POMEGRANATE
        

Pests

Pomegranate (Dalimba) belongs to the smallest botanical family, Punicaceae. It is cultivated mostly around Poona in Maharashtra and Dholka in Gujarat, and to a limited extent in U.P. It grows all over India, but thrives best in places with a hot dry summer, provided irrigation is available. In humid weather, the quality of fruit is not good. It can stand considerable frost and grows up to an altitude of 1,600 metres. Many pomegranate plantations in India have been raised from seedlings. But the seedlings very too much.

Varieties

Dholka is the important variety of Gujarat. It has white flesh and soft seeds. In the Poona area, the variety Alandi or Vadki, with deep pink flesh and hard seeds is important. A selection from this variety with soft seeds is Ganeshkhind No.1. An introduced variety, Paper Shell, with soft seeds and pink flesh has been found successful in South India. Bedana and Kandhari have been reported satisfactory from Himachal Pradesh.

Propagation from hard wood cuttings is easy. Layering is also possible. The planting distance is generally not adequate. Some plantations have trees as close as three metres. However, a distance of six metres from tree to tree is necessary.

The fruits are borne terminally on short spurs arising from mature shoots. These bear fruit for three to four years. Only a limited pruning of the bearing tree is, therefore, required. The gradual growth of new shoots should be encouraged by restricted cutting back of the bearing shoots. Suckers are removed regularly. The spring flowering (Ambe bahar) gives fruits in summer, when the demand is maximum. However, the fruit quality is poor. Flowering is, therefore, artificially induced early in the rainy season, as in the case of citrus. For this purpose, the roots are exposed in April and manuring and irrigation are done in May. After this treatment, the fruits ripen in November-December. In the cultivated types, the sugar content varies from 12-16% and the acidity from 1.5-2.5%.

The most serious problem of Pomegranate cultivation in India is the splitting or cracking of fruit. Sometimes more than 50% of the fruits are cracked. It is due to the hardening of skin of the fruits during periods of shortage of moisture and then sudden expansion of the inner part of the fruit after rain or heavy irrigation.

The fruit has a tough rind and keeps well. Therefore, it can be transported to distant markets with little or no loss. The yield in different parts varies from 50-200 fruits per tree.

1. Anar butterfly (Virachola isocrates Fabricius)

• Nature of damage

Caterpillars bore into the fruits and feed on the developing seeds and tissues; pupate in fruits; entry hole facilitates the attack of bacteria and fungi, causing rotting of fruits.

• Control measures

Collect and destroy all infested fruits; if possible, cover the fruits with alkaline or muslin bags; spray with 0.25% DDT during April.

b. Scale insects (Aspidiotus rossi Maskel)

• Nature of damage

Sporadic, colonies of nymphs are found sticking to the leaves; they suck the sap; in severe cases of infestation, plants lose vitality and the fruiting capacity is adversely affected.

• Control measurers

Prune and destroy the affected parts; spray 0.04% Diazinon, Monocrotophos or Methyl-demeton.