Soil, Climate and Varities of Loquat

Loquat

   Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is an evergreen, subtropical fruit. It is available in the market during mid-March–May when there is scarcity of fruits. It is scientifically cultivated in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Indigenous to the hills of mild winter and moist regions of the central-eastern China, it was introduced in India under the name of ‘Japanese medlar’. Its commercial cultivation is mostly confined to Uttar Pradesh (Saharanpur, Dehra Dun, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Farrukhabad, Kanpur and Bareilly), Delhi, Punjab (Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Gurudaspur), Himachal Pradesh (Kangra) and to a small extent in Assam, Maharashtra and hills of south India.

Climate and soil

     Loquat is highly specific in its climatic requirements. It needs about 90cm well-distributed rainfall throughout the year. Frost is a limiting factor for its successful cultivation. At certain places, the crop may be destroyed by moderate winter frost, since flowering takes place from October to late-January. At –3°C smaller fruits (diameter<9.5mm) are more susceptible to cold injury than larger ones. Likewise, its cultivation is problematic in areas where summer sets in early along with hot scorching winds. There may be a heavy loss of crop because of sun burning. Loquat requires a well-drained, deep, sandy loam soil with inorganic matter.

Varieties

     A number of varieties having different qualities and harvesting times are available. A good dessert loquat should be sweet, pulpy, mellow and melting and sub-acid though pleasant in flavour. It should sustain as few seeds as possible.

Early (Varieties which ripen from mid–March)

Golden Yellow: Fruit medium, oval to oblong, golden-yellow. Pulp medium thick, pale-orange, smooth and soft, mild taste, sub-acid, few seeded. TSS 10.5%.

Improved Golden Yellow: Fruit large, oval to pyriform, orange-yellow. Pulp thick, colour orange, smooth and crisp, mild taste, sub-acid, moderately seeded. TSS 9.5%.

Large Round: Fruit medium, ovate globose, pulp thin, creamy-white, coarse and firm, mild taste, sub-acid and few seeded.

Pale-Yellow: Fruit large, oblong to pyriform, corn-coloured. Pulp thin, creamy-white, smooth and melting, pleasant taste, sub-acid and moderately seeded.

Thames Pride: Fruit medium, pyriform, marble colour. Pulp medium, pale-orange, coarse and slightly granular, mild taste, sub-acid and moderately seeded.

Mid-season (Varieties ripening from last week of March)

Fire Ball: Fruit small, oblong to ovate, saffron-yellow, pulp thick, corn husk colour, smooth and crisp, taste mild, sub-acid and moderately seeded.

Improved Pale Yellow: Fruit medium, oblong-pyriform, pulp medium thick, cream colour, smooth and soft, pleasant taste, sub-acid and moderately seeded.

Large Agra: Fruit medium, oblong to ovate, pulp medium thick, pale-orange, smooth and firm, pleasant taste, sub-acid and moderately seeded.

Mammoth: Fruit small, oblong-pyriform, colour snowshine. Pulp medium,
orange, coarse and granular, pleasant taste, sub-acid and few seeded.

Matchless: Pulp medium, orange, coarse and granular, pleasant taste, sub-acid and few seeded.

Safeda: Fruit large, oblong-pyrifom. Pulp thick, creamy white, smooth and melting, excellent taste, sub-acid and moderately seeded.

Late (Varieties start ripening from mid-April)

California Advance: Fruit medium, oblong pyriform, pale-yellow. Pulp thick creamy white, smooth, melting, excellent taste, sub-acid and few seeded.

Tanaka: Fruit small, ovate, orange coloured. Pulp medium, yellow, coarse and firm, pleasant taste and sub-acid and few to moderately seeded.

There is ‘‘self unfruitfulness’’ in loquat varieties. Therefore, a pollinizer variety should be planted along with the main variety. On the basis of self-fruitfulness, the varieties can be grouped as follows:

(a) Self-incompatible: Golden Yellow, Improved Golden Yellow, Pale Yellow and Agra Large

(b) Partially self-incompatible: Large Round, Free Ball, Thames Pride, California Pride and Tanaka

The variety Dalforma Advance is the best pollinizer for Improved Golden Yellow.