Egg fruit
Egg fruit (Pouteria campechiana) or canisetel is a lesser-known fruit of the American Tropics. In India, it is only known and eaten in a few localities and is seldom utilized commercially. It is an evergreen, small-sized tree of the family under which sapota is classified. The fruits, which are about the size of an apple, are yellowish to orange in colour with somewhat mealy pulp similar in appearance and texture to a cooked egg yolk enclosing often a single large seed. At maturity, the strong odour of the pulp is described as musky and is not agreeable to many people. The taste is unique, rich sweet and contains about 2,000 iu/100g carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. It is also a good source of proteins (2.5%) and or vitamin C (43 mg/100g).
Climate and soil
The egg fruit comes up well in tropical and subtropical climates. Moderate rainfall, frost-free and dry climate is ideal for its cultivation. It has a wide adaptability for soil, ranging from loose sandy to heavy clays, but loams with good drainage and high organic-matter content stimulate better plant growth and yield. The trees of egg fruit sometimes grow even on shallow calcareous soils with minor nutrient deficiencies that are a problem for other fruit trees. Plants can also tolerate to some extent salinity and iron deficiency.
Varieties
Standard varieties are lacking in egg fruit. Trees producing ovoid, spherical and elongated fruits have been recognized. Seedling trees vary considerably in plant habit, size, shape and number of seeds and overall quality. However, in Florida and other places, a few clones worth propagating are known.
Propagation
The common practice is to multiply egg fruit from seeds, although the recommendation is to use either grafts or buddlings. Seeds lose viability rapidly and hence after extraction they should be cleaned, dried slightly in the shade and sown in well-drained medium comprising top soil and organic material in a 3:1 ratio. Seeds sprout in about 2 weeks and the seedlings should be transplanted to pots or polybags when they have 4–5 leaves. Field planting should be done after 6–8 months.
The most successful grafting techniques are the side-veener graft and chip or patch budding, which are practised on vigorous seedlings when the stem diameter is about 1cm. The scion should come from relatively young wood but should not be too succulent. When the graft is well-established with adequate (about 50cm) new growth, transplantation to the permanent site can be taken up
Egg fruit (Pouteria campechiana) or canisetel is a lesser-known fruit of the American Tropics. In India, it is only known and eaten in a few localities and is seldom utilized commercially. It is an evergreen, small-sized tree of the family under which sapota is classified. The fruits, which are about the size of an apple, are yellowish to orange in colour with somewhat mealy pulp similar in appearance and texture to a cooked egg yolk enclosing often a single large seed. At maturity, the strong odour of the pulp is described as musky and is not agreeable to many people. The taste is unique, rich sweet and contains about 2,000 iu/100g carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. It is also a good source of proteins (2.5%) and or vitamin C (43 mg/100g).
Climate and soil
The egg fruit comes up well in tropical and subtropical climates. Moderate rainfall, frost-free and dry climate is ideal for its cultivation. It has a wide adaptability for soil, ranging from loose sandy to heavy clays, but loams with good drainage and high organic-matter content stimulate better plant growth and yield. The trees of egg fruit sometimes grow even on shallow calcareous soils with minor nutrient deficiencies that are a problem for other fruit trees. Plants can also tolerate to some extent salinity and iron deficiency.
Varieties
Standard varieties are lacking in egg fruit. Trees producing ovoid, spherical and elongated fruits have been recognized. Seedling trees vary considerably in plant habit, size, shape and number of seeds and overall quality. However, in Florida and other places, a few clones worth propagating are known.
Propagation
The common practice is to multiply egg fruit from seeds, although the recommendation is to use either grafts or buddlings. Seeds lose viability rapidly and hence after extraction they should be cleaned, dried slightly in the shade and sown in well-drained medium comprising top soil and organic material in a 3:1 ratio. Seeds sprout in about 2 weeks and the seedlings should be transplanted to pots or polybags when they have 4–5 leaves. Field planting should be done after 6–8 months.
The most successful grafting techniques are the side-veener graft and chip or patch budding, which are practised on vigorous seedlings when the stem diameter is about 1cm. The scion should come from relatively young wood but should not be too succulent. When the graft is well-established with adequate (about 50cm) new growth, transplantation to the permanent site can be taken up
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