This document discusses crop diversification in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra through the cultivation of pomegranates. It provides background on pomegranates, including their origin in Iran and spread throughout Asia and the Mediterranean. It details the soil and climate requirements for pomegranates, noting they thrive in semi-arid conditions. The document then discusses the Vidarbha region's characteristics, current cropping patterns, and the comparative advantages of growing pomegranates there. It concludes that pomegranate cultivation has the potential to boost the regional economy and diversify crops in Vidarbha's semi-arid soil and climate conditions.

2. CREDIT SEMINAR
ON
CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN VIDARBH REGION THROUGH
POMEGRANATE

3. Contents
 Introduction
 strategy of crop diversification.
 Origin and distribution of pomegranate.
 Brief history of cultivation.
 Soil and Climatic requirement of crop.
 Characteristics of the region.
 Cropping pattern of the region.
 Comparative advantages of pomegranate.
 Crop improvement programmes and various government
schemes.
 conclusion

4. Meaning and importance of crop
diversification:
• Crop diversification means growing a variety or crops in an
area, among which, if one crop fails, the area can still survive.
The necessity for crop diversification arise on
account of the need for (i) reducing risks associated with yield,
market and prices.,
(ii) arresting the degradation of natural resources and the
environment and
(iii) attaining national goals like employment generation, self-
reliance in critical crop products and for earning foreign
exchange. Chand and Chauhan,(2002)

5. 5
Crop Diversification
An effective strategy for achieving
– food & nutrition security,
– income growth,
– poverty alleviation,
– employment generation,
– judicious use of land and water resources,
– sustainable agricultural development,
– and environmental improvement,
(FAO 2001; Singh 2001).

6. Origin of pomegranates
The pomegranate is native in the region from Iran to
northern India. Since ancient times the tree was
cultivated and naturalized throughout the
Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe.
 The tree is a fruit bearing usually deciduous shrub or
small tree between five and eight meters tall.
 The name pomegranate is its derivation from the
Latin word pomum meaning apple and granatus,
which means seeded.
Morton, J. (1987)

7. • It is said that the genus name Punica is named after the
people of the Phoenicians who were active in broadening
its cultivation.
• Punica was also the Roman name for the city founded by
the Phoenicians, from where the best pomegranates
came to Italy.
Cont…

8. • fruit was used in many ways as it is today and its
features were described in Egyptian mythology and
art litrature.
• And then It traveled to central and southern India
from Iran about the first century A.D.
• Now it is found in all parts of India, but cultivated
only in some of the semi-arid pockets of country.

9. Brief history of cultivation.
• widely cultivated throughout India and drier parts of
southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical
Africa.
• The most important growing regions are Egypt,
China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq,
India, Burma and Saudi Arabia.
• There are some commercial orchards in Israel on the
coastal plain and in the Jordan Valley.
Morton, (1987)

10. • It is rather commonly planted and has become
naturalized in Bermuda where it was first recorded in
1621, but only occasionally seen in the West Indies
and warm areas of South and Central America.
• In india though it found all over country, but
commercially cultivated in Maharashtra (i.e.. mostly in
western M.H. )
• Ganesh is a selection from ‘Alandi’ developed by Dr.
Cheema at Pune, has introduced in Maharashtra
state, which is very popular.
Chadha K.L.(2010)

11. Climate:
Require a semi-arid conditions.
Thrives best under hot and dry summer and cold winter,
provided that irrigation facilities are available.
The tree requires hot and dry climate specially during
fruit development and ripening stages.
Soil:
Can grow on wide range soils.
Prefer a well drained sandy loam to deep loamy or
alluvial soils.
Can be grow on light soils.
Quality and colour development in the light soil is good
but it is poor in heavy soils.
Soil and climate requirement of
Pomegranate,
Chadha.(2010)

12. Major Fruit crop production in India
Fruits AREA
(000’
HA)
PRODUCTI
ON
(000’ MT)
PDY AREA
(000’
HA)
PRODUCTI
ON
(000’MT)
PDY. AREA
(000’
HA)
PRODUC
TION
(000’
MT)
PDY.
Mango 2309 12750 5.5 2312 15027 6.5 2297 15188 6.6
Citrus 924 8623 9.3 987 9638 9.8 846 7464 8.8
Banana 709 26217 37.0 770 26470 34.4 830 29780 36.9
Apple 274 1986 7.2 283 1777 6.3 289 2891 10.0
Guava 204 2270 11.1 220 2572 11.7 205 2462 12.0
Sapota 156 1308 8.4 159 1347 8.5 160 1424 8.9
pomegra
nate
109 807 7.4 125 820 6.6 107 743 6.9
Area in 000’ HA, Production in 000’ MT and Productivity = MT/HA
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Source: NHB database-2011 fruits

13. STATE/UT'S Area
000' ha
Prod.
000 M
ANDHRA PRADESH 5.6 56.4
CHHATISHGARH 0.1 0.4
GUJARAT 4.4 45.6
HIMACHAL PRADESH 1.3 0.5
KARNATAKA 13.2 138.5
MAHARASHTRA 98.9 555.5
NAGALAND 0.1 0.3
ORRISA 0.2 0.8
RAJASTHAN 0.8 4.8
TAMIL NADU 0.4 17.5
TOTAL 125 820.3
Pomegranate producing states in India
Indian horticulture database,2011

14. Brief characteristics of the region
• Entire Vidarbha region which is located in eastern
Maharashtra having total geographical area of 97.23 lakh ha
which is 31.61% of Maharashtra.
• Vidarbha region comprises--- total area of 24.0 million acres
about 11.8 million acres of land under cultivation of cotton
and agronomical crops.
• The region comprises eleven districts viz. Buldana, Akola,
Washim, Amravati, Yavatmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara,
Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.
Anon,(2012)

15. RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION

16. Temperature features
Anon,2012

17. District
Course
Shallow
Medium
deep
black
Deep
black
Laterite &
Lateritic
Yellow
Brown
Salt
Affected
Soils
Amravati 1.84 4.58 1.21 - - 0.61
Akola 0.71 6.12 1.44 - - 1.68
Buldhana 3.50 2.69 1.13 - - 0.45
Yavatmal 5.73 0.91 2.01 - - -
Wardha 2.51 2.64 1.78 - - -
Nagpur 1.11 1.34 0.34 - 2.87 -
Bhandara - - 0.15 - 3.98 -
Chandrap
ur &
Gadchiroli
0.65 0.78 1.32 0.84 2.94 -
Vidarbha 16.05 19.06 9.38 0.84 9.79 2.74
M.H. 55.6 79.89 34.25 9.16 - -
Major Soil type of Vidarbha region
Source: Epitome, Dept. of Agriculture

18. Cropping pattern, land under
cultivation.
• Vidarbha region is known since ancient times for its reach
and fertile black cotton soil.
• Out of the total area of 24.0 million acres about 11.8 million
acres of land under cultivation.
• Which means about 50 percent of the geographical area is
used for rearing various crops.
• Rice, wheat and jawar are the major food crops of this area
and cotton and groundnut are the chief cash crops.
Anon.,(2012)

19. • Citrus, guava, ber are the major fruit crop in
the region, and known for best quality.
• But from last few years area under major fruit
crop production is continuously reducing due
to attack of pest and diseases, water scarcity,
usages of faulty rootstocks etc.
• And therefore there is need for change in
cropping pattern and crop diversification.

20. Why pomegranate……….?
Availability of required soil and climatic
conditions.
Sufficient irrigation systems.
High market demand in whole year.
Easily availability of labor.
Low cost of cultivations.

21. Comparative advantages of pomegranate
It can withstand different soil and climatic
conditions.
• Grow well n semi-arid conditions.
• Thrives best under hot dry summer &cold
winters, with optimum irrigation facilities.
• Require hot and dry climate during fruit
development & ripening.
• Can tolerate frost with minimum extent and
affected at -110c.
• It can tolerate salinity up to 9.00EC/mm.

22. Annual plan of Action for pomegranate crop
improvement under National Horticulture Mission
2005-06.
 Production of planting material
For production of quality planting material one nursery of
4 ha is proposed to be established in the under private sector
and another small nursery of 1 ha in the public sector of
vidarbha.
 The new areas should be brought under Ruby, Bhagwa and
Arakta varieties.
Plantation and rejuvenation programmeConsidering the importance of pomegranate it is proposed to bring 10,000 ha area under new plantation
 rejuvenation of 5000 ha of area is proposed. Plantation of ruby
variety should be encouraged for export oriented production.
(MAHARASHTRA STATE HORTICULTURE MISSION.,2006.)

23. Post harvest infrastructure
The present post harvest infrastructure already existing in
the state, it should be utilized along with proposed pack
houses, cold storage and reefer vans.
Marketing
 get information about market values, and strategy.
 produce is stored in cold stores,and send to market For
getting good price.eg.Maximum arrivals of pomegranate in
Delhi markets are during January – February but, prices
are usually more during April – march.
 It costs from Rs. 1030-2016 / quintal in Delhi markets
(2011-12) at that time..

24. Cultivation of Pomegranate –Farmers have been pro-
active in adopting new technology for cultivation and post
harvest handling of Pomegranate.
Buldhana and Amravati districts of the region – desirable
and suitable areas for trial of the crop in the State.
Training Programmes – conducted in the farmers’ fields
in six steps,I n collaboration with the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA).
Success Story

25.  Farmers given suitable guidance regarding cultivation
and care of regulating the number of fruits, irrigation
with fertigation, plant protection schedule and care in
harvesting.
 From the team 50 farmers 20 to 30 were changed their
mind and were ready for cultivation fruit crop for export
purpose.

26. conclusion
There is vast scope in semi-arid region for crop diversification.
The soil and climate of the region is favorable for crop
cultivation.
A small but significant intervention by the Government-
helped farmers to boost the production and quality of the
fruits and gave them higher returns.
Hence it is need of the hours to explore the possibility of
diversification of fruit industry of vidarbha through
Pomegranate.

27. Thank you …..