JAMUN AN UNDER-EXPLOITED INDIGENOUS FRUIT TREE OF INDIA: A REVIEW

Jamun (Eugenia jambolana or Syzygium cuminii Skeels) is an important, large, evergreen beautiful tree of the myrtaceae family. Jamun is commonly known as java plum, black plum, jambul and Indian blackberry. It is widely consumed as fresh fruit which has considerable good nutritive value. It has high therapeutic and pharmacological properties because of constituent like tannins, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, fattyacids, phenols, minerals, carbohydrates and vitamins. The tests on animals have proved for hypoglycaemic, diuretics, analgesic, antiinflammatory, antiplaque, antimicrobial, antidiarrhoel, antioxidant, gastro-protective and astringency. However, the pharmacological trials using seeds of Syzygium cuminii have been reported in the previous studies but other parts of the tree also have good potential which need to be explored. Jamun fruit is good source of iron along with minerals, sugars and other phytochemicals. The fruits have sub-acid spicy flavour and commonly used as dessert. Apart from eating as fresh, it can also be used for the preparation of delicious beverages, jelly, jam, squash, wine, vinegar and pickles.

Effect of Paclobutrazol and NAA Application on Yield Attributing Characters of Jamun (Syzygium cuminii Skeels.)

Jamun (Syzygium cuminii Skeels.) is the medicinally important indigenous fruit tree of India belongs to the Myrtaceae family. The antidiabietic properties of Jamun brought higher market demand which stimulates to increase the fruit production and also brought the off season concept for commercial exploitation by paclobutrazol application. An investigation was carried out to study the effect of paclobutrazol and NAA application on yield attributing characters of nine years old jamun trees during 2017-18. The various treatment combinations are paclobutrazol (PBZ - 0, 0.50, 1.0 and 1.5 g a.i. m-1 of canopy diameter) and foliar spray of NAA (0, 50 ppm, 75 ppm and 100 ppm) application at different concentrations. The experiment results revealed that fruit length (2.87 cm), pulp – seed ratio (6.54), fruit weight (14.05 g), fruit retention (65.04 per cent) and yield (68.31 kg tree-1) were observed higher in the treatment combination of PBZ 1.0 g a.i. application with 75 ppm of NAA followed by PBZ 1.5 g a.i. application with 100 ppm of NAA and the lower values were registered in control. Jamun trees treated with paclobutrazol and NAA aided in early induction of enhanced flowering and yield attributing characters.