Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is the name of a type of tree and its fruit at all. Breadfruit does not have seeds and has a padded section, which is similar to the bread after it is cooked or fried. Because of this, the Europeans know it as "bread fruit.” 

Breadfruit

This plant is Polynesia origin, then spread to the South East Asia region.  Now, breadfruit is an important food source of carbohydrates in the various islands in the tropics, especially in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.  Breadfruit can be cooked in different ways: boiled, fried, roasted, or grilled. To make it durable and stored longer, cooked fruit is sliced and dried in the sun or in a furnace.  In Pacific islands, the excess harvest breadfruit will be buried in holes in the ground and allowed to ferment a few weeks away, so it turns into a paste like cheese lasting, nutritious and can be made into a kind of baked cake. 

Characteristics of the tree:

Breadfruit tree is basically a tall tree when grown in natural forests, can reach 30 m, but in rural areas, usually only a dozen feet high. Multiplication results with clones produce shorter trees and low branching, huge trunk and straight, up to 8 m, often with roots boards (buttresses) low and elongated.

Large horizontal branching and leafy, arranged alternately; leaves 20-40 × 20-60 cm, pinnate share in, wiry and somewhat hard as leather, shiny dark green on the upper side, dull, rough and fluffy on the bottom. Leaf buds covered by a large cone-shaped fulcrum. All parts of the tree issued a white sap (latex) when injured.

Flowers grow in axillary panicles, near the end of the branch, male flowers form is long rod-shaped grains. Hanging, 15-25 cm, light green and yellow when ripe, yellow pollen and easily blow away by the wind. Female’s compound flowers are round or cylindrical, 5-7 × 8-10 cm, green.

Fruit compound derived from female compound flowers, with a diameter of 10-30 cm. Yellowish-green rind, with thorns that reduces to the eye pattern facet or aspect-4-6 in the skin.

Breadfruit fruit does not produce seeds, and flowers on the top of the tent together, growing into the 'meat fruit' breadfruit.

Breadfruit like tropical climate: summer temperatures (20-40 ˚ C), a lot of rainfall (2000-3000 mm per year) and humid (relative moisture 70-90%), and is more suitable in the lowlands, below 600 m asl., Although encountered up to about 1500 m asl. Seedlings grow better in the shade, but then require full sun to grow. Although most of its cultivars will grow well in alluvial fertile soils, deep and well drained, but there are varieties that grow well in the marshy soil, limestone soil, soil brackish and others.

Read also : Mangosteen

The fruit

Breadfruit tree can produce up to 800 pieces of fruit per tree per year in the peak of production time. Each fruit weighs between 400-1200 grams, but there are also varieties that fruit up to 5 kg. The tree starting to fruit at 5 years of age and will continue to produce up to 50 years. The production peak starting from 8 – 9 years of age and continuing for next some years  depending of cultivation quality.

Fruit form is generally round, but some are oval. His skin thick but not hard and have spines that also not hard. Skin color is light green to dark green, white flesh has a fibrous fruits like jackfruit.

Breadfruit

Fruit is generally harvested when young utilized as carbohydrates resources, processed simply by steaming, boiling or frying. Polynesian society even familiar to brood breadfruit for fermentation, and produces a kind of food that richer nutrient. Today the industry has started to produce flour from breadfruit that can be used as raw material for variety of foods.

Breadfruit is roughly 25% carbohydrates and 70% water. It has an average amount of vitamin C (20 mg/100 g), small amounts of minerals (potassium and zinc) and thiamin (100 μg/100 g).

Economic potential

In 100 grams of this fruit, you can get 25 grams of carbohydrates. This means you can meet about 10 percent of your daily carbohydrate needs. In addition, it is also rich in fiber content.

In addition, the types of carbohydrates in this fruit are included in complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are more friendly to the human body, so you can say that carbohydrates from this fruit are better than rice or wheat. Main Food, will become an increasingly critical issue, population growth and reduced agricultural land are the main causes. Breadfruit is easy to plant and productive, one mature tree can produce hundreds of kilograms of fruit, this is a positive fact about this fruit. But unfortunately the cultivation of this fruit is still very lacking or even non-existent. Processing breadfruit into flour can be not only a matter of business, but also helping humanity to have additional alternatives to meet the need for the main food. Breadfruit is one of the producers of complex carbohydrates, don't forget about that.

So this fruit has economic potential, right?

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
•       Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants)
•           Super Division: Spermatophyta (Produces seeds)
•               Division: Magnoliophyta (flowering plants)
•                   Class: Magnoliopsida (dashed two / dicots)
•                       Sub Class: Dilleniidae
•                           Order: Urticales
•                               Family: Moraceae (jackfruit tribal)
•                                   Genus: Artocarpus
•                                       Species: Artocarpus communis Forst

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Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Cashew

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a plant from the Anacardiaceae tribe, originally from Brazil. In
botany, the plant was not a member of the  guava group (Myrtaceae) or legumes (Fabaceae), but actually more closely related to the mango (Anacardiaceae tribe). 

As a fruit, Cashew is unique, because the seed is not located inside, but located outside of the flesh. The seed protected by thick and hard outer skin, what commonly known as cashew fruits (flesh) actually only a pseudo fruit, the “fruit of cashew” only functioned as nutrition supplier to the seed. And then what we knows as Cashew Nut actually  is the core of the fruit, after going through several treatment processes.

What is commonly known as the "fruit", actually is the flower base (Receptaculum) which expands after conception. This flower base is green or yellow when young and then turn into red, old yellow or reddish yellow when old / ripe.

The main producer of this agro commodity are Nigeria, Philippines, Tanzania, Vietnam, India and Indonesia.

Characteristic of the tree:

Medium-sized tree, up to 12 m high, with a wide canopy, highly branched, and evergreen,  flexible tree canopy, can be high and narrow, or low and wide, depending on the growth environment.

Leaves located on the top branches. Stemmed leaves, round egg upside down, most of the base tapered and rounded ends, curved inward, hairless, 8-22 × 5-13 cm.

Monoecious, mixed androgynous flowers, gathered in a flat smooth-haired panicles, 15-25 cm wide. Calyx hairy, 4-5 mm. Spiky crown, lk 1 cm, white then red, haired. Geluk fruit is dark brown, bent, lk 3 cm high.

The wood is light brown and low value, very rarely used for residential building materials and home furnishings; although can be used as firewood or utensils junky material.

Kind of sap that hardens in the open air (gum) generated from the injured trunk. This gum good to be used on adhesive book, as well as prevent termite infestation; were also good for glue or plywood frame.

The fruit:

The economic value of this plant is in the”real seed” as the raw of Cashew Bean.  Even though, the flesh that actually is the flower base also consumed as source of various vitamins.  

Cashew color is brown, dark brown, dark brown-black. Hard and thick skinned to protect his core. Hard shell does not only consist of a single layer, but there are two layers and contains a sap called urushiol, which can cause human skin irritation.

What is known as the cashew nuts in the culinary world is actually the seed of the cashew fruit. Before becoming a "nut" raw ready to fried, required rather long process, because cashew can not simply be processed after the skin removed.

Cashew Nut

The production process of a cashew nut starting from seed drying  for 2 days full tropical sun, outer skin exfoliation, exfoliation of the epidermis preceded by drying and boiling of the content of the fruit, and then draining back  before  the "nuts" are ready to the next food preparations process.

In the centers of production area, cashew fruit pseudo sometimes also sold in the market, the fruit liked by everyone because of the sour taste fresh. The sweet taste of cashew fruit is allowed to be developed as a syrup or fermented to obtain alcoholic beverages such as wine (slightly fermented fruit juice) and can also be distilled to a high alcohol content beverage. Untreated fruit apparent in the areas of production used as animal feed.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) of cashew nuts, raw:
Energy 2,314 kJ (553 kcal), Carbohydrates 30.19 g, - Starch 23.49 g, - Sugars 5.91 g, - Dietary fiber 3.3 g, Fat 43.85 g, - saturated 7.78 g, - monounsaturated 23.8 g, - polyunsaturated 7.85 g, Protein 18.22 g, Water 5.2 g, Thiamine (vit. B1) .42 mg (37%), Riboflavin (vit. B2) .06 mg (5%), Niacin (vit. B3) 1.06 mg (7%), Pantothenic acid (B5) .86 mg (17%), Vitamin B6 .42 mg (32%), Folate (vit. B9) 25 μg (6%), Vitamin C .5 mg (1%), Vitamin E .9 mg (6%), Calcium 37 mg (4%), Iron 6.68 mg (51%), Magnesium 292 mg (82%), Manganese 1.66 mg (79%), Phosphorus 593 mg (85%), Potassium 660 mg (14%), Sodium 12 mg (1%), Zinc 5.78 mg (61%).

Cashew Benefits for Health:

1. Improves the Immune System

Cashew fruit is rich in nutrients and antioxidants which can boost the body's immune system so it is very good at fighting disease. In fact, the vitamin content of this fruit can be a natural remedy for some minor ailments, such as colds and flu.

Cashew nuts are also rich in zinc and several other antioxidants, so that the body's immune system is well maintained. To get these benefits, consumption of this fruit needs to be done regularly.

2. Improves Bone Health

Cashew nuts also include foods that are rich in magnesium. These nutrients are very good at helping the body maintain bone health, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

In addition, the content of calcium and phosphorus can keep bones strong. But don't consume too much, because too much phosphorus in the body can cause bone problems.

3. Prevent Cancer

Cashew fruit is also able to help the body fight cancer, thanks to the content of flavonoids and antioxidants in its content. In addition, the proanthocyanidin content is able to fight tumor cells and prevent them from dividing. In addition, the content of copper and minerals can reduce the tendency of cells to mutate which can cause cancer.

4. Prevent Anemia

Cashew fruit can also be a source of iron which is able to distribute oxygen throughout the body. This is because iron deficiency can cause several health problems, including anemia, infection, fatigue, and others. Therefore, ensuring sufficient iron nutrition in the body, prevention of health problems can be done properly.

5. Helps Lose Weight

Another benefit of consuming cashews is being able to help lose weight in someone with obesity. Because, consumption of this fruit in sufficient and regular doses can help lower cholesterol in the heart, even reducing fat accumulation.

6. Improves Hair Health

Cashew nuts include foods that are rich in copper, a nutrient that is very good for maintaining hair. Copper can also help in making hair black. Therefore, if you want to have healthy and shiny black hair, regular consumption of this fruit with the right amount can be done.

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
•       Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants)
•           Super Division: Spermatophyta (Produces seeds)
•               Division: Magnoliophyta (flowering plants)
•                   Class: Magnoliopsida (dashed two / dicots)
•                       Sub Class: Rosidae
•                           Order: Sapindales
•                               Family: Anacardiaceae
•                                   Genus: Anacardium
•                                       Species: Anacardium occidentale L.

The other fruit to know: Jack Fruit

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Coffee beans (Coffea)

Coffee (Coffea), almost people entire the world love to drink coffee, from ordinary coffee drinker up to crazy coffee lover. However, did you know that coffee drink which is made from a seed of plant scientifically identified as Coffea species and have two major varieties named Arabica Coffee and Robusta Coffee originally come from Ethiopia about 1000 BC? Yes, this exotic drink has a long history before come up to our table in the morning as a first friend that comes to us in the morning.

Some expert of coffee said that since 800 BC, people of Africa especially Ethiopia already enjoyed coffee; they mix coffee seeds with wine and animal fats to fulfill their protein and energy for the body.  From Ethiopia, hundreds years after enjoyed by Ethiopian then bring to Arab, Arab peoples then proceed coffee seeds better than the Africans proceed. They not only cooked the seeds, but also then take the quintessence of coffee, used it as the raw of a kind of drink as now we recognized it as Coffee Drinks.  From the land of Arabic, coffee drinks popularity then spread into Northern Africa, Mediterranean, and India. Althought, there is no Coffee cultivation in Arab, but people of Arab is ones who render a service to promote coffee entire the world, of course included peoples of Ethiopia.

Coffee bring to Europe in 1615, comes to Europe via Turkey. The Dutch then bring coffee into South East Asia, especially Java Island and widely cultivated there on 1690 and become one of their main agro industries in their colonial land. On 1714, King Louis XIV from France receives Coffee Trees from The Dutch to fulfill Jardin des Plantes, their Botanical Garden in Paris.  Gabriel Mathieu di Clieu then bring the seed of coffee to Martinique, in Martinique, France, coffee plant grows very well and they made a great succeed, 18 millions of coffee tree grows for only first 50 years of cultivation. From the Europe then coffee spread out entire the world especially on their colonial territories.

Characteristic of the tree:

Coffee plant grows well at low up to middle land 600-2000 above sea level, temperature range 18 – 26 C. Coffee fruit need quite long time to be ready to consume, from flower period to ready for harvest need about 9 – 11 months depending on grows condition and variety of plant. Coffee tress has many branches, commonly the fruit grown on the branches, has a taproot, hard wood and green leaves.

The plant starting to produce at 2 up to 3 year age, depending on quality of cultivation applied.

Coffee plant needs high oxygen so the root grows shallow, near the surface of the ground. This condition is to support their daily oxygen absorption process. Generally, deepest roots of the coffee tree will only reach 30 cm of the soil surface. Coffee shows dimorphism in vegetative growth: growth Orthotropic (upright) and growth plagiotropic (laterally).

The part of plant that grows Orthotropic can result in the growth of Orthotropic and Plagiotropic. However,  the  Plagiotropic part could only produce the growth Plagiotropic and cannot produce Orthotropic. Therefore, the connection branches or branch cuttings cannot grow upward, but usually continue to grow laterally.

The coffee leaves grow opposite and in pairs, either growing on branches and trunks. In the branches, the leaves in pairs and is located in one area. However, on the trunk and sub stem, leaf pairs are not located in one area. Pairs of leaves will lie in one plane. Pairs of leaves will lie in intersecting areas. Then that should also be known, leaf stomata or mouth is varies according to the type of coffee. The coffee leaf will be wide, thin, and flabby when the light intensity is too little. Coffee tree leaf color is green to dark green.

The Fruit:

The coffee tree flowers growing in the armpits leaves on a branch, at each armpit there will be 4-5 bunches. To that end each of which will consist of 3 to 5 flowers.  Up and thus each armpit will be formed between 12 to 25 flowers, or let's say 24 to 50 flowers per group. The flowers have a distinctive scent, green fruit when young, and old red when ready to harvest.

For Arabica coffee, in general, the number of stems will be less so the number of fruit per group is smaller when compared to other types of Robusta coffee. At optimal conditions, the amount of interest it can reach more than 6000 to 8000 per tree. However,  the flowers that grows into ripe fruit usually ranges between 30 to 50 percent.

Crown of the flowers is white, with a number of crowns that vary depending on the type of coffee:

• Arabica coffee has 5 petals.
• Robusta coffee has 308 petals.

As well as the stigma stalk length, this was according to the type of coffee.

•  Arabica coffee has a pistil stem length is shorter when compared with the stamens;
•  Robusta coffee has a long stalk pistil longer when compared with the stamens.

Then pollination of each type is also different:

• Arabica coffee, self-pollinated / Self-Pollinator;
• Robusta coffee, cross-pollinated / Cross pollinator.

Pollination on coffee plants is usually carried by the wind. Pollination can be up to 100 meters from the tree itself, but actually, the most good is brought within 35 feet of the tree itself. In general, the coffee plant will put out flowers at the age of 3 years, and then later at the age of 4 years are just beginning to bear fruit,  the ovary is located below and contains two ovule. 

Economic potential: 

At least 2.25 billion cups coffee consumed daily worldwide, and keep on growing daily in line with world population growing.  Brazil is the highest producer of coffee beans they produced 2.44 million metric tons in 2009, followed by Vietnam 1.18, Columbia 0.89, Indonesia 0.70, and India 0.29.  Coffee even though can grow in non-tropic area but in fact, they growing and producing better in tropic area. 

The world already has an organization that manage all everything about worldwide coffee trade monitoring, this show us that coffee is one of important agro merchandize of the world.  Coffee bean prize is standing on growing time by time. 

With global crazy consumption and limited area for maximize production, so what you think?  Is there a good prospect in trading and coffee plantation investment? 

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
•       Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants)
•           Super Division: Spermatophyta (Produces seeds)
•               Division: Magnoliophyta (flowering plants)
•                   Class: Magnoliopsida (dashed two / dicots)
•                       Sub Class: Asteridae
•                           Order: Rubiales
•                               Family: Rubiaceae (coffee matters tribes)
•                                   Genus: Coffea
•                                       Species: Coffea arabica L.
•                                                     Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner

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Soursop (Annona muricata L.)

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a useful plant origin of the Caribbean, Central America and South America. But known that Graviola has also been long recognized in Africa, especially in Somalia, Mozambique and Uganda. Currently the plant has also been a part of the "traditional" plant in some Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Utilization was already happening in a broad scope ranging from fruit to leaves, fruit utilized as a food ingredient and the leaves used as part of herbal medicine.

Soursop

This plant can be grown in any place especially in tropical lands, but the best is if planted in an area that is quite watery.

Soursop fruit is not true, because the so-called "fruit" is actually a collection of the fruits (fruit aggregate) with a single seed and losing limits coincide between pieces. Soursop size is large enough, can reach up to 20-30cm long and weigh up to 2.5 kg. Soursop fruit flesh is white and has black seeds. The fruit is often used as raw material for juice drinks and ice cream, but can also be consumed directly. The flesh is soft, juicy and have a mix between sweet, sour and fresh. 

Tree characteristics:

Soursop tree trunk has a low branching, tree height between 3 to 8 feet.  The bark is brown to blackish brown, the wood including hard wood class.  Elongated leaves with lanceolate or obovate, the color of leaves is dark green. The flowers stand alone dealing with leaves. Cone-like flower shape, flower color is light yellow. Flower base concave, stamens quite a lot, so does the embryo fruit. Soursop can plant seeds to use, can also be by way of a patch or grafting. Fruiting season is in January and February each year.

Soursop requires a period of growth to establish tree canopy foliage for about 2 years. The transition from infancy to fruition requires a period of time of approximately 1 year.

Fruit trees established before age 3 years, usually fall out, especially when having water shortages during the dry season.

Not many varieties Soursop recognized, so far there are 4 varieties namely: guanaba Azucaron (sweet), guanaba acida (very sour), guanabana dulce (sweet soursop) and guanabana sin fiber (fiber less).

The Fruit:

Soursop fruit has a true form of multiple (aggregate fruit) is a fruit that comes from a flower with many ovaries but form one fruit, the fruit has thorns fine scales. Flesh white flesh, soft, and fibrous with many seeds blackish brown.

Tend to fixed colored skin of fruit from young to old, from light green to dark green. soft outer skin, has a tapered section that is prevalent but also soft taper.

Soursop fruit seeds somewhat blackish brown and hard, blunt-ended, smooth shiny surface with a size of about 16.8 mm and a width of 9.6 mm, number of seeds in the fruit varied between 20-70 grains.

Soursop

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz):

Energy 276 kJ (66 kcal), Carbohydrates 16.84 g,  Sugars 13.54 g, Dietary fiber 3.3 g, Fat 0.3g, Protein 1 g, Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.07 mg (6%), Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.05 mg (4%), Niacin (vit. B3) 0.9 mg (6%), Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.253 mg (5%), Vitamin B6 0.059 mg (5%), Folate (vit. B9) 14 μg (4%), Choline 7.6 mg (2%), Vitamin C 20.6 mg (25%), Calcium 14 mg (1%), Iron 0.6 mg (5%), Magnesium 21 mg (6%), Phosphorus 27 mg (4%), Potassium 278 mg (6%), Sodium 14 mg (1%), Zinc 0.1 mg (1%).

(Source : USDA Database entry)

Soursop Fruit Benefits for Health

Besides being delicious to eat, it turns out that there are many benefits of soursop fruit for health. The benefits of this sweet and sour fruit cannot be separated from the nutritional content in it.

This fruit is often consumed directly or made into juice, pudding, or a mixture of fruit ice. Not only the flesh, other parts of the soursop plant, such as stems, roots and leaves, are also often used as traditional medicine.

Thanks to its nutritional content, soursop fruit is believed to have many health benefits. Here are some of the benefits of soursop fruit that you need to know:

1. Increase endurance

The content of vitamin C and antioxidants found in soursop fruit act as antioxidants that help counteract free radicals in the body and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.

In addition, the nutritional content of soursop fruit is also known to maintain the body's resistance to stay strong against infectious diseases.

2. Relieves inflammation

Soursop fruit extract is known to have anti-inflammatory effects. This effect is believed to be good for alleviating inflammation and preventing diseases that arise due to inflammation, such as gout or gout, hypertension, and arthritis.

However, research so far has not been able to conclude with certainty how effective soursop fruit is as a treatment. Therefore, further research is still needed to confirm the benefits of this one soursop fruit.

3. Smooth digestion

The high content of fiber and water in soursop fruit is good for keeping the digestive tract active. Regular consumption of fruits, including soursop fruit, can also overcome and prevent constipation.

4. Fight infection

A research in the laboratory shows that soursop fruit extract appears to be able to kill bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Plus the nutritional content that can strengthen the immune system, soursop fruit is believed to be good for helping the body recover after an infection.

5. Prevent the growth of cancer cells

Soursop contains antioxidants and various other chemicals that have anticancer properties. Several laboratory studies have shown that soursop fruit and leaf extracts appear to inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells, such as breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and mouth cancer.

Various studies have indeed shown the various benefits of soursop fruit for health. However, keep in mind, the benefits of soursop are only known based on the results of studies from several small-scale studies.

Soursop fruit may be consumed as part of a healthy diet because it has a fairly high nutritional content.

Economic potential:

Globally, the fruit is already quite recognized, enjoyed by the public as fresh fruit, juice and a variety of other processed foods. This fruit prices also have a tendency to continue to improve. This fruit although it is still a matter of controversy, trusted by many people as an herbal alternative for the cure of cancer, you could check yourself regarding Soursop against Cancer online.

Regardless of the controversy, this fruit is a fruit that have fresh taste and "open" for being processed material to various food products. In Southeast Asia, countries are often found soursop based processed food products, for example, there is food in Indonesia named “Dodol Soursop,” a kind of porridge sweet snacks that made from soursop, sugar and other ingredients. You can also found various other foods made of Soursop spreading in each Southeast Asia Region.

Please don’t forget that this fruit also contain 25% of Vitamin C in each 100 g of flesh  that needed by our body daily, this fruit is one of the riches Vit. C. 

The plant of this fruit only good to be cultivated in tropical area, simple handling, and short period needed from first tree planting to fruiting period, although only cultivated on tropical land but this fruit needed globally. There is no such as plantation in industry scale for this fruit plant. 

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Spermatophyta
• Sub division: Angiospermae
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Sub class: Magnoliidae
• Order: Magnoliales
• Family: Annonaceae
• Genus: Annona
• Species: Annona muricata L.

Other fruit tp know:  Sugar apple (Annona squamosa)

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Snap Bean or Green Bean or France Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Snap Bean or Green Bean or France Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a vegetable fruit including Leguminosae family, originally from Central America and South America.  This plant is more suitable to be cultivated in the medium and highland plateau. Bean plants can be divided into two types namely vine type (indeterminate nature) and upright type (shrub-shaped and determinate nature).  The vines type have more branches; have a lot more flowers anyway, so it has the potential for greater returns. This type can reach 3 feet in length and easy to fall down, so it takes a trellis / stake in order to grow well. 

The  upright type generally short with no more than 60 high cm.

This nut is known throughout the world and is one of the raw materials of various types of popular processed foods.  Snap Bean are generally harvested when the fruit is still young. There are a lot of soup recipe that include Snap Beans as part of the raw material.  Although physically beans are fruits, but when it is used more commonly referred  as a vegetable.

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Aubergine or eggplant or Solanum melongena

Aubergine or eggplant  is a plant belonging to the family of Solanaceae and genus Solanum. This plant is a native of India and Sri Lanka, and is closely related to tomatoes and potatoes. The fruit commonly used as a vegetable for cooking and has botanical name Solanum melongena.

Eggplant is a vegetable that is well known by most people, especially in the tropics regions. The fruit is composed of various types, but majority of them has two kinds of color, which is light green and purple. Eggplant can be enjoyed straight or other cooking materials. The fruit trees also have so many kinds of varieties.

Plant characteristics:

Eggplant is a green plant that generally cultivated annually especially in dry session.  This plant can grows about 40-150 cm (16-57 inches) in height. The leaves are large, with a rough lobe. The size is 10-20 cm (4-8 inches) long and 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) in width. The types of semi-wild bigger and grow to as high as 225 cm (7 feet), with leaves that exceed 30 cm (12 inches) and 15 cm (6 inches) in length. The trunk is usually spiked. Flower color between white to purple, with a crown that has five lobes.  Fruit contains flour, with a diameter of less than 3 cm in the wild, and even greater for the preferred species.

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Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit crop that believed come from and Persia or Iran now origin. However, has been known since a long time in the Mediterranean.  Now well known and popular in South China and Southeast Asia.

Description of tree:

This tree is in the category of high herbaceous plant with between 2-8 m, woody, round, branched, spiny; tree bark turns dark brown after a brownish green. This leaves a single, lanceolate, flat edge, pointed, 1-8 cm long, and 5-15m width, surface shiny and green. Single flower, growing on the ends of branches, short flower stalks, petals attaches, red or pale yellow. Crown rounded, curved flower stalk, yellow, white pistil, red or yellow.

The pomegranate can be grown in lowland tropics and sub-tropics to a height of 1500 m above sea level,  better in the clay and the long dry season and summer. Currently in Southeast Asia in particular has become a garden or yard plants. Pomegranate plants rooted riding, yellow to brownish, tuberous root with yellow to brownish color.

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Sugar apple (Annona squamosa)

Sugar Apple

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa), is a plant belonging to the genus Annona and shrub. This tree comes from tropical areas of America and now widely grown in Colombia, El Salvador, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Sugar-apple fruit is round with a lot of cutting edge skin (like soursop). The flesh is white.

Including semi-green perennial shrubs or deciduous tree reaching 8 m in height,  intermittent leaves, simple, javelin longitudinal, 7-12 cm in length, and width of 3-4 cm. The flowers appear in bunches of 3-4, each flower 2-3 cm wide, with six petals, yellow-green spotted purple at the base.

The fruit is usually round or cone-like evergreen, 6-10 cm diameter, with skin bumps and flaky, white flesh.

Plant characteristic:

This plant grow better in hot climate, grows well in a variety of waterlogged soil conditions and adapt well to the humid and hot climate,  and will thrive with adequate irrigation. Propagation can be by seed and transplants.  Planted at a spacing of 4x3 meters, luxuriance of fruit growth and yield can be maintained with the irrigation, fertilization, and pruning well. Plants begin to bear fruit at the age of 1-2 years.

Sugar apple tree effeminate androgynous, tall 2-7, m. Simpodial branching stems, fall edge, light brown bark. Single leaf, alternate, elliptical shape elongated strands to form oblong, blunt tip, tapering to short, long 6-17 cm, a width of 2.5 - 7, 5 cm, flat edge, hairless, shiny green, single flower, in a file, 1-2 opposite or beside the leaves.  Leaves triangular petals, buds time continued as valves, small. Leaf crown triangular, the outer fleshy thick, length of 2 to 2.5 cm, yellowish white, with a hollow base that turns purple, basic flower shaped like a monument, numerous stamens, white, anthers hat shape, connecting space widened cider, cider and closed space. Pistils many, each composed of one leaf buds of fruit, dark purple, the anthers sit, limping into a single, easy to fall off.

Flowering period occurred throughout the year from January to December, grown in the lowlands to an altitude of 1000 m above sea level, especially in the sand to sandy loam soil and good drainage system at a pH of 5.5 - 7, 4.

Fruit:

There are two types of sugar apple sugar apple is green and red, both outside the rough-skinned waxy.
Sugar-apple fruit flesh is white-gray. Has a lot of seeds, almost oval-shaped with a pointed bottom. Have a distinctive smell, but not overpowering. Sugar-apple fruit juicy, soft, very sweet without the sour taste and distinctive scented.

Sugar apple certainly can be enjoyed immediately after you open the outer skin, made into juice,  also used primarily as part of specific cooking especially for baking.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz):

Energy 393 kJ (94 kcal), Carbohydrates 23.64 g, Fat 0.29 g, Protein 2.06 g, Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.11 mg (10%), Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.113 mg (9%), Niacin (vit. B3) 0.883 mg (6%), Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.226 mg (5%), Vitamin B6 0.2 mg (15%), Folate (vit. B9) 14 ?g (4%), Vitamin C 36.3 mg (44%), Calcium 24 mg (2%), Iron 0.6 mg (5%), Magnesium 21 mg (6%), Manganese 0.42 mg (20%), Phosphorus 32 mg (5%), Potassium 247 mg (5%), Sodium 9 mg (1%),Zinc 0.1 mg (1%)

=Source: USDA Database entry=

Sugar apple

Benefits of sugar apple fruit for health

What are the benefits of sugar apple fruit for health? Launching from the Vegan Diet Society, here are some of the benefits of sugar apple fruit for health:

1. Lowering High Cholesterol

One of the benefits of sugar apple fruit for health is being able to lower high cholesterol. This is because sugar apple fruit contains niacin which is effective in reducing high cholesterol.

2. Launching the Digestive System

In addition, sugar apple fruit also contains a lot of fiber which can improve the digestive system. The fiber in sugar apple fruit is also able to prevent constipation and various other digestive problems.

3. Prevent Diabetes

Consuming sugar apple fruit is also beneficial for preventing high blood sugar or diabetes. The reason is, sugar apple fruit contains a lot of fiber which can slow down the rate of absorption of blood sugar in the body so that it can avoid diabetes.

4. Prevent Asthma

Apart from having a lot of fiber, sugar apple fruit is also rich in vitamin C. With the vitamin C content in sugar apple, of course this can make sugar apple a preventer of several diseases, such as asthma.

5. Lowering Hypertension

Not only effective in lowering high cholesterol. Consuming sugar apple fruit is also able to reduce hypertension or high blood pressure. This is because sugar apple fruit contains potassium which plays a role in lowering blood pressure in the human body.

6. Maintain Heart Health

Sugar apple fruit contains B vitamins which are useful for preventing the development of homocysteine, where homocysteine in large quantities can cause strokes and coronary heart disease. In addition, consuming sugar apple fruit can also prevent various symptoms of heart disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and others.

7. Maintain Healthy Bones and Teeth

Another benefit of sugar apple fruit is being able to maintain healthy bones and teeth. The reason is, sugar apple fruit also contains magnesium which can help maintain the density and health of bones and teeth.

8. Improves Eye Health

The benefits of sugar apple fruit for health that cannot be missed are good for the eyes. This is because sugar apple fruit is a rich source of vitamin C and riboflavin which can help prevent certain eye problems, such as macular degeneration, poor eyesight, night blindness, and maintain good eyesight.

Economic potential:

The fruit is delicious, sweet, but still has not been cultivated in bulk, so it has not been quite popular in the world. However, this fruit has a good nutrient content, especially the content of vitamin C.

Despite coming and now grows in areas of South America, this fruit is also apparently popular in Southeast Asian countries is also Taiwan's tropical climate. People in the region are already familiar with this fruit, but the data on the number of production is still hard to come by.

It may be that this fruit will be the future of your agribusiness. Who knows?

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom   : Plantae
• (unranked): Angiosperms
• (unranked): Magnoliids
• Order       : Magnoliales
• Family      : Annonaceae
• Genus       : Annona
• Species   : A. squamosa

Other fruit to know: Papaya (Carica Papaya)

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Palm Fruit (For Palm Oil)

Palm Oil - Fruit (Elaeis) or called Kelapa Sawit in Malaysia and Indonesia, today is an important part of the horticulture industry of Southeast Asia; Malaysia and Indonesia are the two largest countries in the world producing this product. Although there are, concerns over the impact of tropical deforestation that converted into large-scale plantations palm oil.

Plant characteristics:

Palm Oil is one of the large palm families, as well as other type of palm oil palm has root fibers, pinnate compound leaves composed and colored green. Native plant oil palm can reach a height of 25m, the former plant stems covered with bark and the tree will last until the age of approximately 12 years. After reaching the age of the stem will flake shaped like palm trees so.

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Durian

Durian is a kind of very popular fruit in the countries of Southeast Asia. A tropical fruit that have tough skin and sharp, has a pungent and distinctive aroma, this fruit is an origin of the region and growth in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, and the Philippines.

In this region, the typical Durian even earned the nickname as the "King of Fruits.” However, there is also mention that the real durian is a  "controversial” fruit , because that as well as many of his ardent fans durian was also rejected by many others because of its aroma.

Characteristics of the tree:

Durian is not a single species, but a group of plants with the genus Durio.  In botany usually called Durio zibethinus.

Durian fruit tree merukan hardwood tree species, high growth between 25-50 m, depending on the species. Durian trees often have buttress root (root board). Pepagan (bark) reddish brown, peeling irregular. Leafy canopy and tenuous.

Leaves elliptic to lancet, 10-15 (-17) cm × 3 to 4.5 (-12.5) cm; located alternate; stemmed; stem taper or ramp blunt and pointy toes; bright green upper side, lower side covered by scales silvery or golden star with feathers.

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Mango (Mangifera indica)

Mango (Mangifera indica) is one kind of tropical fruit that goes into the genus Mangifera that consists of about 40 members and Anarcardiaceae tribal.

Mango trees including higher plants the stem structure (habitus) group included arboreus, woody plants with stem height of more than 5m. Generally, the tree height can reach 10-40m.

Naming mango comes from the Malayalam language, in Kerala, India. Spread to Europe and the rest of the world after brought by the Portuguese.

Believed the fruit came from the border of India and Myanmar, and has spread since about 1500 years ago.

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Papaya (Carica Papaya)

Papayas (Carica Papaya) are part of tropical fruits, the regions of the world in roomates they are grown. Botanists commonly agreed that this fruit is a Central America origin, particularly Mexico. In Mexico, the cultivation of papaya believed to be first performed.

Papaya

Papaya then spread and become famous globally and now cultivated in many tropical regions, both Central America and Asia. 

Papaya has skin generally green to dark green fruit when young, and then turns yellow to blush at the old and mature. Content of the fruit is usually dark orange to red, has a high water content, soft ripe fruit and sweet.

Health Benefits

Papayas offer not only great taste but are rich also of antioxidant nutrient such as carotenes, vitamin C, Vitamins B, Vitamin E, pro-Vitamin A – caroteinoid phytonutrients, potassium, magnesium and fiber. All those are nutrients that need by our cardiovascular system also believed as colon cancer protector. Papaya also contain the digestive enzyme, papain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple.

Varieties:

Kapoho Solo or Puna Solo popular on Kauai, Hawai,  Pear-shaped, large fruit reaches only 400-800g, grown in tropical areas with high rainfall, yellow rind and pale orange flesh.

Waimanolo, a papaya varieties cultivated in Hawaii. This variety is larger, more durable and quality, cultivated in areas with low rainfall levels.

Higgins was introduced to Hawaiian, a high quality of papaya, pear-shaped, with orange-yellow skin, deep-yellow flesh, and averages 0.45 kg.  Grow better in and territory or seasons of high rainfall, in low rainfall area need a god irrigation.

Hortus Gold, a variety of South African origin. One of the most delicious papaya fruit, mature faster, round oval, golden yellow colored, may reach 1 to 1.4 kg weight. Papaya is generally valuable almost twice that of other varieties.

Bettina and Petersen, is the variety that comes from Queensland, Australia, the growth period is short, oval fruit shape, generally weighs 1.5 to 2.25 kg.

Other varieties :

Carica Papaya

Mexico-America; Verde,Gialla,Cera,Chincona.

USA-Florida; Cariflora,Betty,Homestead.

Venezuela; Paraguanera, Roha.

Barbados; Wakefield, Graeme 5&7.

Cuba; Maradol.

Trinidad; Santa Cruz Giant, Cedro.

Dominian Republic; Cartagena.

India-Asia; Coorg Honey Dew, Coimbitor 2.

Indonesia; Semangka, Dampit.

Malaysia; Eksotika, Sekaki.

Thailand; Sai-naumpueng, Khaek Dam.

Philippines; Cevita/Sinta.

Taiwan; Tainung.

South Africa; Hortus Gold, Kaapmuiden, Honey Gold.

Terms of grows:

Plants can be grown in lowland and high 700 - 1000 meters above sea level, rainfall 1000 - 2000 mm / year, optimum temperature 22-26 C and humidity around 40% and the wind is not too tight is very good for pollination. Soil fertile, friable, contains a lot of humus and should hold water, the ideal soil pH is neutral with a pH of 6 -7.

Production Fact

According to FAO data, the Global production of papaya showing that in 2006 global production of Papaya are 9.1 metric tons while the production of Papaya increased to 13.2 metric tons in 2016 or increased 46% during that period.

Those data showing us that Papaya is a worldwide agricultural commodity. 

Scientific classification:

Domain      : Eukaryota

Kingdom    : Viridiplantae

Phylum       : Spermatophyta

Subphylum : Angiospermae

Class          : Dicotyledonae

Order         : Violales

Family        : Caricaceae

Genus         : Carica

Species       : Carica Papaya

Palm Fruit (For Palm Oil)>>

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Ananas (Pineapple) - Ananas Comosus Merr

Ananas also called as Pineapple and botanically named as Ananas comosus Merr is a kind of thick and rough-skinned fruit, but the fruit has a soft texture and watery inside.

Some sources say that the fruit came from Brazil and Paraguay, but now spread throughout Latin America, South Asia, South East Asia, Africa, and Australia. Currently there are over 2000 pineapple species identified worldwide.

According to UN-FAO the biggest pineapple product now come from South Asia Countries; the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, the second region contributor come from Latin America; Costa Rica, Chile and Brazil.

Pineapples are a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitless fuse together around a central core. Each fruit let can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface. Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown, or yellow skin, and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves and fibrous yellow flesh. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.

So far, this fruit has become part of the commercial commodity and cultivates many regions around the world, Pineapple can be consume directly as a fresh fruit, but can also be proceed as but can also be further processed into a variety of dishes, including part of the syrup, cake or candy and various others.

Varieties

Smooth Cayenne, this variety has greatest size among pineapple varieties; pineapple weight can reach 2 to 4 kg.  Flesh pale yellow fruit, but has more sugar content and acid. Ideal temperature for growing conditions is 20 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is more suitable to be planted in sub-tropical regions.

Smooth Cayenne has some sub-varieties.

Spanish Variety, weight about 1,3kg per piece, the flesh is golden brown and stringy.  The skin is more powerful that tend to be more durable. This type is widely used as raw material of canned fruit.

Queen, this type has the sweetest meat, dark yellow, but not durable, generally made juice or syrup or consumed directly as fresh fruit. The advantage of this variety is a shorter growing season, but has smallest size in average.

Tropical area becomes favorite place to grow for this type of variety.

Nutritional Profile

Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, folate, copper and dietary fiber.

Health Benefits:

• Potential Anti-Inflammatory and Digestive Benefits
• Antioxidant Protection and Immune Support
• Protection against Macular Degeneration

Storage

Cold storage at a temperature of 40°F (4.44°C) and lower causes chilling injury and breakdown in pineapples. At 44.6-46.4°F (7-8°C) and above, 80-90% relative humidity and adequate air circulation, normal ripening progresses during and after storage. At best, pineapples may be stored for no more than 4-6 weeks. There is a possibility that storage life might be prolonged by dipping the fruits in a wax emulsion containing a suitable fungicide. Irradiation extends the shelf life of half- ripe pineapples by about one week.

Cultivation and Plantation

Pineapple plants can grow well in areas with rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year with a number between 1000-2000 Mm per year as well as the optimum temperature of 32 C. This plant grows well in areas with an altitude of 100-200 M from sea level, but in certain circumstances can also grow well at an altitude of 1200 M above sea level.

Pineapple plants grow well in loose soil cannot stand a puddle of water, especially in wet areas with waterlogged clay long enough, pineapple plants will grow languish. For dry areas required a good irrigation system and the ground water is not more than 150 cm of sea level. Land suitable for cultivation of pineapple is lightly textured soil (sand) and medium and contains a lot of humus with a pH of about 4,5 - 5,5 for podzolic soil with a high content of Litany, pineapples can be grown with intensive fertilization offset and the use of high organic fertilizers.

Weeding is carried out every 3 months, prior to weeding the leaves should be tied so that weeding is not disturbed by the spiny leaves. Along with weeding, soil needs to be loose so that the roots of the plants get enough air, after the job is complete weeding, leaf ties removed while for flat lands in wet climates need to be made drainage ditch. Watering should be arranged so that water does not stagnate.

Irrigation is required at the time of the buildup; around the clump of pineapple, plants can be given additional cover (mulch) such as straw, leaves and so on.

Harvest.

In general pineapple can be harvested after the age of 12-15 months depending on the seed used. Pineapple fruit is ready to harvest can be determined from:

• Fruit stalk into wrinkles;
• Eyes more horizontal and large thorns and reinforced more rounded;
• Fruit color begins to turn yellow;
• Fragrant pineapple aroma arises.

Scientific classification

Kingdom    : Plantae

Order         : Poales

Family        : Bromeliaceae

Subfamily   : Bromelioideae

Genus        : Ananas

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