Ker is a shrub native to India that produces edible berries. It grows well in dry, arid regions and produces fruits up to three times per year. The immature fruits are used as vegetables and in pickles due to their nutritional value and medicinal properties. Ker is propagated through seeds, root suckers, and stem cuttings and is an important crop for arid regions that provides food, fodder, and income to local communities.

2. Ker
Botanical name :Capparis deciduas
Family :Capparidaceae
Origin place :India
Fruit type :Berry

3. Botany
Leafless shrub found in arid and semi arid regions of india.
It is shrub or small tree with dense thorny branches.
Distribtution
It is the important indigenous fruit of Rajasthan.
Besides it is also grown in UP, Haryana, Punjab, MP, Gujarat and deccan peninsula.
Species
C.grandis – it produces oil which is used as an illuminant.
C.sepiaria – It is climbing shrub used as a hedge plant.
C.spinosa – The flower buds, known as capers, and are used as condiment.
C.zeylanica – It is a thorny shrub and suitable to grow as hedge. The fruits are used as
vegetable.

4. Tree of Ker

5. Uses
The immature fruit are used as vegetable and pickling purpose.
Fruits having medicinal values, they are beneficial in cardiac impairment and
biliousness.
Bark is used in cough, asthma inflammation and rheumatism.
Wood and twigs are used as firewood
Ker Pickle

6. Nutritional Value of Ker
A 2009 report published in the Journal of Horticulture and Forestry provides the
following nutritional values for 100g of ker:
41.6 kcal
8.6g Protein
1.8g Carbohydrate
12.3g Fibre
7.81mg Vitamin C
55mg Calcium
57mg Phosphorous
Varieties
No named varieties of it but efforts were made by NBPGR, CAZRI,
SKRAU and CIAH.
Bikaner has maintained 32 accessions of ker.

7. Climate
It is xerophytic in nature.
Suitable for dry climate of arid and semi arid regions.
Soil
Can be grown is various types of wastelands.
Root development is better in sandy soils.
It is tolerant to salinity to greater extent.

8. Propagation
Ker is mainly propagated by seeds and root suckers. Propagation by stem cutting is
also successful.
For raising seedlings seeds are extracted from mature fruits. Seeds are sown in
nursery beds or in polythene bags of 25 x 10 cm size.
Seedling attain plantable size within a year.
Propagation by root sucker is cumbersome because it takes much time for taking
out suckers along with root portion.
Propagation of ker by semi hardwood and hardwood cutting does not take much
time.
It is easy and convenient to follow.
Rainy is the best time for propagation.

9. Planting
The pits of 60 cm3 size are dug well in advance. They are filled with a mixture of
soil and FYM(50:50).
Planting distance 3 x 3 m.
Irrigation
Being a drought resistant does not require much irrigation.
 However, newly planted plant require adequate moisture for their survival and
esatablishment.
Training and pruning
Simultaneously at the time of planting, staking may also be done to provide support
to young plants to grow straight.
Ker does not require regular pruning.
However, unwanted such as dead, diseased and criss cross branches are removed to
facilitate fruit harvesting and other cultural operations.

10. Flowering and fruiting
Seedling of ker start bearing 7-8 years after planting and vegetatively
propagated trees 4-5 years.
Ker shrubs bear fruit two to three times a year, from March through April, and
again from May through July.
If the shrub bears for a third time, it will occur during the winter months from
October through November.
Heaviest fruiting occurs right before the monsoons arrive.
As a survival mechanism, highest fruiting happens during the driest times of the
year

11. Harvesting
Mainly fruits are harvested in the month July-August.
Bearing Tree

12. Checking for Ripeness in Ker
Ker berries ripen from a small, green berry no bigger than a peppercorn to a
much larger caper the size of a blueberry. When at its largest, the fruit ripens
from green to white, lastly settling on a light cherry red.