The University of Horticulture Sciences-Bagalkot (UHS-B) is extensively promoting jujube (botanical name Ziziphus) in north Karnataka, mainly in Vijayapura and Bagalkot, because of the suitability of climate for this tasty fruit.

A blend of sweet and sour tastes, jujube is a tropical fruit and best suitable for dry land areas. Keeping this in mind, the university’s centre located at Tidagundi village of Vijayapura taluk has been promoting and popularising some eight varieties of jujubes in the region.

“This fruit is cost-effective and can be cultivated in areas that have limited water resources. Since Vijayapura and Bagalkot have limited access to irrigation, this crop comes as a boon to farmers there,” said Siddanna Thoke, Assistant Professor, Department of Fruits of the university. Having set up a stall in the Krishi Mela which started on the premises of Regional Agriculture Research Station at Hittanahalli village of the taluk on Sunday, Mr. Thoke said farmers who have limited land can cultivate this crop for higher earning. Around 110 saplings could be planted in an acre and the total cost per acre comes to around ₹20,000.

Fruit bearing starts in the first year itself but the quantity increases only from the second year.

The plant could last for at least two decades and it gives fruits till these many years. “Each acre could produce about 10 tonnes of fruits, and a farmer could earn at least ₹1.5 lakh/annum from an acre of plantation.”

Mr. Thoke said that the university is promoting varieties such as Chuhara, Mehroon, Dondon, Ilachi, Kadaka, Umran, and Apalbare. The most popular among them are Mehroon and Kadaka.

Claiming that the crop has minimum pest problem and needs limited water, that too only for the first two years, Mr. Thoke called it as a “future crop” as it does not require spaying of chemical pesticides.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Firoz Rozindar / Viyayapura – January 10th, 2018