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Essay on Custard Apple
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Origin and History of Custard Apples
- Essay on the Area and Production of Custard Apples
- Essay on the Importance and Uses of Custard Apples
- Essay on the Choice of Varieties of Custard Apple
- Essay on the Insect Pests of Custard Apple
- Essay on the Diseases of Custard Apples
- Essay on the Disorders of Custard Apples
Essay # 1. Origin and History of Custard Apples:
The term custard apple is commonly applied to all the Annona species producing edible fruits. These are very delicious fruits. Custard apples are known for their wide adaptability to soil and climatic conditions and freedom from pests and diseases.
They are widely grown in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The commercial plantation of custard apples, are not yet established and usually finds a place only in home gardens.
All annonaceous fruits are indigenous to tropical America. They spread to different parts of the world after the discovery of the continent. It is thought that few species may be native to Africa. According to Baily Annona squamosa is a native of West Indies and South America while Annona cherimola has its origin in the mountains of Ecuador and Peru.
The sculptural designs at Ajanta and Ellora and the mention of custard apple in Sanskrit literature, prove that it has been in India since very old times. After being introduced by the Portuguese, the fruits dispersed quickly and got acclimatised throughout South Asia.
Custard apple is now grown in Brazil, China, Australia, Myanmar, Hawaii, Chile, Egypt, Central Africa, Mexico, Israel, Philippines, Spain, South Africa, USA (California), West Indies, India and Sri Lanka.
Essay # 2. Area and Production of Custard Apples:
In India, the custard apples are very popular in Deccan Plateau and are grown commercially on smaller scale in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The groves are found growing here and there in the gardens or home backyards.
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are the leading states in Annona cultivation and annual production. Custard apples in India are cultivated on 19000 hectares with annual production of 1.27 lakh mt/ha. It is accounts for 0.3 per cent of area and 0.2 per cent of the total fruit production in the country. The average production of custard apple is 6.7 mt/ha.
Essay # 3. Importance and Uses of Custard Apples:
The custard apples are rich source of carbohydrates, protein, fibre, minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron and vitamin C. They are considered good energy source with the value of 104 Kcal. Annona squamosa fruit contains carbohydrates 23.5 g, moisture 70.5%, protein 1.6 g, mineral 0.9 g, fibre 3.1 g, calcium 17 mg, phosphorus 47 mg, iron 1.5 mg and vitamin C 37 mg. These values are based on 100 g fruit pulp.
Custard apples are mostly consumed as table fruits. They can be preserved as jam, jelly and are also used in ice-creams, and other milk products. Baked fruits are commonly eaten in Andhra Pradesh. The pleasant flavour and mild aroma of custard apples are liked universally.
The edible portion of fruit is creamy, granular with an excellent blend of sweetness and acidity. The immature fruits, seeds, leaves and roots are known for their medicinal use in Aurvedic and Yunani system. The seeds contain about 30 per cent oil which can be used in soap and paint industry. The seed cake contains nitrogen, thus can be used as manure.
Essay # 4. Choice of Varieties of Custard Apple:
Custard Apple- Red Sitaphal, Balangar, Barbados, British Guinea, Brandy, Islander, Washington PI 98797, Washington PI 1070005 and Mammoth are important varieties of custard apple.
i. Balangar:
It has better fruit quality than other cultivars. Average numbers of fruits are 48 per tree. Fruit weight 137 g, pulp 44.9%, TSS 20.7%, acidity 0.20% and total sugars 17.9%. Seed weight 5.7 g.
ii. Red Sitaphal:
It is distinct cultivar probably originated as chance seedling. The fruits are pinkish dark and pulp erythrite red. Seeds are more. Number of fruits are 22 per tree with 156 g weight per fruit. TSS is 22.3%, acidity 0.24% and total sugars 15.9%. Seed weight 5.2 g, pulp 30.5%.
iii. Arka Sahan:
It is a hybrid variety of custard apple developed at 11HR, Bangalore. The fruit is large in size and weighing 300 to 500 g. Fruit has good taste. The seeds are fewer and small in size. Skin is tough; the ripening process is slow and has long storage life. Flesh is creamy white, juicy with mild pleasant aroma. TSS is 31 per cent.
iv. Washington:
The fruit weight is 161 g. Pulp 38 per cent. TSS in fruit is 20.8 per cent.
v. Mammoth:
The average fruit weight is 122 g, pulp is 44.5 per cent.
Essay # 5. Insect Pests of Custard Apple:
Mealy Bug (Planococcus Pacificus):
The pest has been noticed in harbouring on young shoots and in between the fruit segments. The blemished fruits do not fetch premium in the market. To control the mealy bug, spray the plantation with 0.05 per cent dichlorvos.
Essay # 6. Diseases of Custard Apples:
i. Leaf Spot:
It is caused due to Alternaria sp. The disease appear in November at the far end of harvesting, thus causes considerable loss in production. The affected leaves drop prematurely. British Guinea and Red Sitaphal are moderately susceptible to this disease.
The disease can be controlled by three fortnightly sprays of benlate or bavistin (0.05%) as soon as the symptoms appear.
ii. Anthracnose:
It is caused due to Glomeralla cingulata. The disease is noticed at Udaipur. The control measure is the same as in leaf spot.
Essay # 7. Disorders of Custard Apples:
In custard apple some fruits remain very small and become brown. These are known as ‘stone fruits’. They retain on the tree even after harvest. Some physiological factors particularly competition among the developing fruits have been suggested to be cause of stone fruit formation. When the fruiting was spread over a longer period due to defoliation treatment, there was only 7-8 per cent stone fruit formation as compared to 30.7 per cent in the control.
The ‘cracking of fruits’ is noticed in custard apple. It is caused due to sudden and high fluctuations in water supply to the plants. Usually, cracking occur from heavy rainfall or irrigation after a prolonged dry spell. Appropriate irrigation scheduling can reduce the problem of fruit cracking.
The abrupt decline of custard apple trees may result due to water logging in sandy or rocky soils. The stagnation of water in the orchards should be avoided.