Pomgranate variety production

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

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 sunscaldbrown, 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.