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Sapota or sapodilla (Manilkara achras), popularly known as chiku, is an important fruit. Native to tropical America especially from south Mexico or central America, this species is mainly grown for its chickle, "the gutta parcha" extracted from its latex from stems. It is used as a base material in chewing gum and in some other industrial uses. However, in India it is cultivated for its delicious sweet fruits. The fruit is fleshy berry, variable in shape, size and weight (75–150g). The skin is thin, rusty brown somewhat scurfy looking like Irish potato, and the pulp soft, melting, crumbling with a sandy or granular texture with 1–5 hard, black seeds. The fruit is a good source of digestible sugar (12–18%) and an appreciable source of protein, fat, fibre and minerals, Ca, P and Fe. It has become most popular fruit crop in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
Climate and soil
Sapota, a crop of tropical region, needs warm (10°–38°C) and humid (70% relative humidity) climate where it flowers and fruits throughout the year. However, if taken to subtropics or higher elevation like in Punjab and Haryana, it gives only one crop from summer flowering in April and May. Under moisture-stress also, it produces one crop only.
Varieties
There are about 41 varieties spread all over the country. However, commercially sapota industry is based on a few varieties and in some areas it is only monoculture like Kalipatti in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Distribution of cultivars according to region is given in Table 1.
Table 1. Distribution of sapota cultivars in India
State Cultivars
Andhra Pradesh Pala, Kirtibarthi, Cricket Ball, Dwarapudi and Guthi Jonavalasa
Gujarat Kalipatti, Bhuripatti, Pilipatti, Dhola Diwani, Jhumakhia and Cricket Ball
Maharashtra Kalipatti, Cricket Ball and Murraba
Karnataka Kalipatti, Cricket Ball, Kirtibarthi, DHS 1 and DHS 2
Tamil Nadu Guthi, Kirtibarthi, Pala, Co 1, Co 2 and PKM 1
Others Cricket Ball, Calcutta Special, Round, Oval and Baramasi

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