By Praveen Choyal, Ph.D. Scholar at SKANU, Jobner, Jaipur

1. S.K.N. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Department of Horticulture
Presentation
on
Crop improvement and recentadvances inAnola

2. INTRODUCTION
Common name Aonla (Amritphal, Indian gooseberry)
Botanical name Emblica officinalis
Family Euphorbiaceae
Chromosome 2n=28 (Auto- tetraploid)
Origin South-East Asia particularly central or south India
Edible part Mesocarp and Exocarp
Fruit type Berry
Inflorescence Racemose
Respiration Non-climatric
Pollination Cross-pollination through wind
Best time of pruning March-April
Propagation T-budding/Patch

3. Importance
 Anola is mainly recognized due to its high nutritive, medicinal value.
 Anola contain a mineral and vitamin include calcium, phosphorus,
iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin C.
 100 g of fruit provides 630 mg of vitamin C.
 Anola is the main ingredient of Chavanprash and Triphala powder
which is used for curing different abnormalities.
 The fruit contains a chemical substances gallic acid and
leucoanthocyanin which have antioxidant property.
 It is largely cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Karnataka.
 It has very good demand for the industries for the preparation of
various health care products like hair oils, dye, shampoo, and tooth
powders and many food product like candy, murabba, churna, juice
and juice powder.

6. Anola is a hardy fruit plant which can be successfully
grown in various agroedaphic situation.
Anola indigenous to tropical south–eastern asia
particularly central and southern India.
It is also reported to be the native if India, Sri lanka,
Malaysia and China.
Wild and cultivated species available in the region
of extending from the base of Himalayan to Sri lanka
and from Malaysia to South China.
In India, it is widely grown in UP, Gujarat,
Rajasthan, MP and TN.
Centre of Diversity

7.  In Aonla variability existing in seedling population in
respect of fruit size, maturity period and yield per plant.
 In India major center where germplasm resources are
maintain at (CIAH, Bikaner), (NDUAT, Faizabad),
(GAU, Anand) (RBS,College of Agra).
 At present CIAH, Bikaner have conserved and
maintained 43 genotype of anola.
 Chomu, Pushkar valley and Badighati region of
Rajasthan is hunting ground for Aonla variability.
Germplasm Resources

8. The tree is small to medium in size, 8-18m in hight. It has
a crooked trunk and spreading branches.
The plant exhibit phyllanthoid branching habit
producing short determinate shoots.
Unisexual flowers are produced as axillary on
determinate shoots.
Fruits are drupaceous and capsular with fleshy exocarp.
Fruits are sour and astringent and not consumed as a table
fruit.
The branchlets are glabrous, 10–20 cm long, usually
deciduous.
Botany

9. On the basis of growth characteristics these have been
categorized into two types of shoots :
• Long or indeterminate: shoot are longer and continue
to put 4th new growth in the season.
• Short or determinate: Shoot are short, appear on the
nodes of indeterminate shoots and their number at each
node 3-5 in different cultivars. These determinate shoots
bear small sized leaves which are of simple type.

10. Floral biology
 In north india, leaf
shedding of anola plants
begin in the month of
February and complete
shedding of determinate
shoot takes place in the
end of Feb. to mid March.
 The new shoot emerge out
during first week of
April. The flowering
period varied in different
varieties from 17-26 days.
In south India flowering
occurs twice in a year
February- March and
June-July.

11.  Flower are unisexual, pale
green colour, 4 to 5 mm in
length, borne in leaf-axils
in clusters of 6 to 10.
 In anola male flower
appears first in the form
of cluster at the basal part
of the determinates shoot
followed by female flower
in the axil of the leaves at
the distal end of same
shoot.
The percentage of female
flower varies from 1.12
to8.33 depending upon
varieties.

12. Ratio of female to male flowers are 1:109 to
1:501.
Sex ratio in hot arid ecosystem of Rajasthan are
1:12 to 1:89.
Time of anthesis is 5.30 to 7.30 PM and peak
period are 6.10 to 7.30 PM.
Anther dehiscence takes place 10-15 minute after
anthesis..
Stigma become receptive on 3rd day of anthesis
and remains receptive for 48 hrs.
Highly cross pollinated crop due to its monoecious
nature.
Pollination through wind and honey bees.

13. Breeding Objectives
 To breed var. having wider geographic adaptability.
 To develop var. suitable for export.
 To evolve colored var. based on market demand.
 To breed var. resistant to frost.
 To breed var. resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses.
 Exploitation of available hybrid vigour (heterosis) for yield
and quality.
 To breed var. having high yield with good quality fruits.
 Varieties with less fibre content.
 Good pollinating Varieties.
 Varieties with high sex ratio with more number of female
flowers.

14. Breeding Methods
 Introduction
 Selection
 Hybridization
 Mutation
 Polyploidy
 Biotechnological tools

15. INTRODUCTION
 It is one of the oldest method for improvement of fruit
crops. It is bringing or exchange of germplasm / genetic
material from one place where it is not known
previously.
 Presently, germplasm exchange is being done in
different crop through NBPGR, New Delhi.
 This method may be an important tool to bring exotic
materials from foreign country for further evaluation
and incorporation of specific gene lacking in indigenous
aonla.

16. Selection
 There are sufficient variation in fruit size and number of
fruit/determinate shoots, which directly affect the fruit yield
and provide ample scope for selecting superior type.
 Recently some coloured and cluster bearing genotypes have
been identified through exploitation in Rajasthan, which
will be further evaluated at national repository of aonla at
CIAH,Bikaner.
 Major work done at
•NDUAT, Faridabad (NA-4, 5, 6 ,7 10)
•GAU (Anand-1, 2 and 3)
•RBS, College Agra (Balwant)

17. S.
N.
VARIETY CHARACTERISTICS
1. Kanchan
(NA-4)
It is seedling selection from Chakaiya.
2. Krishna (NA-5) It is a seedling selection from Banarasi. The fruits are large,
triangular, and conical: skin is smooth, whitish green to apricot
yellow with red spot on exposed portion.
3. Narendra
Aonla-6 (NA-6)
This is a selection from Chakaiya cultivar. Fruits are most
attractive and shining, medium to large size, flattened and very
low fibre content.
4. Narendra
Aonla-7 (NA-7)
It is a seedling selection from Francis. Fruits are of medium to
large size with conical apex.Fibre content is little higher than
NA-6.
5. Narendra
Aonla-10 (NA-
10)
This is a chance seedling selection from cultivar Banarasi. Fruits
are attractive, medium to large in size and flattened round in
shape; skin is rough, yellowish green with pink tinge.

18. Polyploid
Exact ploidy level is not known in aonla but it is realized
by the scientists that aonla is characterized by polyploidy
behavior in composition of chromosome.
The structural and numerical changes in chromosome can
be made through application of colchicines, which is found to
be useful for getting small seeded fruit or seedlessness.
Keeping in view the usefulness of polypoidy breeding,
these principles may be applied in aonla to obtain desirable
economic attributes.

19. Mutation
 Mutation is sudden heritable change in a character of
plant.
 In India, research work related to application of
mutation in aonla is almost negligible but there is greater
prospects to develop coloured varieties through induced
mutation and selection from bud sport.

20. Biotechnology Tools
 Incorporation of desirable gene in aonla is possible only
with the application biotechnological approach.
 In fact, there is absolute dearth of information on
biotechnological approaches.
 Tissue culture, cell culture and genetic manipulation
through molecular technique may be useful to get early
result in varietal improvement programme.
 This technique can also be helpful to modify particular
traits and in turn provide new avenue for improving
both the colour and quality of the fruit available for
industrial and domestic uses.

21. Hybridization
Hybridization is crossing of two parents which are
genetically dissimilar. Not a single variety has been bred so
far through this method.
Occurrence of xenia effect between Chakaiya x Krishna,
Banarasi x NA-9, Francis x NA-7, Kanchan x NA-6 and
NA-6 x NA-7 for fruit size and weight.

22. Breeding Problems
Aonla is highly heterozygous plant, therefore, large size
of population isrequired for selection.
It has longn generation cycle i.e. 2-8 years, depending upon
sp.and var.
Lack of recombination.
Long juvenile phase prohibiting early assessment of strain.
Precedence of self incompatibility
Frost susceptibility.
Lack of knowledge on inheritance pattern.

23. Varieties Selection method Maturity
period
Important features
Banarasi Seedling
selection from
Varanasi (U.P.)
Early Rich in Vit-C, shy bearing in nature
due to less number of female flowers
and presence of self-incompatibility,
and susceptible to necrosis. Best cv. for
Muramba making
Francis/H
athijhool
Seedling
selection
Branches having dropping habit,
nearly fibreless, highly susceptible to
necrosis
Chakaiya Seedling
selection
Late Spreading growth habit, fibrous fruit
with 6 segments, free from necrosis,
Alternate bearer
Balwant Selection from
Banarasi at RBS
College, Agra
Prolific bearer, Semi-spreading, good
keeping quality

24. Krishna
(NA-5)
Chance Seedling of
Banarasi from
Pratapgarh dist. (UP)
Early Released in 1987, Shy bearer, pinkish
green flesh and less fibrous
Kanchan
(NA-4)
Chance Seedling of
Chakaiya
Released in 1987, Spreading growth habit,
fruit colour- yellowish, suitable for pickle
preparation, Regular bearer
NA-6 Chance Seedling of
Chakaiya
Late Released in 1993, Semi-spreading growth
habit, fruit colour- light green, free from
necrosis, good keeping quality, Ideal for
candy
Amrit
(NA-7)
Seedling selection
from open pollinated
strain of Francis
Mid Released in 1990, Precocious and prolific
bearer, free from necrosis, suitable for
preserve making
NA-8 Chance Seedling of
Chakaiya
Late Upright growth habit, Susceptible to
necrosis, good keeping quality

25. NA-9 Seedling selection
from open pollinated
strain of Banarasi
Early Semi-spreading, Susceptible to necrosis, shy
bearer
NA-10 Chance Seedling
developed from
Banarasi
Early Released in 1995, Locally known as Agra Bold.
Semi-spreading, highly astringent, good
keeping quality and moderately susceptible to
necrosis
Anand-1 GAU, Anand Released in 1994, Fruits are bigger in size (43
g) with higher pulp to stone ratio 1.98:1.00.
Pulp with medium total soluble solids (16.33
oBrix) having high vitamin-C content (815
mg/100 g) and acidity (1.90 %).
Anand-2 GAU, Anand Prolific bearer and fair keeping quality
Anand-3 GAU, Anand Moderate bearer, yellowish green fruit, 6-7
segment
Laxmi-52 Identified by CISH,
Lucknow
Goma
Aishwarya
CISH, Bikaner (Raj)
Clonal sel. From NA-
Early Released in 2006, Drought tolerant

27. Future line of work
Development of varieties with high percentage of
female flowers
It is desirable to breed coloured variety as it demand
in the trade market would be more in comparison to
traditional varieties.
Exploitation of heterosis
To evolve variety with very small stone size
Development of variety suitable for export purpose.
Development of transgenic aonla through
biotechnological tools
Breeding for resistant to frost, biotic and abiotic stress