Author(s): D. Roy, S. Kundu, B. Ghosh, P. Dutta and R. Pal

Abstract: Pummelo (Citrus maxima Merill.) is one of the major monoembryonic species of citrus. It is easily grown in inferior, marginal and backyard orchard. Pummelo is considered as an excellent tree for waste land development in arid and semi-arid region. The fruit is a fat, sodium and cholesterol free and this makes a very good source for dieters. It is also a good source of vitamin C and calories. The nutritional value of 100 g edible portion consists of 25 – 58 calories, 84.82 – 94.1 g moisture, 0.5 – 0.74 g protein, 0.2 – 1.56 g fat, 6.3 – 12.4 g carbohydrates, 0.3 – 0.82 g fiber, 0.5 – 0.86 g ash, 21 – 30 mg calcium, 20 – 27 mg phosphorus, 0.3 – 0.5 kg iron, 20 IU vitamin A, 0.04 – 0.07 mg thiamine, 0.02 mg riboflavin, 0.3 mg niacin and 30 – 43 mg ascorbic acid (Morton, 1987). In spite of tremendous potentiality for commercial exploitation, pummelo plants are yet to be given due importance in India. The cultivation and improvement of pummelo did not receive any attention so far. It is mostly grown in homestead gardens in many parts of India. No standard variety of pummelo is found except Nagpur Chakotra (Rajput and Haribabu, 2004). However, the diverse eco-geographical distribution in India and the occurrence of spontaneous mutation and natural hybridization have given rise to a wide range of variability in pummelo. West Bengal is also endowed with extremely diverse populations of pummelo in her diverse agro- ecological zones and altitudes..

Download Full Article: Click Here