General Information :

• Medium sized Deciduous trees
• Bark grey-brown in color.
• Leaves simple, alternate closely overlapping light green in color.
• The flowers are greenish-yellow in color
• The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow with six vertical stripes.
• The tree is considered sacred by Hindus as God Vishnu is believed to dwell in it.
• The tree is worshiped on Amalaka Ekadashi.

Distribution :

• It is widely spread and cultivated across all parts of India.

Habitat : Deciduous Forest

Soil : Wide range of soil

Soil pH : 8

Altitude :Up to 1,800 m (MSL)

Rainfall :1500-2500mm

Temperature : 20 - 29°c

Terrain : Plain/hilly

Tree Characteristics :

• Strong light demander.

Habit : Deciduous tree

Natural Regeneration :

• Naturally regenerated by seed.

Artificial Regeneration :

• It can be started from seeds, from budding or air layering. But the better option is to buy a grafted tree from a nursery.

Seed collection and Storage :

• Seeds are collected from June to August.
• Fresh Fruits on collection should be depulped and shade dried.
• Seed weight is 3300-5000/kg.
• Seed has less viability

Seed Treatment :

• Hot water treatment for 5 min.

Nursery Technique :

• The seeds are sown in well-prepared nursery beds.
• Later a thin layer of soil is spread to cover the nursery beds.
• Appropriate moisture is maintained in the beds till the seeds have germinated.
• Two leaf stage seedlings are transplanted in poly bags and maintained d in nursery for 6 months.

Plantation technique :

• Planting is done during July-Augus.
• Spacing adopted is 6 x 6 m in pit size of 30 cm3 or 45 cm3.

Care & Disease Control :

• Irrigate the plants initially for establishment.
• No irrigation is required during rainy and winter season.
• Drip irrigation is appropriate which can save water up to 40-45%.

Irrigation :

• Basin system of irrigation.
• Irrigation at 15-20 days interval is desirable in dry summer.
• Do not require irrigation in normal soils.

Recommended Harvest :

• 10 – 12 years.

Yield :

• Fruit Approximately 100 kgs/tree.

Major uses :

• It is effective in the treatment of peptic ulcer, dyspepsia, jaundice, leucorrhoea / Pradara, dibetes etc.

Other uses :

• The dried leaves are sometimes used as fillings in pillows.
• A most curious custom is the making of simulated pottery jars from a paste of the boiled fruit, the surface being decorated with impressed coloured seeds.
• It produces a good quality charcoal.

Market details :

• Approximately Rs.100 to 120 / kg fruits.