Courses horticulture pomology
Lesson
17 of 27

🍎 Temperate Fruits

Apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, walnut, almond and other temperate fruits for exams

Apple (Seb)

  • Botanical Name: Malus domestica (syn. Malus pumila)
  • Family: Rosaceae
  • Origin: Central Asia (Kazakhstan — Alma Ata = "Father of Apple")
  • Leading state: Jammu & Kashmir (>75% of India's production), followed by Himachal Pradesh
  • Fruit type: Pome (false fruit — thalamus forms the edible part)
  • Edible part: Fleshy thalamus
  • Propagation: Tongue grafting (Whip grafting) — most common method
  • Chilling requirement: 1000–1600 hours below 7°C for proper dormancy breaking
  • Apple is a climacteric fruit
  • Cross-pollinated — requires pollinizer varieties (Red Delicious pollinized by Golden Delicious)
  • Maturity index: T-stage — starch-iodine test shows clear zone around core in T-shape

IMPORTANT

Chilling Requirement is critical for apple. Trees need 1000–1600 hours of exposure to temperature below 7°C during winter to break dormancy and produce normal flowering. Insufficient chilling leads to delayed foliation, poor flowering, and button fruit formation.

Apple orchard diagram showing winter chilling below 7 degrees Celsius, cross-pollination by bees, and edible thalamus in pome fruit
This visual ties together apple chilling, pollinizer requirement, and the fleshy thalamus that forms the edible part of the pome.

Important Rootstocks

Rootstock Vigour Key Feature
M9 (Malling 9) Dwarf Most dwarfing, used in high-density planting
M26 Semi-dwarf Good for medium density orchards
MM106 Semi-vigorous Most widely used, tolerant to collar rot
MM111 Vigorous Drought tolerant, good anchorage
M7 Semi-dwarf Resistant to woolly apple aphid
Crab apple Vigorous Used as seedling rootstock in India

TIP

  • M-series (Malling) rootstocks were developed at East Malling Research Station, England.
  • MM-series (Malling-Merton) rootstocks were developed jointly by East Malling and the John Innes Institute.
  • The MM series is associated with woolly apple aphid resistance.
Apple rootstock vigour classes showing dwarf M9, semi dwarf M4 and M7, semi vigorous MM111, and vigorous Merton 793
This compact rootstock chart is useful here because the exam usually links each rootstock name directly with vigour class.

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Red Delicious Most popular, attractive red, five-pointed base
Royal Delicious Sport of Red Delicious, deeper red colour
Golden Delicious Yellow skin, used as pollinizer for Red Delicious
Ambri Indigenous J&K variety, excellent keeping quality
McIntosh Aromatic, used in breeding
Red Chief Spur type, deep red
Gala Bicoloured, early maturing
Lal Ambri Red sport of Ambri
Season-wise apple varieties by Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand
The variety table becomes much easier to retain when the state-wise early, mid-season, and late-season cultivars are seen together.

Major Diseases

Disease Causal Organism Key Feature
Apple Scab Venturia inaequalis Most serious disease, olive-green velvety spots on leaves & fruit
Fire Blight Erwinia amylovora Bacterial disease, blossoms & shoots appear scorched/burnt
Powdery Mildew Podosphaera leucotricha White powdery growth on leaves
Crown/Collar Rot Phytophthora cactorum Rotting at soil level, rootstock MM106 is tolerant
Apple scab symptoms showing dark olive to black velvety lesions on developing apple fruits
Apple scab is the most important disease in this block, so a symptom photo helps students connect the pathogen name with the field appearance.

Major Pests

  • Woolly Apple Aphid: Eriosoma lanigerum — white woolly colonies on roots and shoots. Biological control by Aphelinus mali (parasitoid wasp)
  • San Jose Scale: Quadraspidiotus perniciosus — serious scale insect
  • Codling Moth: Cydia pomonella — larva bores into fruit

NOTE

Apple was introduced in India by the British in Kullu valley, Himachal Pradesh. Satyanand Stokes (an American) is credited with popularizing Red Delicious apple cultivation in Shimla hills.


Pear (Nashpati)

  • Botanical Name: Pyrus communis (European pear) / Pyrus pyrifolia (Asian pear)
  • Family: Rosaceae
  • Origin: Europe and Western Asia
  • Fruit type: Pome
  • Propagation: Grafting on seedling rootstock
  • Dwarfing rootstock: Quince (Cydonia oblonga) — most important dwarfing rootstock for pear
  • Interstock: Beurre Hardy — used for double working when scion is incompatible with quince rootstock
  • Leading states: J&K, Himachal Pradesh, U.P.

IMPORTANT

Double Working: When pear varieties are incompatible with quince rootstock, an intermediate piece (interstock) of Beurre Hardy is grafted between rootstock and scion. This is called double working or bridge grafting.

Pear double working diagram showing quince rootstock, Beurre Hardy interstock, pear scion, and dwarfing effect
Read the graft from bottom to top: quince rootstock gives dwarfing, Beurre Hardy solves incompatibility, and the pear scion forms the canopy.

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Bartlett (William) Most popular European pear, excellent for canning
Conference Good pollinizer, self-fertile
Patharnakh Most popular Indian variety, hard, crisp, sandy texture
Gola Soft, juicy, popular in Punjab
Leconte Hybrid pear (sand pear × European pear)
Max Red Bartlett Red sport of Bartlett

Peach (Aadoo)

  • Botanical Name: Prunus persica
  • Family: Rosaceae
  • Origin: China
  • Fruit type: Drupe (stone fruit)
  • Propagation: T-budding on peach seedling rootstock
  • Two types: Clingstone (flesh adheres to stone) and Freestone (flesh separates easily)
  • Clingstone preferred for canning; Freestone for fresh consumption
  • Low chilling varieties developed for subtropical plains of North India
  • Self-fertile (unlike most Rosaceae fruits)
Peach comparison showing clingstone and freestone flesh separation with T-budding propagation inset
Clingstone flesh stays attached to the stone, while freestone separates cleanly, and T-budding remains the standard propagation cue to remember.

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Shan-i-Punjab Most popular, low chilling, suitable for plains
Flordasun Low chilling (150 hours), very early
Sharbati White flesh, good quality
Pratap IARI release
Flordaprince Very low chilling
July Elberta Late season, good for canning

Major Disease

  • Peach Leaf Curl: Caused by Taphrina deformans — leaves become thick, puckered, curled, and reddish. Spray Bordeaux mixture 4:4:50 before bud swell.

TIP

Peach has the shortest juvenile period among temperate fruits — starts bearing within 2–3 years of planting.


Plum (Aloo Bukhara)

  • Botanical Name: Prunus domestica (European plum) / Prunus salicina (Japanese plum)
  • Family: Rosaceae
  • Origin: Caucasus region (European), China (Japanese)
  • Fruit type: Drupe
  • Propagation: T-budding, tongue grafting
  • Japanese plums are commercially more important in India (lower chilling requirement)
  • European plums are used for making prunes (dried plums)

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Santa Rosa Most popular, self-fertile, Japanese plum
Satluj Purple PAU release, suitable for plains
Kala Amritsari Popular in Punjab, dark purple
Titron Good for canning
Frontier Large fruit

NOTE

Santa Rosa plum was developed by the famous plant breeder Luther Burbank in California, USA.


Strawberry

  • Botanical Name: Fragaria × ananassa
  • Family: Rosaceae
  • Origin: France (hybrid between F. virginiana × F. chiloensis)
  • Ploidy: Octoploid (2n = 56)
  • Propagation: Runners (stolons) — the primary method
  • Fruit type: Etaerio of achenes (aggregate fruit; edible part = fleshy receptacle)
  • Short-day plant — flower induction occurs under short-day conditions
  • Leading states: Maharashtra (Mahabaleshwar), Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
  • Planting time: October–November

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Chandler Most popular in India, large fruit, high yield
Camarosa Firm fruit, excellent for transport & processing
Sweet Charlie Early maturing, very sweet
Winter Dawn Good for subtropical conditions
Festival High yield, good flavour
Nabila Day-neutral variety

IMPORTANT

Strawberry is the only fruit where seeds are on the outside (on the surface of the receptacle). Each "seed" is actually an achene — the true fruit.

Strawberry plant diagram showing runner propagation, daughter plant, crown, outside achenes, and fleshy receptacle
The runner explains vegetative propagation, while the fruit inset shows that the fleshy receptacle is eaten and the outside achenes are the true fruits.

Walnut (Akhrot)

  • Botanical Name: Juglans regia
  • Family: Juglandaceae
  • Origin: Iran / Central Asia
  • Leading state: Jammu & Kashmir (>90% of India's production)
  • Monoecious — male (catkins) and female flowers on same tree
  • Propagation: Patch budding or tongue grafting
  • Maturity index: PTB stage (Packing Tissue turns Brown)
  • Dichogamy is common — male and female flowers mature at different times (protandrous or protogynous)
  • Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Kashmir Budded Most popular, thin shell
Gobind IARI release
Eureka, Hartley, Franquette International varieties grown in India

TIP

  • Walnut shows strong allelopathy.
  • It secretes juglone from roots, which inhibits nearby sensitive plants.
  • Sensitive intercrops should be avoided near walnut trees.
Walnut fruits and shell representing a temperate nut crop
Walnut gives a useful second visual for temperate fruits because nut crops are tested differently from pome and stone fruits.

Almond (Badam)

  • Botanical Name: Prunus amygdalus (syn. Prunus dulcis)
  • Family: Rosaceae
  • Origin: Central and Western Asia
  • Leading state: Jammu & Kashmir
  • Earliest flowering temperate fruit — blooms in late January/February
  • Edible part: Seed (kernel) — cotyledons
  • Propagation: T-budding on wild almond or peach rootstock
  • Self-incompatible — requires cross-pollination
  • Two types: Sweet almond (edible) and Bitter almond (contains amygdalin/HCN)

Important Varieties

Variety Key Feature
Non Pareil Most popular international variety, paper shell
Ne Plus Ultra Good pollinizer
Drake Self-fertile
Pranyaj Indian selection
Merced Late blooming

NOTE

Almond flowers before leaf emergence. Early flowering makes it susceptible to spring frost damage, which is a major limiting factor for almond cultivation.


Quick Exam Facts

One-Liner Exam Facts — Temperate Fruits
  • Apple chilling requirement: 1000–1600 hours below 7°C
  • Apple scab is caused by Venturia inaequalis — most serious apple disease
  • Fire blight of apple is caused by Erwinia amylovora (bacterial)
  • Woolly apple aphid biocontrol: Aphelinus mali
  • M9 is the most dwarfing apple rootstock; MM106 is most widely used
  • T-stage is the maturity index for apple (starch-iodine test)
  • Quince is the dwarfing rootstock for pear; Beurre Hardy is used as interstock
  • Bartlett (William) is the most popular pear variety worldwide
  • Peach originated in China, not Persia (despite name Prunus persica)
  • Peach leaf curl is caused by Taphrina deformans
  • Santa Rosa plum was bred by Luther Burbank
  • Strawberry is an octoploid (2n=56), propagated by runners
  • Strawberry edible part = fleshy receptacle (thalamus)
  • Walnut maturity index: PTB (Packing Tissue turns Brown)
  • Walnut secretes juglone — strong allelopathic compound
  • Almond is the earliest flowering temperate fruit
  • J&K leads in apple, walnut, and almond production
  • All temperate fruits except strawberry belong to family Rosaceae (walnut = Juglandaceae)
  • Prunus genus includes peach, plum, cherry, almond, and apricot
  • Double working in pear = Quince rootstock + Beurre Hardy interstock + scion variety

Summary Cheat Sheet

Concept / Topic Key Details / Explanation
Apple overview Malus domestica of Rosaceae originated in Central Asia, leads temperate-fruit questions in India, and is mainly grown in Jammu and Kashmir with pome fruit and fleshy thalamus as key identity points.
Apple production and management Apple is propagated mainly by tongue grafting, needs 1000-1600 chilling hours below 7°C, behaves as a climacteric and cross-pollinated crop, and uses T-stage as the maturity index.
Apple rootstocks, varieties, and protection Key rootstocks are M9, M26, MM106, MM111, M7, and crab apple; important varieties are Red Delicious, Royal Delicious, Golden Delicious, Ambri, Gala, and Red Chief; apple scab is the major disease and woolly apple aphid is a major pest with Aphelinus mali as biocontrol.
Pear overview Pear includes Pyrus communis and Pyrus pyrifolia, belongs to Rosaceae, bears pome fruit, and is commonly grafted on seedling rootstock in temperate regions.
Pear key exam points Quince is the main dwarfing rootstock, Beurre Hardy is the classic interstock for double working, and Bartlett, Conference, Patharnakh, Gola, Leconte, and Max Red Bartlett are the key varieties.
Peach overview Prunus persica of Rosaceae originated in China, bears drupe fruit, and is propagated by T-budding on peach seedling rootstock.
Peach key exam points Clingstone types are preferred for canning, freestone for table use, the crop is self-fertile, low-chilling varieties are important for subtropical plains, and peach leaf curl is caused by Taphrina deformans.
Peach varieties Important varieties are Shan-i-Punjab, Flordasun, Sharbati, Pratap, Flordaprince, and July Elberta; peach is also noted for the shortest juvenile period among temperate fruits.
Plum overview Plum includes Prunus domestica and Prunus salicina, bears drupe fruit, and is propagated through T-budding or tongue grafting.

Summary Continued

Concept / Topic Key Details / Explanation
Plum key exam points Japanese plums are more important in India because of lower chilling need, European plums are used for prunes, and Santa Rosa, Satluj Purple, Kala Amritsari, Titron, and Frontier are the key varieties.
Strawberry overview Fragaria × ananassa of Rosaceae originated in France, is octoploid, is propagated by runners, and bears etaerio of achenes with fleshy receptacle as the edible part.
Strawberry key exam points It is a short-day crop, major production comes from Maharashtra and hill states, Chandler and Camarosa are major varieties, and the surface "seeds" are actually achenes.
Walnut overview Juglans regia of Juglandaceae originated around Iran or Central Asia, Jammu and Kashmir dominates production, and the crop is monoecious with dichogamy.
Walnut key exam points Propagation is by patch budding or tongue grafting, PTB is the maturity index, important varieties include Kashmir Budded, Gobind, Eureka, Hartley, and Franquette, and juglone causes strong allelopathy.
Almond overview Prunus amygdalus or P. dulcis belongs to Rosaceae, is the earliest flowering temperate fruit, and is mainly grown in Jammu and Kashmir.
Almond key exam points The edible part is the seed kernel, propagation is by T-budding on wild almond or peach rootstock, the crop is self-incompatible, and Non Pareil, Ne Plus Ultra, Drake, Pranyaj, and Merced are important varieties.
Fast revision points Remember apple for chilling requirement and scab, pear for quince rootstock and Beurre Hardy interstock, peach for leaf curl, plum for Santa Rosa and prunes, strawberry for octoploid runners, walnut for PTB and juglone, and almond for earliest flowering plus frost sensitivity.

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