Lovi Lovi – Fruit Plants & Tree

Abstract: Studies were carried out at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur during 1995 to 1996 to know about the growth habit, flowering pattern, floral biology, fruit set and development and storage life of sour (Flacourtia inermis Roxb.) and sweet (F cataphracta Roxb.) lovi-lovi types. There were two main seasons of shoot growth both for sweet as well as sour lovi-lovi trees. One season is from May to June and the other during August- September. Similar type of growth pattern was seen in sour and sweet lovi-lovi trees. The trees had a monopodial trunk meristem with orthotropic growth pattern. Leaf arrangement was distichous and emerging leaves were purplish red in colour in sour lovi-Jovi and brownish red in sweet type. Two main flowering seasons were noticed in sour lovi-Iovi viz., June-July and October-November and the flower bud development was completed with in 10- 14 days time. Sweet lovi-Iovi which is dioecious in nature had only one flowering season. The male trees flower on October and the female types on November. Male flowers required about 22-26 days for the bud development where as the female flower buds took about 9-11 days only for the completion. The peak period of anthesis in sour lovi-Iovi bisexual flowers was between 6.00 and 7.00 hours, while the sweet lovi-lovi male and female flowers showed the peak period of anthesis between 6.30 and 7.00 hours. But peak period of anther dehiscence was same in sour lovi-Iovi and sweet lovi-lovi which was observed between 6.30 and 7.00 hours. The flowers of sour lovi-lovi was found to be receptive only for the opening day while in sweet lovi-Iovi the maximum fruit set was obtained when pollinated 12 hours after anthesis. Pollen grains of male flowers of sweet lovi-Iovi was found to be more fertile (83 per cent) compared to the bisexual flowers of sour lovi-Iovi (40 per cent). The combination of 6 per cent sucrose and 0.25 per cent agar medium showed the maximum pollen germination of 48 per cent in sour lovi-lovi where as sweet lovi- lovi it was on 4 per cent surcorse and 0.25 per cent agar medium (85%). Among the different methods of pollination, hand pollination of •. unemasculated flowers gave the highest percentage of fruit set in both types. The fruit drop was maximum during the first 30 days of fruit development in sour lovi-Iovi while in case of sweet lovi-Iovi it was maximum during the first 20 days of fruit development. The fruits of sour lovi-Iovi came to harvest stage by 110-120 days after fruit set where as in sweet lovi-Iovi it was by 80-84 days after fruit set. The chemical analysis of fruits of sour lovi-Iovi showed that the TSS content increased upto harvest, so also the total sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugar and sugar acid ratio,while the titratable acidity showed a decreasing trend towards the harvest stage. The same trend in the biochemical. parameters was observed in sweet lovi-Iovi fruits also. Pigment analysis of sweet lovi-Iovi fruits indicated the presence of anthocyanin and anthocyanidins. Proper harvesting and handling practices were important in lovi-lovi to avoid mechanical injury. Yield varied from 35-50 kg fruits/tree/annum in sour lovi-Iovi and it was 70 to 95 kg fruits/tree/annum in sweet lovi-Iovi. The number of fruits ranged from 3500-10000 in sour lovi-Iovi and from 11990-16050 in sweet lovi-Iovi. Fruit to fruit variation was noticed in number of seeds per fruit and 100 seed weight in both types. In general, storage life of both sweet and sour lovi-Iovi types was very poor in ambient condition. The storage life of sour lovi-Iovi was more as they could be harvested along with the pedicel. Refrigerated storage extended the post harvest life of fruits by three to four days.