INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Taxonomical details
Order = Rosales
Family = Rosaceae
Sub-family = Prunoideae
Genus = Prunus
Sub genus = Prunophora
Species = salicina and domestica
Basic chromosome umber = 8

INTRODUCTION
  • Plum is an important temperate fruit, which is used as fresh as well as in preserved form.
  • It is next to the peaches in economic importance amongst the stone fruits.
  • It requires certain period of chilling during winters to break dormancy, thus cultivated in areas where winters are cool.
  • Fruits are rich source of minerals, vitamins, sugars and organic acids in addition to protein, fat and carbohydrates.
  • The types of plums with high sugar content above 18% are known as prunes which can be dried with pit
  • In India, plum was introduced by Alexander Coutts in 1870 in Himachal Pradesh.
  • After evaluation, only Japanese plum has been recommended for commercial cultivation in mid hills of the temperate region of north-western Himalayas.
  • Some low chilling varieties of plum were also introduced at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.
AREA AND PRODUCTION
  • Plum are grown in the temperate zone of all the countries of the world.
  • The main plums and prunes producing countries of the world are Africa, Algeria, Morocco. South Africa, North and Central America.
  • In India these fruits are grown on a commercial scale in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, but on limited scale in north-eastern states.
  • In Himachal Pradesh, plums are mainly grown in Solan, Sirmour, Shimla. Mandi districts.
  • Low chill varieties are also grown in Punjab, Haryana and Eastern U.P. The area under plum in our country is 14000 ha. and annual production is 57143 MT (FAO,2010-11).
Morphological characters :
  • Tree medium to large, upright growth and deciduous.
  • Leaves alternate, serrate, sharp pointed , medium sized and glabrous.
  • Flowers are produced three in a bud on one year shoot or on spur.
  • Flowers perfect, solitary or raceme, sepals 5, petals 5, usually white , stamens numerous, perigynous, pistil 1 with elongated styles, 2 ovuled and fruit drupe usually single seeded.
8.1

Climate and Soil
  • Plum requires varying types of climate and is grown from subtropical plains to the temperate high hills
  • The European type of plums require temperate climate and are grown in high hills at an elevation of 1300-2000 m a m s 1. It requires about 800-1000 hrs of chilling below 7°c during winter to break rest period.
  • Japanese plum requires 100-800 hrs chilling, winch is met in mid hill areas located at an elevation of 1000-1600 m a m s l.
  • Plums can be grown in areas where winters are cold and summers are hot. Cold, wet and windy weather during bloom is detrimental for good fruit set as spring frost injury causes damage to bloom.
  • A northern slope is preferred particularly for Japanese plum, which tend to delay the bloom period and thus avoid early frost injury.
  • Plum requires 90- 110 cm well distributed rainfall throughout the year.
  • Prolonged drought during fruit growth and development and excessive rains during fruit maturity hamper fruit quality..
  • Although plum can grow on a wide range of soils, yet, deep, fertile and well-drained loamy soils with a pH of 5.5-6.5 are most suitable.
  • The soil should be free from hard pan, water logging and excessive salts.
  • Very heavy or light soils are not suitable.
  • The Japanese plums do well on average soils having high pH.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES
  • The cultivated plums belong to two species
(1) Prunus domestica (European plum): It is a hybrid of diploid myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera) and tetraploid black thorn (Prunus spinosa). It is hexaploid. Fruits are larger in size than Japanese plum. Fruit is oval or round having both yellow and green ground colour and also both red and blue skin colour. The cultivated varieties of European plum is classified in to three main groups:
(a) Prunes:- Fruit is oval in shape with bulging ventral side and compressed bilaterally. It is blue or purple in colour , high in sugar content which makes them suitable for drying without removal of pit. All prunes are plums but all plums are not prunes. Varieties are Italian prunes, Giant prune, President.
(b) Reineclaude and green gage plum:- This is hybrid ct Prunus domestica with Prunus insititia . Fruit is greenish yellow in colour and round in shape having yellow skin and flesh.. Important varieties are Golden Drop, Green gage, Golden transparent,
(c) Lombard plum:- The colour of fruit is purplish red. Varieties are Lombard, Victoria.
(2.) Prunus salicina (Japanese plum):- Originated in china but introduced in Japan from where it is disseminated around the world. Plant is more vigorous, productive, precocious and resistant to diseases than European plum. The fruits are large and heart shaped with pronounced apex.. A few cultivars are oblate or round.
(3.) Prunus insititia:- This is a small fruited European plum, hexaploid and grows wild in Europe and Western Asia. Plums of the species are known as Damson and Mirabelles. Fruit are small and purple (damson) yellow (mirabelles). Plant small and compact and form excellent hedge rows.

European plum cultivar
California Blue, Washington, French Prunes, Early Italian, Stanley, Grand Duke, Victoria, Damson.

Japanese plum Cultivar
Beauty, Methley, Santa Rosa, Kelsey, Mariposa, Satsuma, Burbank Red Beaut, Fronteir

8.2t

8.2
Last modified: Tuesday, 26 June 2012, 9:11 PM