*1.29.5 Stark Red Gold*

Early variety. Medium-sized, moderately fuzzy fruit. Orange skin with a blush of red. Semi-clinging stone. High-yielding variety.

#### *1.29.6 Sunhaven*

Medium-sized round fruit. Bright red skin. Yellow, firm, fine-textured flesh with good flavour. Freestone variety.

### *1.29.7 Partap*

Round, yellowish red fruit. Firm, yellow flesh. Freestone variety. 12% TSS and 0.7% acidity.

#### *1.29.8 Sharbati*

Spreading and vigorous tree. Large, greenish yellow fruit with rosy patches. Juicy, tasty, white flesh with excellent flavour.

#### *1.29.9 Khurmani*

Red-coloured large fruit pointed at the base. Clingstone cultivar. White, soft, juicy flesh.

#### *1.29.10 Nectarine*

Fuzzless peach. Smooth skin. Smaller in size. Firm flesh. Stronger flavour and aroma.

## **2. Plum**

Scientific name: *Prunus salicina.* Family: Rosaceae.

#### **2.1 Introduction**

It is a strong growing temperate tree. This fruit have found favour with orchardists because of their phenomenal yield potential and high economic returns. It

**89**

*Production Technology of Peach, Plum and Apricot in India*

It is also grown to some extent in Nilgiri hills of South India.

was introduced to India by Alexander Court in his orchard at Mashobra. The main producing countries are Russia, Romania, China, Germany, the USA, France, Italy and Spain. In India, it is grown in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Punjab.

Besides being palatable and delicious, the fruit has high nutritive value also. It is one of the richest sources of vitamin B1. Plum fruit is also rich in vitamin A and riboflavin. It is a good source of sugars, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals like calcium, phosphorous and iron. It is also known for its cooling effect, and it is

Tree is medium- to large-sized, upright growing and deciduous. Leaves are alternate, serrate, sharp-pointed, medium-sized and glabrous. Flowers are produced three in a bud on a 1-year shoot or spur. Flowers are perfect, solitary or raceme, with five sepals; five petals, usually white; numerous perigynous stamens; one pistil with elongated style; and two ovules; and the fruit is drupe and usually single seeded. White flowers are seen clustered on the spurs and come to full bloom 7–10 days after the emergence of first flower. The fruit setting starts in the second week of March.

Plum requires varying types of climate and is grown from subtropical plains to the temperate high hills. The European-type plums require temperate climate and are grown in high hills at an elevation of 1300–2000 m ams1. It requires about 800–1000 h of chilling below 7°C during winter to break rest period. Japanese plum requires 100–800 h of chilling, and winch is met in midhill areas located at an elevation of 1000–1600 m amsl. Plums can be grown in areas where winters are cold and summers are hot. Cold, wet and windy weather during bloom is detrimental for good fruit set as spring frost injury causes damage to bloom. A northern slope is preferred particularly for Japanese plum, which tends to delay the bloom period and thus avoids early frost injury. Plum requires 90–110 cm well-distributed rainfall throughout the year. Prolonged drought during fruit growth and development and excessive rains during fruit maturity hamper fruit quality. Although plum can grow on a wide range of soils, deep, fertile and well-drained loamy soils with a pH of 5.5–6.5 are the most suitable. The soil should be free from hard pan, waterlogging and excessive salts. Very heavy or light soils are not suitable. The Japanese plums do well on average soils

1.*Prunus domestica* (European plum). It is a hybrid of diploid myrobalan plum (*Prunus cerasifera*) and tetraploid black thorn (*Prunus spinosa*). It is hexaploid in shape. Fruits are larger in size than Japanese plums. Fruit is oval or round having both yellow and green ground colour and also both red and blue skin colour. The cultivated varieties of European plum are classified into three main

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92884*

considered best to overcome jaundice.

Fruit is drupe, and the edible portion is the mesocarp.

**2.3 Morphological characters**

**2.4 Climate and soil**

having high pH.

groups:

**2.5 Species and varieties**

The cultivated plums belong to two species:

**2.2 Importance and uses**

was introduced to India by Alexander Court in his orchard at Mashobra. The main producing countries are Russia, Romania, China, Germany, the USA, France, Italy and Spain. In India, it is grown in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Punjab. It is also grown to some extent in Nilgiri hills of South India.
