maturity is not late. The fruits are oblong, resembling those of Abbot and Allison. Being a highly prolific bearer cultivar, sometimes it needs hand thinning for obtaining good sized fruits. The fruit is somewhat wider towards blossom end with higher acidity and medium sugar content.
Tomuri : It is a good polliniser for Hayward and Monty, the late flowering kiwis.
PRESENT STATUS OF KIWI CULTIVATION IN INDIA
Due to its origin in South China, the climate of Arunachal Pradesh of India is having the best suitable climate for kiwi cultivation in India. Most of the commercial largescale big orchards are established in the state of Arunachal Pradesh occupying more than 60 per cent of the total Kiwi cultivation area of India.
PRESENT STATUS OF KIWI MARKET
The Indian fruit market has always been a thriving one. However, the demand for ‘exotic fruits’ has been rising recently because of a prospering urban class, an enhanced exposure to the cultures of different countries, and a rising demography of health-conscious people. Among all exotic fruits, Kiwi has witnessed the fastest growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 80-100%.Normally, we import Kiwi from Italy, Chile and New Zealand to meet the annual demand of Kiwifruit in India. But due to restrictions of import during this situation of COVID-19, the local Kiwi growers will hopefully get a higher price and higher profit in the coming season.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
“There is no doubt we get a good price by harvesting before the right maturity stage but due to low sugar acid ratio, the consumer could not get the taste and satisfaction. From the last 15 years of my experience harvesting of Kiwi at the perfect stage (second week of October) it tastes very sweet and get a overwhelming response by the people who purchased Kiwifruit from the University Kiwi Orchard.”- Dr. Vishal Singh Rana (Principal Scientist)
The harvesting date is October second week for Solan, whereas it can be harvested 1 week later in Shimla.
ADVANCE STEP TAKEN BY SOLAN KIWI GROWERS IN MARKETING
Many farmers of solan are doing online marketing of Kiwi through courier service of kiwi direct to consumers across India.
FUTURE PROSPECTS OF KIWI CULTIVATION IN INDIA
Kiwifruit have shown a tremendous potential in recent years. The major problem faced by our farmers of mid-hills from fruit crops like apricot, plum, peach is due to attack of different diseases and insect pest, whereas kiwi has assumed huge popularity and preference among the growers as well as consumers due to its favourable properties such as resistant to all these different diseases and insect and for easy maintenance and marketing besides having high nutritional and medicinal values.
A sharp decline in Peach production is observed in Rajgarh area ‘Peach bowl of Himachal Pradesh’ of Solan district due to different insect pest and disease attack. Due to its high nutritive value its sold in the Indian market up to 25 to 30 rupees per fruit and the health conscious urban consumer are ready to offer a good price for kiwi. Monkeys are an important animal pest in Himachal Pradesh for ruining the agriculture and horticulture produce, but in case of kiwifruit they do not attack the fruit as it is sour in taste during its growing period. People in north India during the Diwali celebrations are eager to gift kiwi fruit as a gift packet to relatives and friends in place of sweets. Kiwifruit has a bright future prospect in Himachal Pradesh. It has been assessed as one of the important future commercial fruits. It provides high return per unit area and the farmers can earn about Rs. 4 to 5 lakhs per hectare annually. Kiwifruit bears heavily every year with no crop failure. The kiwifruit could be developed into a vital industry for sustainable economy in hilly region. Its cultivation in our country is of recent, and the total production and productivity is very low, yet there is tremendous scope for its cultivation.
An improved Package of Practices of Kiwi cultivation is developed by Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh and the technology of kiwi cultivation has been transferred to other hilly states through continuous and regular research efforts. The technology of Kiwi cultivation is transferred to several states such as Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
The horticultural development society of Himachal Pradesh is promoting Kiwi cultivation by providing subsidy to the kiwi growers through Himachal Pradesh Government. The farmers can contact their block Horticulture Development Officer to know more about the government schemes for Kiwi cultivation. Due to the financial support through subsidy scheme of the state government many farmers of Himachal are interested to take Kiwi as a successful fruit crop to get a high remuneration.
Dr . Vishal Rana(Principal Scientist ,Dr YS PARMAR UNIVERSITY OF HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY NAUNI SOLAN HIMACHAL PRADESH is describing the Advance management practices on Kiwi cultivation
Abhilash Padhan (Phd Research Scholar,Fruit Science)
Introduction:
Pineapple (Ananas comosus(L)Merill) is a perennial fruit crop grown in the tropical and subtropical areas of the World. It belongs to the family Bromeliaceae.
Origin & distribution:
It is originated in the Parana-Paraguay basin according to Collins(1960). The pineapple was domesticated by the Tupi-Guarani Indians. In the Gurani language, “a” means fruit & “nana” means “excelling”. The generic name Ananas stands for the excellent edible quality of this fruit. It seems to have reached India by 1558(Hayes,1957).
The most important producers of Pineapple in recent years have been in Thailand, Phillippines, Hawaii, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, China, Nigeria, Columbia & India.
The major producers of Pineapple in India are Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Kerala, Goa, Orissa, Bihar, Manipur, Karnataka, and Meghalaya.
Nutritional value:
Pineapple is an excellent source of Vitamin C and is a good source of Vitamin A and B.
Plant characteristics:
It is a herbaceous perennial plant. The mature plant is 1.0mtr to 1.2mtr in height and 1.3mtr to 1.5mtr in diameter. Like banana, it is monocarp(each stem flowers only once & dies after fruiting). Once the plantation is done it will live up to 50 years. The plant appears to suit for Xerophytic conditions. The lower epidermis of the leaf bears trichomes which absorbs water from the atmosphere & reduce transpiration, while the leaf itself contains a specialized water storage tissue.
The stem is 20-30 cm long, narrow at the base & wider on the top. The meristem produces 70-80 leaves unless it is prematurely induced to bloom. The time between planting & formation of inflorescence varies between 6 to 16 months depending upon the size of the propagule, date of planting, climate, and soil. (Samson,1986)
The fruit is formed by an extensive thickening of the axis of the inflorescence and by the fusion of small, berry-like fruits produced by each flower. There are 100-200 individual fruits arranged spirally around the thick axis & the whole forms a broad almost cylindrical multiple fruits.
The average fruit size is 20 cm long and 14 cm broad. The fruit tapers towards the top where it is mounted by a rosette of short, stiff, spirally arranged leaves called the crown.
Cultivars:
According to Knight(1980), all cultivated Pineapples may be placed according to their characteristics in 5 major groups. The name of different groups and the cultivar’s name are mentioned below here.
5. Manipure Group.(Manipure, Bumanguesa, Piamba de marquita, Randon, Perbola:Legrija and Monte Liro)
Some of the most popular varieties like Giant Kew, Kew, Mauritius, Jhaldjup and Bakhat grown in India do not find mentioned in the above group list.
Climate:
Pineapple is a crop of the tropical climate but it thrives well in the subtropical situations.It is susceptible to frost so its cultivation is limited to latitude between 250N & S with a few exceptions like Assam(300N) & Port Elizabeth(330S) in South Africa. (Samson,1986). The optimum day & night temperature for pineapple were reported to be about 300C & 200C respectively. (Neild & Boshell,1976). Bartholomew & Kadzimin(1977) have reported that leaves & roots grow best at 320C & 290C. However, growth ceases below 200C and above 360C.
In general, pineapple needs a sunny climate through there are no exact figures on hours of solar radiation required.
In India, Pineapple is grown commercially in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Coastal Andra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Orissa, Goa, Tripura, Meghalaya & Tamil Nadu. The climate of Odisha is highly suitable for its commercial cultivation among all districts.
As it’s a semi-shade loving crop intercropping pineapple inside Mango orchard having a great future potential among the Mango orchards of all the above states where it’s commercially grown.
The average annual requirement of rainfall ranges from 1000 mm to 1500 mm. Successful production in low rainfall areas requires good annual distribution of rainfall & water conservation management practices. In high rainfall areas, good drainage is most important as the pineapple root system is very sensitive to waterlogging.
Plant propagation method:
Its commonly propagated by different asexual means such as suckers, slips, and crowns. The axillary shoots originating from the base of the plant are called as suckers. Side shoots of the suckers or those originating from just below the fruit are known as “Slips” & the leaf rosette on the top of the fruit is the “Crown”.
The different time period of production of fruits is 18 to 20 months using Slips, 15 to 18 months using Suckers and 22 to 24 months using Crowns.
Precautionary step:
Before planting all the planting materials must be cured or dried for one to several weeks after separated from the mother plant. This allows the formation of a callus layer on the cut surface which reduces losses from decaying organisms.
Tissue culture:
In recent years the micropropagation technique has been developed for faster multiplication of pineapple.
Cultural practise:
It is raised in a double-row system. Traditionally Pineapple was raised with a recommended spacing of (100*60*30)cm with a plant population of 39,000P/ha for market production whereas with a spacing of(100*45*30)cm with 43,500P/ha can be applied for canning purpose.
Chadda et al.(1974) recorded the best results using 63,758 plants/ha while Mustafa(1988) obtained the highest yield with 59,829 plants/ha.
Pineapple as an intercrop:
As it is a semi-shade loving plant, it can be successfully grown for commercial purposes inside mango orchard as an intercrop in between two rows of mango plants. It can be grown using a double row system in flatbeds or using raised beds. It is grown with or without the use of mulching.
Flower induction:
Inflorescence development is initiated naturally by shortened day length & cool night temperature. Usually flower initiation begins in November & continues through out the winter till february. Under natural conditions flowering is highly irregular & some plants may fail to produce fruit.
Thus in commercial practice , growth regulators such as ethylene & NAA are used to force plants to flower. Flower initiation is pineapple is promoted and fruiting becomes more even when pineapple are treated with ethylene. Water deficit or drought like situation also induces early flower initiation in pineapple.
Now a days synthetic plant hormones like NAA or ethylene are often used to induce flowering. In the past calcium carbide (CaC2) was employed for this purpose.
Crop regulation:
Use of different planting material allows manipulation of the crop growing period and particularly in selection of the time of harvest when climatic conditions are favourable for high quality fruits. As its growth cycle & flowering is not influenced by seasonal influence, it gives additional advantage for planning fruit production in advance to suit the market.
Harvesting & Yield:
The pineapple produces a composite or multiple fruit, made up of numerous indivisual fruitlets which are fused together to produce pineapple.
The half yellow stage is regarded as ripe & at this stage brix & titrable acidity has reached maximum. This stage is near the maximum in fruit weight
Yield is 40-50 t/ha may be expected from a well managed plantation. Under optimal conditions the yield goes upto 70t/ha or even more.(Samson,1986)
Bigger fruits are packed in 2 layers where a smaller fruits are packed in 4 layers.
At temp(0-4)0C fruits may be stored weeks but upon removal, the fruits fails to ripen shows chilling injury. At 70C the maximum storage was about 4 weeks.
The new intervention in pineapple farming as an intercrop: A success story of a progressive farmer from Boud district of Odisha.
Sangram Pradhan(40) is a highly progressive youth farmer from Boud district of Odisha who has specialized in farming of Mango from the last 10 years. After completing his higher education in law he has working in an MNC in Mumbai. But his interest & passion for agriculture made him to come back to his native village Balanda of Purunakatak area of Boud district of Odisha. Along with his father Sri Prafulla Kumar Pradhan(62) he is involved in cultivation of mango using latest improvements and technology and using it in his 15 acres of mango orchard which was established by his father before 15 years back next to his house at his native village.
At present, he maintains a diversity of 22 different cultivars of mango with more than 1600 plants in an area of 15 acres. The mango varieties he grows for commercial purposes include Baiganpalli, Mallika, Neelum, Kesari, Ratnagiri Alphonso, Arka Neelachal Kesari, Ratnagiri Hapus, Baramasi and recently introduced the Thai Mango varieties. Out of total 15 acres of the area, he grows Amrapali variety (a dwarfing variety suitable for high-density planting developed by the crossing of Dashehari and Neelum ) in an area of 5 acres from last 12 years. The spacing he has followed is 5 * 5 metres in Amrapali mango variety. By regular training and pruning operation in Amrapali the plant height is maintained up to 10 feet after harvesting each year.
Although he was highly successful in mango cultivation utilizing the latest technologies he was not getting more than an annual profit of 50,000 Indian rupees per acre from his Mango orchard. So he decided to go for an intercrop inside the Amrapali Mango orchard where an interspace of 25 square meters ground area (Neglecting tree girth and spread area) was available between two different rows of Mango Plantation.
After attending several pieces of training and workshops on Pineapple cultivation as an Intercrop in Mango orchard at CHES(Central Horticultural Experiment Station), Bhubaneswar which is a sub research station of IIHR(Indian Institute of Horticultural Research), Banglore, he finally decided to start pineapple cultivation as an intercrop utilizing the latest technologies and pop(Package of Practices) developed by CHES, Bhubaneswar.
He started pineapple cultivation by purchasing 6000 numbers of suckers(as planting material) of Queen and Kew variety of Pineapple. He started the cultivation by preparing a raised bed inside the rows of Amrapali mango. The raised beds were prepared using compost and soil of height up to 7 inches and a breadth of 5 feet at the base to 4 feet at the top. The total length of one bed is up to 40 meters.
The suckers were planted above the raised beds in two rows with a spacing of 2 feet between the R-R and 2 feet 2inches between the P-P. A total of 110 numbers of suckers were planted in a single bed of 40 meters length between two rows of mango. The silver-coated black polythene of 200-micron thickness was used as a mulching material whose life span is up to 3years.
Mr Sangram Pradhan (40) along with his father Prafulla Chandra Pradhan (62) guiding the laborers during the transplanting of Pineapple (step by step process)
In case of using polythene mulching, there is a complete protection from weed growth up to 3 years using this mulching.
The suckers of pineapple were planted during October to November month of 2019. After 7-8 months it completes its vegetative stage and will start the reproductive stage by the initiation of flowering. The fruit maturity and harvest begin in May & June months of the coming year when its flowering initiation occurs during November-December.
From the previous experiments by CHES, Bhubaneswar he was acknowledged about the yield of the cultivars he has transplanted. He is expecting an average yield of 1.0-1.5kg of fruit/plant/year in Queen cultivar whereas, in Kew, he is expecting an average yield of 1.5-2.0kg of fruit/plant/year.
Benefits of raised bed & polythene mulching in Pineapple :
The raised bed helps proper root growth due to good aeration in soil & prevents the water stagnation & damage to the plant’s roots from various fungal and bacterial diseases.
Whereas utilization of polythene mulching not only prevents competition with weeds growth but also helps the plants to complete its vegetative growth within short spans and initiate flowering. Using mulching practice not only minimizes water loss & but also maintains optimum soil moisture & temperature and provides a suitable environment for soil microbial population which are beneficial for the plant root.
Farmer’s initiatives:
In natural condition, pineapple starts flowering from November and the fruits are harvested after 4-5 months in the month of May-June. During this time period due to large scale production in south Indian states, it fetches a maximum market price of 25-30 Indian rupees per fruit in Odisha.
But during the off-season in the months of November and December, it fetches up to 50-60 rupees per fruit in the market due to high demand in Marriage functions as dessert purposes.
So he is planning to induce flowering in the months of august utilizing synthetic flower initiating hormone-like Planofix(NAA) with Ethereal(Ethephon) so that he will be able to harvest the mature fruit during November and December and get a higher return.
Profit Analysis:
The total number of suckers were planted in one acre as an intercrop in Mango is 2000. The cost of suckers are 5-6 rupees each and once purchased can be used for life long, so here we are neglecting the initial cost of purchasing the suckers as planting material of Pineapple.
If he will get an average yield of 1 kg fruit weight per plant he will get 2 tons of fruit per acre per year. If the average cost of fruit will be 25 rupees during the on-season then he will get up to 50,000 rupees per acre.
Whereas by artificial induction of flowering in pineapple during the month of July-August he will be able to harvest the fruit during the off-season(November-December) and will get a double price of 50-60 rupees per fruit. In that case, he will earn upto 1,00,000 Indian rupees per year.
The maximum cost of cultivation from the second year onwards will be very less which will be a maximum of 10,000 rupees per acre including all. So he will be getting a profit of 40,000 rupees annually and up to 90,000 rupees maximum per year as an intercrop from Pineapple as per his calculations.
In the case of mango, he was getting 50,000 rupees earlier as profit per acre per year when the yield was on an average of up to 4 tons/acre. So after intercropping of Pineapple his total profit per acre in a year will be between 90,000 to 140,000 Indian rupees in a year.
Conclusion:
Taking pineapple as an intercrop will not only double the profit of the farmer within a year of time span but also will provide an assurance of benefit from intercrop when the main crop (Mango) production falls due to irregular bearing or other environmental factors. This is an innovative step towards doubling the farmer’s income.
Enquiry:
Any Farmers across India wants to implement pineapple as an intercrop can contact Mr.Sangram Pradhan on his mobile number and can visit his Farm.
