Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The aonla fruit (the Indian gooseberry) (Emblica officinalis G.) is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C.
It contains 500 to 700 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 g of pulp. This is much more than the vitamin C
content of guava, tomato or citrus fruits.
Aonla is an ancient fruit of Indian origin, which is associated with our tradition, culture and heritage. The
fruit is also closely connected with Indian system of medicine, as it is used as an ingredient in more than
175 formulations of Ayurveda. It is an important ingredient of Triphala and Chavanprash in ayurvedic
medicine system. Fruits are commonly used for preserve (murabbas), pickles, candy, jelly, jam etc.It is a
great health and vitality restorer. The fruit is useful in haemorrhages, diarrhoea, dysentry, anemia,
jaundice, dyspepsia and cough.
Aonla has great tolerance to salinity, alkalinity and sodicity. About its ability to stand drought conditions,
it can be said as if nature has created this plant only for drought conditions. Aonla is a deciduous fruit tree.
In this crop flower and fruit set take place in spring in February and soon after the fruits enter dormancy
without any growth throughout the summer till monsoon. Therefore, plants do not require irrigation
during summer when most crops would require it. With the onset of monsoon, the fruit starts growing and
becomes ready for harvest by December. This is the most ideal crop for arid conditions.
Distribution : Aonla thrives well throughout tropical India and is met with wild or cultivated in the region
extending from the base of the Himalaya to Sri Lanka and from Malacca to South China. It is more
popular in India and is commercially cultivated in Uttar Pradesh. The vast tracts of usar land widely
spread in various parts of Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh offer ample scope for aonla cultivation.
Commercial aonla orchards over 200 hectares are found in the districts of Azamgarh, Pratapgarh, Varanasi
and Bareilly. These districts also have potential for expansion of area under aonla. Of late, commercial
cultivation of aonla has come up in some parts of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also.
Climate : This is a fruit of sub-tropical region with distinct winter and summer. However, it is growing
near the sea coast upto 1800 m altitude.
Soil : The crop is not very specific in its soil requirement and grows well in sandy loan to clay soils. It
comes in the pH range of 6 to 8 very successfully. However, the production shall be highly benefitted in
deep and fertile soils.
Varieties : Aonla is successfully propagated by budding or softwood grafting. Popular varieties of aonla
are Banarasi, Chakaiya, Krishna, Kanchan, Anand-1 and Anand-2.
Planting : Grafts or buddings of aonla are best planted in June-July at a distance of 10 m under square
system of lay-out.
Training and Pruning : Aonla trees do not require regular pruning. However, pruning in early years for
giving proper shape and development of strong frame may be necessary for which trees should be trained
to a single stem upto the height of about 1 m and then primary branches can be allowed at regular space
all round the trunk.
Management of orchard : Since the fruit remains dormant in summer, the soil should not be disturbed
during that period. However, legumes and green manure crops can be grown during rainy season.
Fertiliser application at the rate of 1.5 kg N, 0.8 kg P & 1.0 kg K per annum is recommended for fruit
retention, better quality and higher yield. Aonla trees are hardy and stand very well against drought.
Therefore, hardly any irrigation is practised. However, the crop will be benefitted by giving 2-3 irrigations
at the time of full bloom and fruit set.
Pests and Diseases : Caterpillar, leaf rolling caterpillar, bark eating caterpillar, mealy bug etc. are the
main pests. Ring rust, fruit rot, leaf rust etc., are the diseases. Plant protection measures should be
followed as recommended by the local Department of Horticulture.
Harvesting : A vegetatively propagated tree starts fruiting commercial crop after 6 to 8 years of planting.
The economic life is considered to be about 60 years under good management. Generally, aonla fruits are
ready for harvest in November /December. Their maturity can be judged either by the change of seed
colour from creamy white to black. Banarasi is a poor yielder as compared to Chakaiya. On an average a
grown up tree should yield 100 to 150 kg per annum.
Economics : Financial institutions are extending credit for establishment of new orchards in various states
as Aonla is an important crop of commercial value.
Farm model for financing one hectare of aonla orchard is given in the Annexure I.
Unit Cost : The unit cost varies from state to state. The cost presented here is indicative only. The
entrepreneurs and the bankers are requested to consult our Regional Offices for availing the latest
information in this regard. The unit cost estimated for this model scheme is Rs.33600/- per ha capitalised
upto the fifth year. The break-up details are given in Annexure I.
Margin Money : The margin money assumed in this model scheme is 5% of the total financial outlay.
Interest Rate : Interest rate may be decided by the banks as per guidelines of the RBI.
Security : Banks may charge such security as permissible under the RBI guidelines.
Repayment : The bank loan with interest is repayable within 13 years with a grace period of 7 years. The
details are presented in Annexure III.
Annexure - I
Spacing : 10 m x 10m
Projected income
Year
1to5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13th
onwards
Yield (q/ha) 0 50 60 80 100 120 130 150 170
Gross value @ 0 20000 24000 32000 40000 48000 52000 60000 68000
Rs. 4/-per kg.
Maintenance cost 0 5500 5500 6000 6000 6500 6500 6500 7000
(Rs/ha)
Net Income (Rs/ha) 0 14500 18500 26000 34000 41500 45500 53500 61000
Annexure II
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