Sapota - General information

 

Sapota or Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota (L.), native to Central and South America is an important tropical fruit that can be grown on a wide range of soils. Sapota can grow to more than 30 m tall. The trees can only survive in warm, typically tropical environments, dying easily if the temperature drops below freezing.

The fully ripe fruits are highly delicious, with excellent sweet taste and have a pleasant aroma. Fruits are round, oval or conical in shape depending on variety and season of harvest. It has thin rusty brown skin resembling potato in appearance. Fruits consist of three components viz. peel 15 per cent, edible pulp 81 per cent and seeds 4 per cent. Its flesh is yellowish brown to honey brown, soft with sandy or granular texture in which hard black seeds are embedded. Fruit is very sweet, good source of digestible sugar, which ranges from 12 to 18 per cent and has an appreciable amount of carbohydrates, fiber and minerals like calcium, phosphorous and iron etc.that are necessary for good human health. However, sapota is highly perishable and having a short shelf life.The abundant flow of the sapota fruits in a short span of the period causes glut in the market resulting in very low prices for the producer. The fruits of sapota are highly perishable and cannot be stored for a longer period at room temperature, hence the farmers are compelled to sell their valuable produce at the throw away process.

White latex from the trunk of the tree is the source of ‘chicle’, which is the principle ingredient in chewing gum. Today, sapota is cultivated on a commercial scale for its fruit in most countries like India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, and some other Central American countries. India is the largest producer of the fruit with current production around 1.39 million tonnes from 0.16 million hectares (2009-10). It is rich in vitamins A & C, proteins, carbohydrates, calcium and iron. Besides being used as fresh table fruit, it is used in the preparation of pulp or frozen pulp, an ingredient in milkshakes, ice cream and some desserts. The pulp is also dehydrated to make sapota powder and fruit slices are desiccated as in case of dry fig. The area under this crop is rapidly increasing due to its wide adaptability, hardy nature, prolific bearing nature and consistently higher economic returns. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are the main Indian states growing sapota.

The Sapota crop is affected by insect pests like

  • Chiku moth

  • Bud Borer

  • Soft Green Scale

  • Seed Borer

  • Leaf miner  

The main disease reported in sapota is leaf spot caused by Phleopheospora indica.

 The area under this crop is rapidly increasing due to its wide adaptability, hardy nature, prolific bearing nature and consistently higher economic returns.  

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are the main Indian states growing sapota