Articles
Genetic resources of jackfruit and rambutan
Article number
1186_2
Pages
15 – 22
Language
English
Abstract
The domesticated jackfruit tree, Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., is an important fruit of South and South-East Asia.
Jackfruit is a tetraploid, and the somatic chromosome number (2n) is 56 (2n=4x=56); hence, the basic chromosome number is 14. Although A. heterophyllus is an outcrossing species; it freely crosses with Artocarpus integer (chempedak). The trees are cross-pollinated and are mostly propagated by seed.
They exhibit a wide range of variations in tree size, fruit shape, size, weight, spine density, and rind and bulb colour and fruit quality.
There have been limited collections of jackfruit germplasm for evaluation and selection in India, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Bangladesh and, thus, limited information is available on performance of accessions.
Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.; syn. Euphoria nephelium DC., Dimocarpus crinite Lour.), a close relative of lychee, belongs to the family Sapindaceae. The rambutan has been widely cultivated throughout South-East Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Vietnam.
It is also grown in India and Sri Lanka.
Being a cross-pollinating species, it presents a lot of variability in seedling progeny.
Although numerous cultivars of rambutan exist in Thailand, only a few have been selected for commercial plantation.
These include ‘Rong Rian’ and ‘Si Chomphu’, making up about 98% of the rambutan production in Thailand.
Other cultivars include ‘Shi Thong’ and ‘Thong Mueang Trat’. There are 22 rambutan cultivars in Indonesia.
The most favoured and cultivated cultivars are ‘Rapiah’, ‘Lebak Bulus’, ‘Binjai’ and ‘Garuda’. Since the introduction of rambutan to China in the 1960s, a large seedling population has been created, from which some seedling trees with good economic traits and adaptive to local environments have been identified.
Nine clones (‘BR-1’, ‘BR-2’, ‘BR-3’, ‘BR-4’, ‘BR-5’, ‘BR-6’, ‘BR-7’, ‘BR-8’ and ‘BR-9’) have been developed, and ‘BR-4’ and ‘BR-7’ are widely cultivated.
Several rambutan clones have been selected in Malaysia (‘R3’, ‘R134’, ‘R156’, ‘R160’, ‘R161’ and ‘R162’), of which ‘R162’ is suitable for both table and canning purposes.
In Sri Lanka, the most popular cultivar amongst both cultivators and consumers is ‘Malwana Special’. This local cultivar derives its name from the area where rambutan was first cultivated after its introduction to the island by Dutch traders in the 17th century.
Rambutan is a small crop in India; no named cultivars are available.
Jackfruit is a tetraploid, and the somatic chromosome number (2n) is 56 (2n=4x=56); hence, the basic chromosome number is 14. Although A. heterophyllus is an outcrossing species; it freely crosses with Artocarpus integer (chempedak). The trees are cross-pollinated and are mostly propagated by seed.
They exhibit a wide range of variations in tree size, fruit shape, size, weight, spine density, and rind and bulb colour and fruit quality.
There have been limited collections of jackfruit germplasm for evaluation and selection in India, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Bangladesh and, thus, limited information is available on performance of accessions.
Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.; syn. Euphoria nephelium DC., Dimocarpus crinite Lour.), a close relative of lychee, belongs to the family Sapindaceae. The rambutan has been widely cultivated throughout South-East Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Vietnam.
It is also grown in India and Sri Lanka.
Being a cross-pollinating species, it presents a lot of variability in seedling progeny.
Although numerous cultivars of rambutan exist in Thailand, only a few have been selected for commercial plantation.
These include ‘Rong Rian’ and ‘Si Chomphu’, making up about 98% of the rambutan production in Thailand.
Other cultivars include ‘Shi Thong’ and ‘Thong Mueang Trat’. There are 22 rambutan cultivars in Indonesia.
The most favoured and cultivated cultivars are ‘Rapiah’, ‘Lebak Bulus’, ‘Binjai’ and ‘Garuda’. Since the introduction of rambutan to China in the 1960s, a large seedling population has been created, from which some seedling trees with good economic traits and adaptive to local environments have been identified.
Nine clones (‘BR-1’, ‘BR-2’, ‘BR-3’, ‘BR-4’, ‘BR-5’, ‘BR-6’, ‘BR-7’, ‘BR-8’ and ‘BR-9’) have been developed, and ‘BR-4’ and ‘BR-7’ are widely cultivated.
Several rambutan clones have been selected in Malaysia (‘R3’, ‘R134’, ‘R156’, ‘R160’, ‘R161’ and ‘R162’), of which ‘R162’ is suitable for both table and canning purposes.
In Sri Lanka, the most popular cultivar amongst both cultivators and consumers is ‘Malwana Special’. This local cultivar derives its name from the area where rambutan was first cultivated after its introduction to the island by Dutch traders in the 17th century.
Rambutan is a small crop in India; no named cultivars are available.
Authors
S.K. Mitra
Keywords
selections, cultivars, genetic variations, chempedak, resistant line
Groups involved
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