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Season-defying peach from Sirmaur

‘KATERU’ TREE:The commercial cultivation of peach in Himachal Pradesh was started by the British along with apple and pear etc in the late 19th century, but it still remained a minor fruit.

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Chiranjit Parmar

The commercial cultivation of peach in Himachal Pradesh was started by the British along with apple and pear etc in the late 19th century, but it still remained a minor fruit. The star fruit of those people was apple only. The promotion of peach began much later in 1960s when  YS Parmar took personal interest in this fruit. The Rajgarh area of Sirmaur district was particularly selected for the fruit. Many peach orchards and fruit canning units came up at Rajgarh and its adjacent areas. Even YS Parmar planted a peach orchard of 350 trees in that area. In recognition of the abundance of peach orchards, this area is now called “Peach Valley”.

‘Kateru’, a unique peach, is found in this area. Plant scientists consider this peach to be a native of this region. It grows only in a small part of Himachal Pradesh and is not found in any other part of the globe. The season of commercial peaches, mostly exotic, commences in June end and continues till the end of July. But ‘kateru’ peaches start ripening from the last week of October and continues till the end of November, depending upon the altitude of the place. At Nohra, they are ready for harvesting in mid-November. As this part of the year commensurate with ‘Katak’ month of Hindu calendar, this peach is also called ‘Kataki aadu’. There is no other peach, even outside India, that ripens so late.

‘Kateru’ tree, fruit

‘Kateru’ is a medium-sized deciduous woody tree that can grow 6 to 8 metres tall with its main stem attaining a width of 20 cm to 22 cm. It has slender branches. The bark colour varies from brown to black. The leaves are 9.5 cm long, 3.5 cm broad and pointed.

‘Kateru’ trees grow wild in farmers’ fields and village common lands but never in forests. It is rarely planted except as a specimen tree by collectors. 

The fruit of ‘kateru’ is 4.5 cm wide and 3.8 cm long and light yellowish green at maturity. They do not have an attractive appearance like cultivated peaches; pulp is white and stone is free.

The fruit is edible but does not match the cultivated types in taste. They are relatively sourer and less sweet. The chemical analysis of pulp carried out in a laboratory has revealed that it contains total soluble solids, 61.1 g; acidity, 1.71 g; total sugars, 5.20 g; reducing sugar, 2.40 g; non-reducing sugar, 2.66 g; vitamin C, 2.304 mg, all per 100 g. The protein content of the pulp is 2 per cent. The mineral content of the edible portion, as represented by its ash, is 1.634 per cent. The percentage content of some of the mineral elements, viz., phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron is 0.057, 0.566, 0.039, 0.034 and 0.009, respectively. This indicates that their food value is not very less than the cultivated types.

Utilisaion

Though ‘kateru’ is edible, still it is collected more for their seed than for its fruits, at present. The seeds of ‘kateru’ are sown as its seedlings are used as one of the rootstocks for grafting peach and other stone fruits. So, there are still buyers of this wild fruit.

‘Kateru’ peach may not be so good to eat but it possesses a very unique trait, which is not found in any other peach variety of the world. It ripens three months after the common commercial types. There are very bright chances of improving the taste and appearance of this peach by genetic means. Crosses of this peach should be made with commercial peach varieties. There are very good chances of getting a variety that has taste and looks of commercial peach but still retains the late ripening character of ‘kateru’. This will extend the peach season by three months, which will be a great achievement. A fruit company of South Africa had initiated work in this direction four years ago but the present status of the project is not known. Indian fruit breeders should try to work on it.

(The writer is a fruit scientist based at Mandi )

Fruit is less sweet

  • The fruit is edible but does not match the cultivated types in taste. They are relatively sourer and less sweet. 
  • They do not have an attractive appearance like cultivated peaches.
  • Their food value is not very less than the cultivated types.
  • ‘Kateru’ peach may not be so good to eat but it possesses a very unique trait, which is not found in any other peach variety of the world. 
  • It ripens three months after the common commercial types. 
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