How to Grow Yellow Yams?

Botany

Some authorities consider yellow yams to be a variety of D. rotundata. The edible portion is the tuber, which is borne singly and can weigh up to 10 kg. But more usually are within the range 500–2 kg. They have brown skin and yellow flesh.

Harvesting

As far as harvesting there is no clear dormancy period, but the vines die back about 12 months after planting and then regrowth. At this time the vines may be cut off and the tubers may be harvested and dug from the ground. Jamaica is a major producer and there they are harvested by digging up the tuber while the vine is still attached. 

The top of the tuber, called the head end, is cut off with the vine attached and replanted in the same place. This means that there is a large cut surface on the harvested tuber that is easily infected by microorganisms.

Pest and disease control

A common way of controlling postharvest diseases is to dip the tubers in a fungicide. However, dichloran treatment was found actually to increase rotting. In Jamaica, benzimidazole fungicides were used for many years. However, during the commercial application, a rot caused by infection with Penicillium sclerotigenum was frequently observed on the treated tubers. 

In in vitro tests, this organism was found to be tolerant to benomyl. This tolerance was confirmed in vivo tests, but the organism was highly susceptible to the fungicide imazalil. However, the use of benomyl or imazalil is now not permitted in many importing countries and an alternative method of disease control is needed.

Field infestation of yellow yam tubers with parasitic nematodes was shown to increase when they were stored in tropical ambient conditions, resulting in areas of necrotic tissues. However, when they were stored at 13°C there was no increase in nematode population in the tubers and no increase in necrosis.

Curing

Exposure of the tubers to 35–40°C and 95–100% r.h. for 24 hours initiates the curing process and controls storage rots. This treatment could well replace chemical fungicides for postharvest disease control. See the section on D. rotundata for details of the process.

Storage

In ventilated storage in ambient conditions of 24–31°C and 52–68% r.h., tubers lost 41% in weight after 4 months. The storage period was too long and should probably be confined to a maximum of 1 month. Refrigerated storage recommendations are as follows:

• 13°C and 95% r.h. for less than 4 months with 29% weight loss and internal necrosis.

• 16°C and 80% r.h. for 60 days (Tindall 1983).

Sprouting

At tropical temperatures, tubers sprouted about 4 weeks after harvesting. The most popular variety of yellow yam in Jamaica is called Roundleaf and that began to sprout about 90 days after harvest compared with the variety Common that sprouted after about 50 days. This study was at ambient temperatures of 25–34°C and 64–92% r.h.

A proprietary potato sprout suppressant containing CIPC and IPC in a dust formulation had no effect on sprouting. Low-temperature storage can control sprouting. No sprouting occurred on any tubers at 13°C during 5 months of storage, but there was a chilling injury at temperatures below 15°C when stored for over 1 month, so this method was not appropriate.

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How to Grow Best Pears?

How to Grow Pears?

Pears grow on sturdy, deep-rooted trees that can live and bear for as long as seventy-five years. They will take less cold than apples but more than peaches, and often have fewer pest and disease problems than either. They are not especially rich in vitamins, but no matter. Get your vitamins A and C from the tomato crop and enjoy sweet, juicy home-grown pears for the sheer joy of it.

The pear’s brief, early bloom can result in the flowers’ being killed in cold areas, and also can lead to insufficient pollination. Even if the flowers appear when it is warm enough for bees to be active, they are not as fragrant as those of other fruits, and bees may pass them by.

Pear trees are not self-fertile either, though most varieties will cross-pollinate each other well. (The combination of ‘Bartlett’ and ‘Seckel,’ which are incompatible, is the notable exception.) Most do badly in very warm zones since they need winter chilling to break dormancy.

Pears are upright-growing, usually reaching at least 25 feet. Dwarfs can be grown successfully, usually on quince rootstocks SITE Plant pear trees in a sunny spot except in climates where the sun is very strong. Protect them from winds that are cold or salt-laden.

In the cold temperature planting on a northern or eastern slope will assist to forestall too-early bloom. It is very imperative to give pears good air circulation to ward off fire blight, the most troublesome pear disease. Plant standard-sized varieties 20-25 feet apart, dwarf ones 12-15.

SOIL

Pears are deep-rooted and need deep soil. They will do better in a heavy soil than a light one since they need plenty of soil moisture. (Sandy soils also warm up too quickly in spring, producing frost-vulnerable early bloom.)

Pears growing in dry soil will bear pretty flowers and then drop unripe fruit all over the ground. On the other hand, too- rich soil will make them more susceptible to fire blight and may produce rapid growth that splits the bark. The best pH is about 6.5, but a wide range is tolerable.

PLANTING

Plant while dormant in fall in frost-free areas, otherwise in early spring. Buy one-year-old whips and cut back to 3 or 3% feet. Set them out at the same height at which they grew in the nursery, but with dwarf varieties make sure the graft is several inches above the soil so the tree won’t root above the graft.

At planting time dig in organic matter such as peat and perhaps some bone meal, but no nitrogenous fertilizer. You have a vigorous tree and can kill it with too much kindness.

GROWING

As the trees are growing, you can top-dress them lightly with compost or whatever it takes to keep leaf color a healthy green and the tree productive- but you may not need to feed at all. It is more important to make sure the tree has plenty of moisture, especially at blossom time and when the fruit is ripening.

Moreover, heavy mulch not only will conserve moisture but also may assist to forestall too-early flowering. You may also grow grass around the tree to put back flowering and contain growth. But beware heavy applications of lawn fertilizer. Pear trees are pruned very much the same way as apple trees, but lightly so as to avoid producing vigorous new growth that will be susceptible to blight.

Like apples, they bear for many years on long-lived spurs. It is, however, a good idea to keep the top pruned low while the tree is young so it will grow too tall to pick. Cutting it later is harder to do and will in blight. Old trees can be renewed in the same way as apples. Thinning will befit the tree and the crop, though are notorious self-thinners, often dropping half their crop in early or midsummer.

PESTS AND DISEASES

The biggest pear plague is fire blight, a bacterial disease that blackens the leaves and twigs so they look burned. They may also curl over in a “shepherd’s crook” shape. Cankers (sunken places) can be seen at the base of the blackened parts.

The disease is carried by insects that enter the flowers in spring and is best prevented by growing resistant varieties. Also, observe the cautions mentioned above. If your trees still get fire blight, prune out the affected shoots at least several inches below the damage.

Sterilizing your clippers in a chlorine solution between cuts and destroying the debris by burning or burying it. Badly damaged trees may need to be destroyed. There are antibiotic sprays, best administered by a professional, that control fire blight.

Other diseases include brown rot and pear canker, a fungus that produces sunken areas on the twigs. You might have trouble identifying the latter, so take twigs to the Extension Service to see if pear canker is the trouble. If so, just prune it out and improve drainage in the area where the tree grows.

Pear scab produces olive-green spots on the fruit in warm, wet weather; any infected areas should be pruned out and destroyed. Pear psylla, a plant louse, is the most serious insect pest, blackening the leaves and fruit in midsummer because of the sooty mold that grows on the sticky “honeydew,” which the lice secrete.

Dormant-oil sprays, applied in before buds swell, will help to control it; follow this treatment with insecticidal soap spray, as needed later in the season. Aphids, which also secrete honeydew, are also controlled by dormant oil followed by soap.

Even if neither psylla nor aphids do great damage, both can introduce fire blight into the tree. Pears are also injured by the codling moth, and by pear slugs, which are best done in by sprinkling them with lime. So, to avoid pests and disease you should know how to grow pears in a systematic way.

HARVEST

Pears are best picked before maturity. Left to ripen on the tree they become grainy and can go very quickly from ripe to rotten. Pick when the skins are light green, when the seeds inside are brown (open one pear to check) and when the pears can be severed from the branch easily with an upward-twisting!

Motion If possible store pears in a dry room where the temperature is just above freezing; they’ll keep this way for several months. Then bring them into a warmer room when you want them to ripen. But handle them carefully at all stages because they are easily nicked and bruised.

Standard trees bear a good crop in about six years, on the average, and dwarfs in three or four. Expect up to five bushels per tree from standards, up to a bushel and a half from dwarfs.

VARIETIES

Bartlett is the best-known pear, the standard commercial variety that keeps and ships well. The tree is vigorous but prone to blight; fruits are early. “Clapp’s Favorite is the standard late variety, hardier for the north than ‘Bartlett’ but also susceptible to blight. So is the exquisite “Bosc” that wonderful little brown, long-necked pear, and the sumptuous old-world ‘Flemish Beauty.

Less risky is the wonderful old ‘Seckel’ or sugar pear, which is small, brown and very sweet. It grows slowly but vigorously on a compact tree and is quite hardy. (Also try its early version, “Tyson.’) Modern choices include the early and dependable ‘Moonglow,’ or, for canning, ‘Kieffer,’ a big, crisp.

Also, yellow pear that matures fairly is late and keeps very well. Another good bet is Magness,’ a good blight-resistant pear for the south and west that is very sweet, keeps well and grows on a nice, spreading tree. (Grow two additional varieties to ensure pollination.) ‘Orient’ is a good round, green canning pear for the south, also blight-resistant. Also, try the great- keeping ‘Red Anjou’ or the trouble-free ‘Starking Delicious.’

Western gardeners owe it to themselves to try the ‘Comice’ pear, an old, choice French pear considered the crème de la crème; it bears late, has exquisite flavor and is blight-resistant. They should also grow the Asian pears that are starting to become popular. Huge, crisp pears that are something like apples in texture; these are good keepers and grow on large, self-fertile trees.

Good varieties include “Chojuro’ and “Twentieth Century. The Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is an ornamental tree worth noting, especially the variety ‘Bradford (called Bradford pear). It has a nice shape and makes a good street tree, resistant to fire blight. It is covered with white flowers in spring and turns a lovely dark red in fall. The tiny fruits are not edible. so, we hope you would become to know how to grow pears. 

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Jack Fruit Facts

Description

Jack fruit is well believed to have originated in the mountainous region of the Western Ghats of Indian peninsula. It is supposed to have spread from India to the other tropical countries such as Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, Jamaica etc.

Jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is one of the most important underutilized fruit belonging to the family “Moraceae” and to the genus Artocarpus. That includes evergreen or deciduous trees producing more yield than any other fruit tree species and bears the largest edible fruit.

But it is regarded as a minor fruit and is often found in regular plantations. This genus comprises about 100 species distributed in the Indo-Malayan region and China. Among the several species of Artocarpus which occur in India, Artocarpus chaplasha, Artocarpus hirsuta and Artocarpus lakoocha are the important timber yielding trees.

The energy of Jack Fruit

Jack fruit is cheaply available in large quantities during the season. The energy available to humans from jack fruit has been calculated to provide approximately 2 MJ/Kg wet weight of ripe perianth. For this reason, it is commonly referred to as “poor man’s breadfruit”. On account of its fruit size, it ranks first among all the fruits in terms of quantity of edible matter produced per unit area.

Jack Fruit Seedlings

Jack fruit tolerates a wide variety of soils, provided those are well-drained. However, it prefers deep and well-drained alluvial soil. Jack fruit seedlings start fruiting after eight to ten years, whereas grafts may fruit from three to five years.

The fruit is fully mature but unripe fruits are harvested and the fruit maturity is judged by dull appearance and a dull sound upon tapping. The yield varies from tree to tree and according to age. On average 5-100 fruits of medium size (6-10 Kg) are borne on adult trees.

Life Span and Parts

The life span of the jack fruit tree for around 80 years. The jack fruit prices depend on size, quantity, type of fruit and season. The fruit constitutes three parts: bulbs (34 per cent), seeds (18 per cent) and rind (48 per cent) respectively. Generally, sweet bulbs are consumed by the people.

The remaining parts such as seeds and rind are usually wasted. Jack fruit seed encased in the soft colored edible pulp and constitute to about 5.1- 12 per cent of the fruit. It is eaten after roasting or boiling. Jack fruit is a highly fibrous fruit and is rich in nutritive value, containing 18.9 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g minerals, 30 IU vitamin-A and 0.25 mg thiamine for every 100 grams.

Nutrient

Jack fruit has been reported to contain high levels of protein, starch, calcium and thiamine. It is a very good source of potassium and vitamin C. The leaves and stem bark have been used to treat anemia, asthma, dermatitis, diarrhea, cough and as an expectorant.

The fruits, seeds and trunk wood have been described as containing chemical compounds with aphrodisiac properties. Currently, jack fruit seeds are underutilized in both human and animal nutrition due to lack of information on their nutritional potential.

It is a rich source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals like calcium, zinc and phosphorous. They contain lignin, isoflavones, saponins, which are called phytonutrients and their health benefits are wide-ranging from anticancer to antihypertensive, anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-ulcer, etc. Jack fruit seed powder can relieve discomfort due to indigestion.  

Seeds

The seed is firm and waxy, oval, oblong or oblong ellipsoid in shape. Each seed is 2-4 x 1-2 cm in size and 2.5-14 g in weight with a coriaceous testa. The testa is thin, leathery, thick, tough, parchment-like and crinkly when dry. The inner seed coat is thin covered with a brownish membrane.

The fleshy cotyledons are very unequal in the size of the other. The endosperm present will be very small. The embryo has a superficial radicle, the basal lobe of the smaller cotyledon being undeveloped. Carbohydrates are the main component of the seed in the form of starch for human consumption.

Moreover, the seeds can be boiled or roasted and used in many culinary preparations. Almost, 25-53 per cent starch aided in the formation of a highly rigid gel. The incorporation of jack fruit seed flour in the manufacture of extruded snacks and vermicelli at varying levels of 30- 50 per cent and incorporation of 40 per cent level gave the best results.

The preparation of value-added product “Puttu” (traditional south Indian dish) from jack fruit seed flour with a combination of rice flour. Although seeds are nutritious, containing protein, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamin, and minerals and provide about 135 Kcal/100g of energy. They are not being exploited commercially by the processing industry since it contains a powerful trypsin inhibitor.

Jack fruit seed protein has a low biological value due to the occurrence of lectin components. Hence considering the above, an attempt was made to identify the pattern of utilization of jack fruit seed, to process seed into flour and utilize this seed flour in selected value-added products.

Jack fruit is an underutilized fruit crop and jack fruit seeds being wasted after the fruit is consumed. These seeds have a great potential as a source of many important nutrients. Jack fruit is available in plenty in various parts of India. After the consumption of the fruit, the seeds are usually wasted. The seeds are highly nutritious and provide around 135 Kcal /100 gm.

Jack Fruit Moisture

The moisture content of the jack fruit seed was found to be 64.5 %, carbohydrates - 25.8 g, energy -135 Kcal, proteins - 6.6 g, total minerals -1.2 g, iron-1.5 mg, calcium-50 mg, phosphorus-97 mg, fibre-1.5 mg (per100 g of edible portion).

Value Added Products

Jack fruit have been relatively safe fruit for different value-added products like jackfruit finger, chips, jackfruit candy, jackfruit halwa, jackfruit flour, jackfruit leather, jackfruit papad, jackfruit pickle, ready-to-serve (RTS) beverages from jack fruit was carried out.

Seed Powders

Jack fruit seed powders were tested as a substrate to produce pigments by Monascus purpureus grown using solid-state fermentation (SSF). The protein content in the jack fruit bean was 7.81-12.46 %.

Probably the protein content varies from seed to seed and it may also depend on the ripening stage of the seed. The proximate composition of the jack fruit seeds varieties, that they are good sources of carbohydrates, protein, and minerals.

Extraction of Jack Fruit Seed Flour

To extract jack fruit seed flour, jack fruit seeds were boiled for 15-20 minutes; water was decanted and cooled in order to remove the seeds and outer skin coat. Seeds were cut into 3-4 pieces dried in sunlight or hot air oven (400C) for 48 hours. Dried seeds were ground into flour sieved and stored.

Isolation of starch

Production of starch from non-cereal crop sources, has a lot of scope for the industry with respect to value added starch-based products indirectly generating higher employment and saving the country’s foreign exchange. The jack fruit bulbs were separated, and seeds washed thoroughly with water and spermoderm was peeled off.

The peeled seeds were slurried with an equal weight of a 0.5 per cent solution of NaHSO3 in a waring blender and slurry was pressed in cheesecloth to remove seed fibers, rewashed and decanted at 4-50C and then washed with 80 per cent ethanol and dried at 300C for 48 hours and starch yield was 10-15 per cent.

Foaming and Emulsification Capacity

Foaming capacity of the jack fruit seed flour showed greater foam volume at the initial period 8 ml followed by 7ml at 30 minutes and later at 60 minutes interval. Foam volume decreased further to 5 ml and at 120 minutes foam volume was only 4.5 ml. It was observed that, in case of jack fruit seed starch and corn starch foam did not form at all.

Highest emulsification value was obtained in the jack fruit seed flour compared to seed starch and corn starch. Jack fruit seed had an emulsification value of 16 ml/100g of flour. The values for jack fruit seed starch and corn starch was 2.6 ml and 6.9 ml per 100 grams of flour respectively.