Studies on the diversity of underexploited fruits in red and laterite zone of West Bengal
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Date
2025-01-03
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Department of Fruit Science, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia – 741252
Abstract
Underexploited fruits mean such fruit crops that are not fully or sufficiently
utilized, these fruit crops are also called neglected, orphan, forgotten, wild edible and less
known fruits. The fruits are not taste good unlike cultivated fruits but they hold good
proportions of antioxidants, essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins (Mundarag et al.,
2017). In West Bengal, so many such types of fruit crops are available but they are not
fully utilized because of their lack of botanical knowledge and less information about
food and nutritional value. Keeping all these in mind, the present study was undertaken to
explore the fruit species of the red & laterite zone of West Bengal which are not
cultivated but harvested from the wild. The underexploited fruit species selected were
Buchanania lanzan, Diospyrus melanoxylon, Flacourtia indica, Gardenia gummifera,
Zizyphus oeonoplia, Scleichera oleosa, and Semecarpus anacradium. The work entitled
“Studies on the diversity of underexploited fruits in red and laterite zone of West
Bengal” was specifically focused on the following three objectives.
I. To survey for the variability available in different underexploited fruits of red and
laterite zone, West Bengal.
II. To characterize the available variability based on the morphological feature
III. To study the in-situ performance of the identified elite plant and physicochemical
characterization of different underexploited fruits of red and laterite zone, West
Bengal.
The information about the diversity of underexploited fruits was collected through
surveys and field visits with the help of native knowledgeable people. The location of
different underexploited fruits was identified through GPS (Global Positioning System)
coordinates. Observations were recorded for the following aspects- location,
morphological features of plants and physicochemical characteristics of fruits.
Based on the current study it can be concluded that these seven underexploited
fruit species had a potentiation to provide year-round (except the few days of September
and October months) food for consumption. The leaves and wood of these plants provide
fuel for cooking, leaves are also source of fodder. Woods are used for preparing
agricultural equipment, house construction, furniture making etc. Almost every part of
these plants is used for preparing various household traditional medicines for curing
diarrhea, stomach pain, insect bites, skin infections, arthritic, and wound treatment.
Semeocarpus anacradium seed oil is used for domestic animal hoof wounds, hair care,
and dyeing. Nut oil is used for lubricating bullock carts and improving the digestive
system. Schleichera oleosa seeds' oil is edible and effective for hair fall and body pain
relief. Kusum cake, a seed extract, is consumed by animals. The tree also plays as a host
to lac insects. Buchanania lanzan nut is used in cosmetic industries and eaten as a nut. A
considerable variation was observed in various morphological and physicochemical
characteristics of all fruits.In term physicochemical, Diospyros melanoxylon,
outperformed others in terms of fruit diameter (32.83 mm), weight (23.01 g), seed weight
(4.41 g), dry weight (8.75), and lowest titratable acidity (0.27%). Semeocarpus
anacradium produced longer fruits that is 35.24 mm. Gardenia gummifera was revealed
to have the greatest seed number (64.63), pulp/seed ratio (14.36), and 1.44% titratable
acidity. Flacourtia indica fruits had good pulp percentage (89.24 %), TSS (30.39 °Brix) ,
18.34% total sugar, and 12.66% reducing sugar. Schleichera oleosa was found to be high
in moisture (73.69%) and vitamin C (76.98 mg/100g). Buchanania lanzan has good nonreducing
sugar content that is 9.68%. This study found that these fruits are available yearround
to enhance the dietary diversity in the red and laterite regions of West Bengal.