he wonderful variety of Pomegranate is known for its sweet taste, plentiful juice and health benefits that may help with Heart disease, Cancer and problem associated with Aging. It is also the only variety of Pomegranate grown exclusively by Pom Wonderful, the Wonderful Pomegranate thrieves in the hot days and cool nights of central California. We have introduce this variety under Indian conditions and start performing well.
1. Ganesh: This is a selection from ‘Alandi’ developed by Dr. Cheema at Pune, which has revolutionized cultivation of pomegranate in Maharashtra state. It is a prolific bearer, fruit very large, rind yellowish red, pinkish aril with soft seeds. It is the commercial cultivar of Maharashtra. The average yield ranges from 8-10 kg per tree. This has soft seeds and pinkish flesh with juice of agreeable taste and bears heavily.
2. Bhagwada: This is a selection from ‘Alandi’ developed by Dr. Cheema at Pune, which has revolutionized cultivation of pomegranate in Maharashtra state. It is a prolific bearer, fruit very large, rind yellowish red, pinkish aril with soft seeds. It is the commercial cultivar of Maharashtra. This has soft seeds and pinkish flesh with juice of agreeable taste and bears heavily.
3. Phule Arakta: The ‘Arakta’ variety of pomegranate presently under commercial cultivation in various regions of Maharashtra. Pre-released in the year 1989, It has now been released as ‘Phule Arakta’ for its cultivation by the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri.
The ‘Phule Arakta’ variety of pomegranate is heavy yielder and possesses desirable fruit characters. The fruits are bigger in size, sweet with soft seeds, bold red arils. It also possess glossy, attractive, dark red skin. It is less susceptible to fruit spots and thrips. Hence, the ‘Phule Arakta’ variety is released for the cultivation in pomegranate growing areas of Maharashtra.
Salient features :
· It fetches better market prices which is two times higher than that of Ganesh.
· It has heavy demand for export and distant markets, particularly in United Kingdom and Gulf countries etc.
· it is attractive and smooth peel increasing its cosmetic value and market appearance of the fruits.
· It is dark red coloured with attractive arils & fruits are suitable for both table and processing purposes.
· It gives high yield (30-35 kg/tree) in case of better management.
· Fruits are ready for harvesting within 120-135 days (Early variety)
4. Mradula: This variety has all the characters of the Ganesh variety except the arils are dark red in colour. The colour of the arils in 'Ambe' bahar and 'Mrig' bahar is dark red in colour while it is pink during the 'Hasta' bahar. The average fruit weight is 250-300 grams.
Pomegranates are sometimes found in gardens in Hawaii. The tree was introduced to California by Spanish settlers in 1769. It is grown for its fruit mostly in the dry zones of that state and Arizona. In California, commercial pomegranate cultivation is concentrated in Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties, with small plantings in Imperial and Riverside counties. There were 2,000 acres of bearing trees in these areas in the 1920s. Production declined from lack of demand in the 1930s, but new plantings were made when demand increased in the 1960s.
The species is primarily mild-temperate to subtropical and naturally adapted to regions with cool winters and hot summers, but certain types are grown in home dooryards in tropical areas, such as various islands of the Bahamas and West Indies. In Southern Florida, fruit development is enhanced after a cold winter. Elsewhere in the United States, the pomegranate can be grown outdoors as far north as Washington County, Utah, and Washington, D.C., although it does not fruit in the latter locations. It can be severely injured by temperatures below 12 degrees F. The plant favors a semi-arid climate and is extremely drought-tolerant.
The pomegranate thrives on calcareous, alkaline soil and on deep, acidic loam and a wide range of soils in between these extremes. The pomegranate is both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated by insects. There is very little wind dispersal of pollen.
Pomegranate seeds germinate readily. Even when merely thrown onto the surface of loose soil, the seedlings spring up with vigor. However, to avoid seedling variation, selected cultivars are usually reproduced by means of hardwood cuttings 10 to 20 inches long. Treatment with 50 ppm. indole-butyric acid and planting at a moisture level of 15.95 percent greatly enhances root development and survival. The cuttings are set in beds with one or two buds above the soil for one year and then transplanted to the field. Grafting has never been successful, but branches may be air-layered and suckers from a parent plant can be taken up and transplanted.
Rooted cuttings or seedlings are set out in pre-fertilized pits 2 feet deep and wide and are spaced 12 to 18 feet apart, depending on the fertility of the soil. Initially, the plants are cut back to 24 to 30 inches in height, and after they branch out, the lower branches are pruned to provide a clear main stem. Because fruits are borne only at the tips of new growth, it is recommended that, for the first three years, the branches be judiciously shortened annually to encourage the maximum number of new shoots on all sides, prevent straggly development and achieve a strong, well-framed plant. After the third year, only suckers and dead branches are removed. For good fruit production, the plant must be irrigated. In California, irrigation water is supplied by overhead sprinklers, which also provide frost protection during cold spells. The pomegranate may begin to bear in one year after planting, but two and a half to three years is more common.
The fruits ripen six to seven months after flowering. In California, maturity has been equated with 1.8 percent titratable acidity (TA) and SSC of 17 percent or more. The fruit cannot be ripened off the tree even with ethylene treatment. Growers generally consider the fruit ready for harvest if it makes a metallic sound when tapped. The fruit must be picked before over maturity, when it tends to crack open if rained on or under certain conditions of atmospheric humidity, dehydration by winds or insufficient irrigation. Splitting is the natural means of seed release and dispersal.
The fruits should not be pulled off but clipped close to the base, leaving no stem to cause damage in handling and shipping. Appearance is important, especially in the United States, where pomegranates may be purchased primarily to enhance table arrangements and other fall (harvest-time) decorations. Too much sun exposure causes sunscald–brown, russeted blemishes and roughening of the rind. The fruit ships well, cushioned with paper or straw, in wooden crates or, for nearby markets, in baskets. Commercial California growers grade the fruits into eight sizes; pack in layers, unwrapped but topped with shredded plastic, in covered wood boxes; precool rapidly; and ship in refrigerated trucks.
The pomegranate is equal to the apple in having a long storage life. It is best maintained at a temperature of 32 degrees to 41 degrees F. The fruits improve in storage, become juicier and more flavorful; may be kept for a period of 7 months within this temperature range and at 80 to 85 percent relative humidity, without shrinking or spoiling. At 95 percent relative humidity, the fruit can be kept only two months at 41 degrees F but for longer periods at 50 degrees F. After prolonged storage, internal breakdown is evidenced by faded, streaky pulp of flat flavor.
According to the Pomegranate Council, fresh pomegranates are available from September through January. Concentrate is available throughout the year.
Pomegranates in India
In India, Maharashtra is the leading producer of pomegranates followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
To a smaller extent, it is also grown in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. It is cultivated commercially in Sholapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Dhule, Aurangabad, Satara, Osmanabad and Latur districts of Maharashtra, while in Karnataka it is cultivated in Bijapur, Belgaum and Bagalkot districts. Sholapur is famous for juicy pomegranate fruit which is locally known as Anar.
The total area under cultivation of this crop in India in 2009-10 was 127.8 thousand hectares with production of 828.9 thousand tonnes. From Table I it is clear that Maharashtra has about 78 per cent share of the total area under cultivation and 67 per cent share in total production.Ganesh, Mridula, Ruby, Arakta and Bhagwa are some of theimportant varieties of pomegranate grown in India.
As a commercial crop pomegranate is grown to a limited extent in selected locations in many states. The estimated area under pomegranate in India is about 25000 ha. with Maharashtra accounting for more than two third area, while other states like AP,MP,UP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu share the rest.
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