POMEGRANATE

BY: DR. HERA GUL

Scientific classification
Kingdom : Plantae

Division : Magnoliophyta

Class : Magnoliopsida

Subclass : Rosidae

Order : Myrtales

Family : Punicaceae

Genus : Punica

Species : granatum

Binomial name : Punica granatum

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Common Names: Pomegranate, Granada (Spanish), Grenade
(French), Anar (Hindi)

Origin: The pomegranate is native of Iran

Adaptation:
• Altitude – 1850m MSL
• Semi-arid with cool winter and hot summer
• Deciduous or Evergreen
• Hot and dry climate during fruit development and
ripening
• Optimum temperature – 380C
• Sweetness ∞ temperature
• Deep loamy to alluvial soil

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 World Scenario
 Popular in Eastern as well as Western parts of the
world

 Mediterranean region, Spain, Iran, India, Turkey, South

East Asia, Afghanistan, tropical Africa, parts of USA etc

 It is grown for its fully luscious grains called ‘Arils’; the

fruits are very attractive with sweet acidic taste

 The fruits are mainly used for dessert purposes

 The fruits are also processed to make juice, syrup,

jam, jelly, wine, to flavour cakes, baked apples, etc

 Of late, its nutritional and medicinal values are given

ample importance

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Two species:
 Punica protopunica
• found wild in Socotra Island(Yemen)

 Punica granatum: 2 subspecies

• Chlorocarpa - found in Trans Caucasus
• Porphyrocarpa - found in Central Asia

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 Balegal  King

 Cloud  Phoenicia:(Fenecia)

 Sweet
 Crab
 Utah Sweet
 Early Wonderful
 Wonderful
 Fleshman
 Francis
 Green Globe
 Granada
 Home  Green Globe

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 Botany
Shrub with multiple trunks and has a
bushy appearance
Grows upto 5m when domesticated and
more than 7m under wild condition
Deciduous tree
Young branches are polygonal
(quadrangular) and round when mature
Stiff angular branches often spiny
Leavesoblanceolate, obtuse and
acuminate

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Flowers
 Flowering occurs 1 month after bud break
 Bears in both season growth on spurs
 Terminal flowers are in cluster while flower on spurs are mostly
solitary
 Flower are red in colour with 5-8 crumbled petals
 Three types: Hermaphrodite flowers (vase shaped) , male flowers
(bell shaped) and intermediate
 Cultivars with higher vase shaped to bell shaped ratio will have
higher yield potential
 Stigma receptive one day before anthesis and continues upto the
second day. Anthesis completed in 3-5 hours
 Self pollinated and cross pollinated
 Heterostyly- hermaphrodite (pin) and male flowers (thrumb)

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 Fruit
 Develops from the ovary and is a fleshy berry

 Fruit is crowned by a prominent calyx

 Connected to the tree with a short stalk

 After fruit set, sepals change colour from orange red

to green

 In later stage of maturation colour changes again

until final characteristic colour is obtained

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• The multi-ovule chambers (locules) are separated
by membranous walls (septum) and fleshy
mesocarp
• The chambers are organized in a nonsymmetrical
way
• Usually the lower part of the fruit contains 2 to 3
chambers while its upper part has 6 to 9 chambers
• The chambers are filled with many seeds (arils)
• The arils contain a juicy edible layer
• Colour of the edible layer vary depending upon the
variety
• The arils vary in size and the seeds vary in
hardness
• The fruit ripens in 5-8 months

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 Propagation
Seedlings: Air layering:
 Variation in  treatment with
characters 10000ppm IBA
in lanolin as
 Low yield carrier was
found to improve
 Poor quality fruits
rooting.

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 Cutting:
Hardwood cutting is most common
One year old fully mature wood are utilised
or
Suckers which arise from the base of the
stem
Cuttings are 20-25cm long
IAA 200ppm or IBA 50ppm increased the
rooting percentage
Set in beds with 1-2 buds above the soil for 1
year

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 Micropropagation
 Depends on factors such as genotype, explant,
season, media and growth regulators
 Mahisiet.al. (1991)- shoot tip as explant
 Drazeta (1997)- apical vegetative bud as
explant
 Yangand Ludders(1993)- nodal leaf and stem
as explant
 Complete protocol for in vitro regeneration
using cotyledonary nodes reported by Naik
et.al. (2000)

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Planting and Plant density
 Square or hexagonal system
 Pit size: 60cm3
 Spacing: 5 x 5m
 Planting density is the yield contributing factor
 Investigationat MPKV, Rahuri showed that
increased plant density also increased yield per
hectare without affecting fruit quality
 1000 plants(4x2.5m) gave 2.30 time higher
yield and 2.44 times more profit than normal
density of 400 plants(5x5m).
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 Training and pruning
Training:
Multiple stem training

Main stem is pinched at a height of

about one metre from the ground
surface
4-5 well distributed branches are
allowed to grow on all sides
The desired shape is obtained within 2-3
years
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Training on a single stem is not advocated since
Tree produces suckers
Highly susceptible to stem borer

Plants are allowed to grow as a bush with a

number of main shoots arising at ground level
Toomany stems also hinder interculture
operations
Maintenance
of 3-4 stems per plant is
recommended

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Pomegranate orchard

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Pruning:
Removal of suckers (water sprouts),
dead and diseased branches
Developing a sound framework
Limited pruning of the bearing tree
Annual pruning during winter should be
confined to shortening of the previous
season’s growth

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Pruningdelays bud sprouting, flower
appearance and harvesting
Highest yield from unpruned trees
Pruned trees gave-
 Better quality

 Increases fruit size,juice content and TSS

Reduced sun scorched and internal

breakdown

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Irrigation:
 regular irrigation during initial phase
 Also from flowering to ripening of fruits
 Drip preferred over traditional check basin system

Manuring and fertilization:

 FYM – 20kg per tree at the onset of monsoon
 N- 1000g, P2O5- 1000g K20- 1500g per tree

 Foliar spray of 0.25% ZnSO4, FeSO4, and MnSO4

and 0.15% boric acid increased yield

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Mulching:
Black polyethylene mulch resulted in
the best plant growth, earliest flowering
and highest yield

Intercropping:
Desirablesince crop takes 4-5 years to
come to good bearing
Low growing vegetables and pulse
crops

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Crop Regulation:
Withheld watering two months prior to
normal flowering season
After two months, applied manures and
fertilizers and give light irrigation
3-4days later, heavy irrigation at
normal interval

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Three flowering season:
Ambe Bahar (February-March)
Mrig Bahar (June-July)
Hasta Bahar (September-October)

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Flower thinning:
 Sevin (carbaryl) and NAA

Fruit growth and development:

 Single sigmoid growth pattern
 Linear
increase in size, diameter, volume and
weight except specific gravity which
decreased gradually
 Colorchanges from greenish to deep pink
with red and yellow patches at maturity
 Aril/rind and TSS/acidity ratio increases

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Effect of Growth Regulators:
Desai et al. (1993)

 NAA(250ppm) + carbaryl(0.7%) = large fruits(≥200g)

 Manual removal of flowers + GA(20ppm)= Large fruits with

highest mean weight(224.2g)

 2,4-D @ 20ppm on cv. Ganesh at flowering and 45 and 90

days later increased fruit length, girth, weight and volume

 Glutathione @ 25, 50 or 75 ppm applied 3-4 weeks after

anthesis improved the TSS:Acid ratio and decreased the
percentage of fruit cracking

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Effect of Bagging:

Hussein et al. (1994) reported

 Bagging reduced the percentage of fruit fly (Virachola

livia)

 Increased fruit yield per tree, individual fruit weight and

size, TSS:acid ratio

 Improves the rind colour and reduced the rust patches

 Reduced fruit cracking

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Harvesting and Yield:
 Ready in 5-7 months after the appearance of blossoms

 Skin turns slightly yellow

 The fruit gives a metallic sound when tapped

 Tree starts yielding from 4th year onwards giving 20-25 fruits per
tree

 10th year 100-150 fruits per tree

 Average yield : 200-250 fruits per tree

 Economic yield : 25-30 years

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 Ripening and storage
 It is a non climacteric fruit

 Can be kept well for 2 months at 0oC, one month at 4.5oC

and 15 days at room temperature

 Bavistin @0.2% enhanced shelf life upto 30 days at room

temperature and prevents post harvest fungal rot

 RH: 80-85%

 CA storage with 6.0:3.0%(CO2:O2) showed minimal quality

and weight loss

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 Pests
Pomegranate butterfly or fruit borer:
 Virachola isocrates; V. livia

 Most important and widely distributed

 Symptoms: Offensive smell, excreta of caterpillars

come out of the entry holes

 Apply metacid 50 EC 1ml/l at fortnight interval

 Foliar application of synthetic pyrethroids @ 150g a.i/ha

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Symptoms of fruit borer

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Bark eating
caterpillar:
 Inderbela tetraonis; I.
quadrinotata

 Bores the bark and feed inside

old trees

 10-12 holes in a badly infected

tree

 One caterpillar in each hole

 Injecting quinalphos @0.05%

and fenvalerate @0.01% along
with petrol and kerosene

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Stem borer:
 Olenecampetus bilobus

 Common in neglected orchards

 Makes hole and bore through the

branches

 Main trunk is mostly affected

 Control same as bark eating

caterpillar

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Leaf footed plant bug:
 Leptoglossus mambranaceus

 Adult bugs damaga the fruits

 Pierce the rind of the ripening fruits with their

strong proboscis

 Infested fruits drop down

 Spray malathion @ 0.1%

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Sap sucking insects:
 Mealybugs, scale insects, white flies, thrips,
aphids, mites
 Prune the affected parts
 Spray malathion @ 0.1%

 Bag worm: Clania cramen

 Carob moth: Ectomyelois ceratoniae
 Nematode: Meloidogyne Incognita and M.
javanica
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 Diseases
Fruit spot:
 Dreschslora rostrata
 Smallirregular spots surrounded by greenish
yellow border
 Infestation
extends to inner tissues causing
browning of the aril
 Pruning the dead and diseased branches
 Spray dithane M-45 or captan @ 500g in 200l of
water
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Fruit rot:
1. Glomerella cingulata
 Discoloration of fruits from lower part or the sides

 Discolored areas become brown to black

 Whole fruit rots in a week

2. Phomopsis sp
 Rainy season

 Flowers fail to set fruit

 Young fruits drop

 Yellow to black spot all over the fruit

 Pruning affected twigs and fruits and burning them

 Bavistin @0.5%, Dithane M-45 @ 0.25% spray

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Leaf spot:
 Bacteria- Xanthomonas punicae
 Fungi- Pseudocercospora punicae, Curvularia lunata, Colletotrichum
gleosporoides

 Indefinite black color spots on upper surface of the leaf extending rapidly

 Blackish or brownish spots on the fruits

 Spraying dithane M-45@ 0.2%, Captan @ 0.1% at 15 DI or Copper
oxychloride @ 0.2%

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 Postharvest diseases
 Aspergillus rot - Aspergillus nidulans
 Internal rot – Aspergillus clavatus
 Soft rot – Rhizopus arrhizus
 Spicaria rot – Spicaria spp.
 Black mould – Aspergillus niger
 Bortrydiplodia rot – B. theobromae
 Penicillium rot – Penicillium expansum

 Control by preinfection dip in 500ppm 2,4-D or spraying of

sulphur compounds on packing straw

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Botrydiplodia rot Black mould

Aspergillus rot

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 Disorders
Fruit cracking or splitting:

 Frequent in dry atmosphere of the arid regions

 Cause: (i)Due to sudden change in soil moisture
content (ii)Deficiency of Ca or B
 Fruits though sweeter lose keeping quality and unfit
for shipment
 Adequate and regular
irrigation and interculture

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Sun Scald:
• Causes: Fruits on trees mainly facing
direct sun rays reveal sun scald.
Improper pruning is one of the reasons

• Nature of damage: Peel of affected fruits reveal sun

Burn symptoms reducing market value of such
fruits

• Detection and diagnosis : Affected fruits reveal sun

burn particularly on the fruit surface

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Internal break down of arils:
• Causes: Complex (Exact cause to be established) Delayed
harvesting, Varietal character, Nutritional deficiency etc

• Nature of damage :blackening and rotting of arils and the

fruits become unfit for consumption

• Detection and diagnosis : Mainly

affects fruits which appear healthy
but when cut, reveal disco loured ,
rotten and shrivelled arils. Studies
on diagnosing the disease are
inconclusive
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Pomegranate
decline:
 Cause: sudden drop in
temperature in late
autumn and early
winter when the trees
are not fully dormant

 Detection and
diagnosis: yellowing,
wilting and death of
some branches

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Breeding and Improvement
Three methods:

1. Collection of superior germplasm

from indigenous and exotic sources

2. Improvement by selection

3. Controlled hybridization

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 Objectives
 To obtain suitable types which produce small soft seeds with
attractive red (pink) aril

 To develop easily manageable upright growth habit of the tree

 To develop thornless twigs, a desirable character as it helps in

cultural management of the tree

 To develop varieties resistant to fruit borer (Virachola isocrates)

and fruit rot (Phomopsis spp.)

 To develop varieties free from fruit cracking

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 Biotechnology
 The problem of stem borer can be tackled by using Bt
genes

 Protocols for somatic embryogenesis are available

 Biochemical and molecular markers can be use for

characterizing wide amount of variability and genetic
resources

 Anther culture shown promising

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 Grade Grade requirements
Extra class • superior quality
• shape, and colour typical of
the variety
• free of defects
Class I • good quality
• a slight defect in shape,
colour and skin (i.e. scars,
scratches,scraps and
blemishes) not exceeding
5% of the total surface
area
Class II Defects as above not
exceeding 10% of the total
surface area
Grade tolerances
5% (no. or wt.)not
satisfying the
requirements of the
grade, but meeting
those of class I grade
10% of pomegranates
not satisfying the
requirements of the
class, but meeting
those of class II
10% by of
pomegranates not
satisfying the
requirements of the
grade, but meeting
the minimum
requirements
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Provision concerning sizing

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 Packaging
• For export purposes, a cardboard corrugated fibreboard box of
4.0 or 5.0 kg capacity is used
• The dimensions of such boxes depending upon the capacity are:

S.No. 4 Kg Box 5 Kg Box

1 375 x 275 x 100 mm 480 x 300 x 100 mm

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Packed pomegranates ready for shipment

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Health Benefits of Pomegranate
Super food
Rich in antioxidants
Good for heart
Reduce blood sugar levels
Reduce blood pressure
Eliminate free radicals
Harmonize immune system
Slows down ageing

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