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Essay on Apricot
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Origin and History of Apricot
- Essay on the Area and Production of Apricot
- Essay on the Importance and Uses of Apricot
- Essay on the Choice of Varieties of Apricot
- Essay on the Insect-Pests of Apricot
- Essay on the Diseases of Apricot
Essay # 1. Origin and History of Apricot:
The center of origin of apricot is north east China between the town Kan-Techeou and Russian border. The distribution of cultivated apricot, its wild forms and allied species is reported in temperate zone of Asia between 33° and 70° E longitude and 53° and 30°N latitude. Wild apricot (Zardalu) appears to be indigenous to India.
Apricot is known to Chinese since 2000-3000 BC. This delectable fruit moved westward from Central Asia through Iran and Transcaucasia region and reached Italy about 100 BC, to England in 13th Century and to North America by 1720. The specific name armeniaca indicates its introduction to Italy and Greece by Armenian traders.
Apricot is cultivated in China, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, USA, Morocco, Syria and Romania.
The apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) ranks second next to plum among the stone fruits in India in area, production and popularity. It is a drought resistant, salt tolerant, hardy plant being rather less susceptible to pests and diseases.
Essay # 2. Area and Production of Apricot:
The leading apricot producing countries are Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Italy, Pakistan, Morocco, France, Ukraine and Japan. The world production of apricot is estimated 2.5 million metric tonnes half of which is located in Central Asian countries. Turkey is producing 27 per cent apricot fruits of the total world production. The other apricot producing countries are China, Greece, USA, Hungary, Egypt, Syria and Spain.
In India, apricot is cultivated chiefly in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand hills. The total production in the country is estimated 50120 mt annually out of 19000 hectares area. In Kashmir apricot occupy 6100 hectares and producing approx 16000 mt. The area under apricot in Himachal Pradesh in 3487 hectares and the production is about 3340 mt.
Some sporadic plantation of apricot exists in Amritsar and Patiala districts of Punjab.
Essay # 3. Importance and Uses of Apricot:
The apricot is an attractive, delicious and highly nutritious fruit. It is particularly a very rich source of vitamin A and contains more carbohydrates, protein, phosphorus and niacin than majority of other fruits. The percentage of different ingredients in the edible portion of fresh Indian apricot fruits have been recorded as protein 1.0%, fat 0.3%, fibre 1.1%, carbohydrates 11.6%, mineral matter 0.7%, calcium 20 mg, phosphorus 25 mg, iron 2.2 mg, vitamin A 3600 I.U., vitamin B1 0.04 mg, vitamin B2 0.13 mg and ascorbic acid 6 mg per 100 g fruit. The dry apricot contains protein 1.7%, mineral matter 2.8%, carbohydrates 72%, vitamin A 98 µ g/100 g, vitamin B1 217 mg and vitamin B2 2.2 mg/100g. The pulp of fresh apricot contains about 1% pectic substances as calcium pectate.
The ripe apricot is an excellent dessert fruit. The fruit is canned, candied, frozen and dried. The various products like jam, nectar and papad can be prepared. The beverage, apricot nectar is made by converting the ripe fruits into puree and mixing it with sugar syrup and citric acid. Apricots are commonly consumed as dry fruits. Its sweet kernels taste like almond and used as its substitute in pastes and confectionary and can be added to jam.
Essay # 4. Choice of Varieties of Apricot:
The cultivars New Castle, Shipley Early, Shakarpara and Kaisha are grown in mid hills, while Moorpark, Turkey, Royal, St. Ambroise, Nugget and Charmagz in high hills. In cold arid zone comprising Kinnaur, Ladakh and higher ranges of Uttarakhand hills, Nari, Kaisi, Charmagz, Shakarpara, Halman, Moorpark, Turkey, Early Shipley, Chaubattia Madhu, Kesri and Rakcha Karpu cultivars are pre-dominant.
Brief description of important apricot varieties is given below:
i. New Castle:
The fruits are medium-sized, roundish, highly coloured, orange yellow. Flesh in very sweet and juicy. It is an early cultivar ripening in the month of May. It is a popular dessert cultivar for warmer locations.
ii. Shipley Early:
The fruit is medium sized and creamy white in colour. Flesh is sweet and juicy but kernel is bitter. It is a dessert cultivar. It is an early variety ripens in the middle of May.
iii. Kaisha:
Fruit is medium-sized, round. Skin yellow with red cheeck. Flesh orange yellow with good flavor and very prolific. Ripens in the middle of June. The kernel is bitter.
iv. Charmagz:
The fruit is medium-sized, roundish flat. The skin is straw-yellow and the flesh is light yellow, very sweet and highly flavoured. The fruit is suitable for both dessert and drying purposes. The kernel is sweet. This is a self-incompatible cultivar which gives good fruit set when the cultivar Turkey is used as pollenizer. It is a shy bearer variety.
v. Nugget:
This is found one of the best cultivars for mid hills in respect of fruit quality, regularity in bearing and yield. It is the earliest cultivar to flower in the season. Fruits are medium to large in size and round in shape. Skin is deep orange, glabrous. The flesh is deep yellow in colour, firm and juicy with fine texture. The fruit is ready to harvest in the last week of May or the first week of June.
vi. Royal:
Fruit is large, roundish oval. Skin dull yellow, tinged with red. Flesh yellow, firm, juicy with high flavour when fully ripe. It is used for dessert, canning and drying purposes. Stone free to partially clinging. It ripens in the middle of June.
vii. St. Ambroise:
Fruit are large, oval and symmetrical. Skin is orange yellow. Flesh is also orange yellow, firm and tender. It is a free-store variety. It is a mid to late season cultivar ripening from the last week of June to the first week of July.
viii. Moorpark:
It is considered as best apricot cultivar when fully ripe but is shy in bearing. The fruits are roundish and large in size. The skin is light orange in colour with a light red blush. The flesh is juicy, sweet and excellent in flavour. The fruit ripens in the first week of June.
ix. Nari:
Fruit small to medium in size, oblong, depressed at both base and apex ends. The skin is smooth and pale yellow in colour. The flesh is light yellow with slight fibre having sweet pleasant aroma. The kernel is sweet like almond. The fruit ripens in the last week of May.
x. Shakarpara:
Fruit is small to medium in size, having creamy yellow skin with slight pink blush on the shoulders. The pale yellow flesh is sweet and has excellent aroma. The kernel is bold and sweet. Fruit ripens in third week of May. It is a shy bearing cultivar and requires high chilling.
xi. Halman:
It is an important dessert and drying cultivar of Ladakh. Fruit is medium sized and golden in colour. The flesh is very sweet but not very juicy. It is harvested in early August.
xii. Rakcha Karpu:
It is also important cultivar of Ladakh which also fruits well in mid hills. The kernel colour is white. It is dessert cultivar but kernel is used for oil extraction. It ripens in the last week of May in mid hills while in August in Ladakh.
Wanatcher, Tilton, Harcot, Vivagold, Harogem and Roksana are the other important varieties. Benazir variety is grown in Patiala region in the kitchen gardens.
Essay # 5. Insect-Pests of Apricot:
1. Indian Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Obfuscata):
The damage is caused by caterpillar which, are gregarious and nocturnal in habit. In severe cases, the trees are completely defoliated.
The moth can be controlled by dusting with 5% Lindane in March-April. The egg masses having yellowish brown hairs should be located in August and March and destroyed. Pest can be checked by spraying fenvalerate (0.03%).
2. Leaf Roller (Archips Micaceana):
The leaves and petioles are cut and rolled up by caterpillar and then they feed inside the soft tissues. The caterpillar after puncturing the ripening fruits, also eat up inner pulp.
It can be controlled by spraying 0.03 per cent fenvalerate. The rolled leaves and webbed flowers should be destroyed after collecting.
3. Peach Stem Borer (Sphenoptera Lafertei):
The pest attack trunk and branches of apricot and sometimes the entire tree dries up. Infested inner bark becomes a powdery mass like sawdust which mixed with frass, oozes out from the splits on the surface.
Remove and burn heavily infested branches and trees. The adult beetles should be killed by clearing the holes and then insert 0.5 g para dichlorobenzene and plug the hole with mud or cotton wick soaked in petrol or methyl parathion 1 litre of water or dichlorovos 0.15% (2 ml Nuvan 78% EC in 1 litre of water).
4. Peach Fruit Fly (Bactocera Dorsalis):
Fruit fly lay eggs on fruits and feed on pulp. The infested part of the fruit rots and even drop. The fruit become unfit for human consumption. Pupation takes place in soil under infected trees.
Burry the infested fruits at 60 cm depth. Hoeing of orchard should be done in May and June to expose the pupae which are present mostly at 4-6 cm depth. In case of severe infestation, spray 1250 ml (0.05%) Sumicidin 20 EC (fenvalerate) in 500 litres of water in mid-May and repeat after one week if required.
Essay # 6. Diseases of Apricot:
1. Bacterial Canker and Gummosis:
It is caused due to Pseudomonas syringae. The bark and outer sapwood show symptoms of circular to elongated water-soaked lesions which later turn sour-smelling. Sunken black lesions are found on the infected fruits.
Spray Bordeaux mixture (2:2: 250) or 50% copper oxychloride (0.3%) in the fall as well as in spring to prevent infection. Mashobra paste is also found effective against this disease. Mashobra paste includes stearic acid 25.5 g, morpholine 9 ml, water 340 ml, lanoline 136 g and non-sterile dihydrostreptomycin sulphate 3.1 g.
2. Powdery Mildew:
The disease is caused by fungus Sphaerotheca pannosa. The young leaves and shoots are infected from the fungus. The young leaves get curled and narrowed as they expand. The growth of affected plant parts is ceased. The white powdery appearance is noted on the leaf surface. Spray 0.25 per cent wettable sulphur first before flowering, second at petal fall and third two weeks thereafter.
3. Brown Rot:
It is caused due to Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena, Sclerotina spp. Due to the attack of disease both flowers and fruits are affected. In severe infection, flowers turn brown and die. Within a few days, tiny brown spot enlarges to a large. The pathogens overwinter in fruit mummies, in twig cankers and in rotten fruits.
For effective control of disease, spray 0.3% Zineb in growing season and 0.1% benomyl during anthesis.
4. Coryneum Blight or Shot Hole:
The disease is caused by Stigmina carpophila. The disease attack leaves twigs, fruits as well as unopened buds. Small, circular deep purple spot appearing on the fruit become raised and rough. Abscission of the diseased area results in shot hole.
Spray 50% copper oxychloride (0.3%) before leaf fall and bud swell stage.
5. Wilt:
The causal organism of the disease is Verticillium albo-atrum. The whole tree or part of it may be affected due to this disease. The leaves drop down from the affected limbs in early summer. The general stunting of tree is visible and trees remain unproductive for many years. The pit soil should be sterilized with formalin before planting new sapling.