TEMPERATE ZONE FRUITS IN THE SUBTROPICAL AREA OF SINDH PAKISTAN

The conventional fruit crops raised are mango, guava, grapefruit, lemon, lime, sapodilla, cherimoya, coconut, lychee, and Zizyphus mauritania. With a weak Agricultural Extension Service, farmers copy each other. The net result is a glut of one or another fruit crops throughout the year with consequently low prices. Diversification into other crops and extension of the harvest season with new cultivars may be beneficial. Horticulture is the weakest sector of the Sindh Government's Agricultural and Educational programs.

The author has introduced low chill fruit crops, including peaches, plums, apple, pear, persimmon, pomegranate, grapes, figs, zizyphus, almonds and pecans. A few hectares of each crop species has been established to determine their commercial potential. The farm is located 25°30'N, 68°30'E, and receives on average 300 ± 50 chill hours. The yields and prices of low chill fruits received during off-season show that peaches can easily be grown successfully, followed by pomegranates and grapes. The behaviour of apples appears to be erratic. Grapes crop well and mature before the monsoon rains (15 July to 15 August). Almond, pecans and persimmon have not fruited yet and may or may not escape the monsoon rains. It appears that there is good scope for raising low chill deciduous fruit crops in the whole province of Sindh lying between 23°40' to 2°30'N and 66°40' to 71°10'E.

The performance of a number of cultivars of each of the above fruit varieties is under assessment.

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