Tropical Fruits and Its Value

Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) is a very popular fruit in Southeast Asia. This region is a major producer and consumer of this fruit. Sapodilla preferred mainly because it tastes sweet and soft flesh. This plant is thought to originate from tropical America-such as Guatemala, Mexico, and the West Indies-and in Java, this plant can be found in the lowlands. The Spanish colonizers brought from Mexico to the Philippines, and the possibility of it spreading to Southeast Asia. Sapodilla has now grown in many tropical regions of the world. Brown manila germplasm collections are in Los Banos (Philippines), Queensland (Australia), India, Cuba, Brazil, Costa Rica, Florida and Hawaii (USA) and several other countries. Sapodilla Most sapodilla fruit eaten fresh as a table fruit.  However, sapodilla can also be processed into sherbet, mixed into ice cream, or used as jam. Sapodilla fruit juice can be concentrated into syrup, or fermented into wine or vinegar. The sap can be used as glu...

Marian Plum is an endemic of South East Asia, and has Scientific name Bouea macrophylla Griffith. Even though it is becoming scarce in its source area, Marian Plum is still well known and has the local names Gandaria or Djatake (Indonesia) and serapoh, kondongan, kundang (Malaysia). Marian Plum  is a tree of the humid tropics and thrives in light and fertile soil. It occurs naturally in lowland forests below 300 m altitude, but has been successfully cultivated up to elevations of about 850 m. Tree with clear sap turning black. Stipules absent. Leaves opposite which is rare within the Anacardiaceae, distichous (in one plane along the twig), simple, large, glabrous. Flowers small, placed in small branched inflorescences. Fruits c. 3 cm long, orange-red fleshy drupes. Characteristics of the tree:  The tree is medium, but high. The height can reach 25 m with a diameter of 55 cm. The plant canopy is conical or round in shape with dense leaves so it is very suitable for use as a sha...

Guava (Psidium guajava), is a tropical plant from Brazil, which then spread to many other tropical countries, and became a popular fruit in there. Has a green rind when young and turn yellow when ripe and have white or red meat fruit and sweet-sour taste, Guava contain a lot of vitamin C. Guava leaves contain tannins, eugenol (essential oils), fatty oil, resin, tannin substances, triterpinoid, apfel acid. While fruit contains amino acids (tryptophan, lysine), calcium, phosphorus, iron, sulfur, vitamin A, B1, and C, however, guava leaf not common to consume and only used as part of herbal medicine. These plants include Myrtaceae family, grown in the lowlands to the highlands 1,200 meters above sea level; in loose soil to clay soils, especially in open areas and plenty of water.

Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) , is the geographical origin and spread of South America and Central America. However, has been widely planted in the southern United States since prehistoric times, and have been found at archaeological sites in Mexico dated 3000 years BC. Now this bean has been commonly grown throughout the tropics. The legume seeds produce a kind of bean that can be used as a source of vegetable protein can be processed in various types of processed foods, although presently, cultivation is not so intensive. Characteristic of the tree: Jack bean can adapt well in the humid tropics, but also can survive in periods of drought. These beans can be grown in areas with an annual rainfall ranges from 700-4000 mm. Although Jack bean is a low-lying plant but can also be grown at altitudes up to 1800 m., Best growth in full sunlight but have moderate shade tolerance. These beans tolerant to a variety of soil conditions including acid and covers a land area of a...

Corn or Zea mays or commonly referred to Maize is one of the most important sources of carbohydrates, especially in the western hemisphere. Known, maize has become a staple food of the people of Mexico and Latin America since prehistoric times. From Central America, the plant with the same name of the fruit is then grown to almost all tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Currently maize, become an important agricultural business from local, regional to multinational size of scope. Characteristics of the tree: Corn is a tropical grass plants is very adaptive to climate change and have a life span of 70-210 days. Corn can grow to a height of 3 meters. Unlike other grain crops, maize is a plant that flowers only males and females separately. Maximum temperature of the corn crop and the start of the growth phase of development is 18-32 degrees Celsius. Beyond that maize can not be grown or even death. Corn can produce good yields on rainfall 300 mm per mon...

Pometia Pinnata Fijian longan or Island lychee (Pometia pinnata) is a kind of tropical fruit come front South East Asia and Pacific Islands as their origin habitat. Now Pamotia Pinnata grows concentrated in Papua Island and has it local name Matoa. This tree product a sweet and nice fruit named the same with its tree Fijian Logan or Matoa. The taste of this fruit is combination between Lychee and Durian, two kinds of fruits that is the favorite in South East Asia regions. Even though has its very nice taste, so far this fruit is not yet popular outside the area of grown. Even in Indonesia, where Matoa grow, many people are not familiar. So far, this fruit tree is not yet widely cultivated and is still a forest crop. The reason may be the reason why Matoa not well known, even in their growing area. Once again, this fruit has a unique flavor, fresh sweet and deliciously scented. Characteristic of the tree: The tree Matoa (Pometia pinnata) is a typical fruit tree of ...

Pitaya or dragon fruit (part genus Hylocereus) is a cactus plant that originated Mexico, Central America, and North America and are now spread all over the world. In the region of origin this plant named pitahaya dragon fruit or pitaya roja. Residents there often utilize this fruit to be served as fresh fruit consumption.  Dragon fruit or Pitaya (Hylocereus) Although originating from North and Central America, dragon fruit became known as the plant from Asia; because this is precisely the dragon fruit has been cultivated on a large scale in several Asian countries, especially the countries of Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. This plant was originally intended as an ornamental plant, because the triangular shape and spiny stems short and has a beautiful flower shaped like a funnel and started to bloom at dusk and will bloom at night. Characteristic of the tree: Dragon fruit plant is a climbing plant species. In their natural habitat, these plants live by climbing othe...

Pisum sativum (Pea) is an annual plant, with a life cycle of one year. This area is cold and plants grown in different parts of the world, planting can take place from winter to early summer depending on location. For the tropical type of pea is grown in areas of high, which is cool, this plant produce peas, when young will be used as fresh vegetables, especially in Asian countries. The nuts grow wild within the Mediterranean basin and the Near East. Note that the archaeological data, peas has existed since the end of the Neolithic period in the region that is now known as Greece, Syria, Turkey, and Jordan. In Egypt, found the initial date of 4800 - 4400 BC in the Nile delta area, and from ca. 3800-3600 BC in Upper Egypt. Nuts are also present in Georgia in the 5th millennium BC. Peas are present in Afghanistan 2000 BC, in Harappa, Pakistan, and in northwest India in 2250-1750 BC. In the second half of the second millennium BC, this pulse crop appears in the Ganges basin and so...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum syn) is a plant belonging to the family Solanaceae, native plants of Central and South America, from Mexico to Peru. Tomato is a plant with a short life cycle, can grow as high as 1 to 3 meters. Tomato is a close relative of the potato. Tomato is a fruit that is more often used as a fruit vegetable that is very famous and be a part of the dining table anywhere in the world. Originate from subtropical climates in South America, but now has spread throughout the world. According to the article, by Andrew F. Smith's "The Tomato in America,” the tomato probably originated from the highlands of the west coast of South America. After Spanish colonized South America, they spread the tomato plants into their colonies in the Caribbean. Spanish also brought the tomato to the Philippines then, is the starting point for the spread to other areas in the entire continent of Asia. Spanish also brought the tomato to Europe. This plant grows easily in tem...

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food of the world’s, especially in Asia. Rice is the seed of the Rice Plant a monocot plant that have two main species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oriza glaberrima (African rice) . This plant is origin to China (Pearl River valley) and spread to Southeast and South Asia since 1500 BC. Rice introduced to Europe through Western Asia. European colonization then bring it to Americas. Rice cultivation is also one of the most important human civilizations, now rice cultivation become the second largest food plant cultivation after maize (corn), and rice is the most important carbohydrate source of worldwide humans.  The importance of rice for mankind was illustrated from so much research projects and development of the quality and quantity of rice production, continues holds either by the various state agencies, universities and world research institutes such as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) . IRRI is an intern...

Lemon or Key Lime or Citrus aurantifolia, is a herbaceous plant which has many branches and twigs, approximately 0.5 to 3.5 m high. Included in the group of citrus plants, this plant originated from South East Asia, spread to the Middle East, North Africa, then to Spain and Andalusia. Before reaching the sub tropical areas in American countries such as Mexico, Florida and California. Characteristic of the tree: Woody trunk tenacious, thorny, and hard. Medium colored outer skin surface of dark gray and dull greenish. The leaves are compound, with elliptical base rounded, blunt tip, and the jagged edge. The leaves can reach 2.5 to 9 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. While bone pinnate leaves with winged stalks, green and 5-25 mm wide.  Lime plant has a taproot. In common with types of citrus, the lemon tree also likes places that can get direct sunlight. Type of flowers, can be a compound or single flowers that grow in axillary or at the end of the stem, flower diameter ...