JACK FRUIT Artocarpus heterophyllus / Astocarpus integrifolia.
; Moraceae; 2n = 56
Jackfruit is a common and popular fruit crop of tropics of eastern and southern parts
of India.
In India it is not generally cultivated in regular plantations and is mainly grown in
homestead for domestic uses & as a shade tree in coffee or cardamom plantations.
This fruit tree grows well without much care.
The fruit is also called as poor man‘s fruits.
USES:
The immature tender fruits and the seeds of ripe fruits are used for culinary purposes.
Ripe fruits are used for table purpose, nectars, dehydrated leathers, jelly and chips etc.
Pickles from immature tenders fruits.
The skin of the ripened fruits & other wastes of the fruits & leaves are the excellent
source for cattle feeds.
The ripe fruits are very nutritious. It cantains fairly large amount of proteins (1.9%),
Ascorbic acid, carbohydrates (19%), carotene pectin, P, Fe, K & Ca. The seeds
contain 7.22% crude protein
The flour of the seeds is mixed in poultry feeds
Produces valuable timbers- furnitures, Musical instruments, toys, carvings, crates.
ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION:
Jack fruit is indigenous to India, commonly grown in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brazil,
Jamaica, Myanmar, Singapore, India,
In India; it grows in a wild and semi-wild state in Assam, W.B, Tripura, Bihar, UP
and Western Ghats.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES:
The A. hetrophyllus previously known as A. integnifolia. The other related jack fruit
species are
altilis - bread fruit- small sized round fruit, found in TN, Assam, Mah & Kerala.
A.lakoocha- Monkey Jack- Small edible fruits- it grows wild in Assam, WB, UP &
Western Ghats.
A.hirsute- is a semi-wild edible species, native to India.
A.champeden- edible fruit with strong odour like durian.
VARIETIES:
Though there are no distinct type could be identified, the cultivated types are broadly
classified into two groups.
- Those producing fruits with firm flesh and crispy in nature.
- Those bearing fruits with soft flesh and very juicy.
Some types with local names like ‗Gulabi‘ (rose scented), ‗Champa‘, Hazari,
Rudrakshi (small roundish fruits) are also available. A genotype (No.7) was selected
from Uttar Pradesh, with moderate yields.
A variety GKVK-1 and Swarna with superior quality fruits were released from
Karnataka and Gumless jack, Muttan Varica from Kerala also found to perform
better.
Singapore or Ceylon Jack is remarkable for its early bearing in 2 to 3 years;
- The fruits are medium in size (7-10 kgs).
- The flesh is sweet and crispy.
- The carpels are compacts, yellow and firm with strong aroma, the fruit contain
about 80 seeds.
SOIL AND CLIMATE:
The fruit tree is very well suited for dry land conditions.
It can be grown under wide range of soils, rich in organic matter, deep and well
drained soil is good for its cultivation.
The fruit tree comes up well under humid and warm climate of hill slopes, arid
warmer plains of south India.
It is grown up to 1500m from main sea level and sensitive to frost and drought.
PROPAGATION:
The seedling trees may take 10 years to bear. In India most of the plantations are still
raised by seeds. The seedlings can be raised in pots/poly bags which are ready for
transplanting after one year. The freshly extracted seeds are sown for higher % of
germination.
Vegetative methods:
Presence of gum/latex – layering, budding, grafting is difficult to carry out. Cuttings
were found to root easily under mist by treating with 1BA at 3,000ppm and ferulic
acid at 200ppm also used.
Recent years softwood grafting is commonly practiced, patch budding 100% success
provided there must be sufficient sap present in scion and root stock.
PLANTING:
Jack fruit is planted as a shade tree in coffee garden or as mixed plant, as avenue
plant.
To have a regular orchard like mango the spacing 10x10 m is followed.
Pits of 1m3 is prepared, 20-30kg FYM, ½ kg SSP and phorate granules (10-20gm) are
filled in pits and planted during June –July.
During summer supplementary irrigation should be provided.
MANURING:
For 1-3 years old tree- 200:120:60g NPK/plant/year
For 4-6 years old tree- 400:240:120g NPK/plant/Year
7th year onwards 600:300:240g NPK/plant/Year
INTERCROPS
Short duration vegetables, leguminous crops cowpea, horse gram, black gram etc.
FLOWERING:
Flowering starts in December and continues up to March.
It is monoecious plant with spike type of inflorescence.
Male and female inflorescence present in same plant.
The flowers are cross pollinated by honey beers.
A multiple fruit, known as sorosis develops following pollination and fertilization.
The pericarp around the seed and the fleshy perianth are edible.
The fruits take about 90-110days after appearance of the spike, mature in June-July.
HARVESTING:
It is a climacteric fruit; harvesting is done by cutting the fruit along with stalk after
developing sweet and good flavour.
Change in fruit colour from green to light yellow.
Harvesting is done by cutting off the stalk carrying the fruits.
YIELD:
15 year old tree yields about 250 fruits, the individual fruit may weigh from 1.0kg to
about 20 kg.
STORAGE:
Fruits are stored for 2-3 months at 50C with 85-90% RH and 1.0 week under room
temperature.
