CERTAIN NEW APPROACHES TO THE PRODUCTION PROBLEMS OF POMEGRANATE

Pomegranate is gaining popularity in arid, semi-arid regions of India due to wide adaptability, higher yield, drought hardiness and tolerance to salinity and pomegranate juice having anti-oxidant properties. The establishment of a pomegranate plantation with precursor-inoculum interaction for better root proliferation offered an understanding of the growth form and function of branches and flowering habit, reaction wood formation in fruiting shoots induction of flowering through growth regulators and rhizosphere ethylene production and on browning of arils in pomegranate. The attempt is by no means a complete survey of literature but an exposition to new aspects. I have not covered the training and pruning, nutrition and water management and plant protection aspects since the other papers in the symposium will be dealing with these.