Hand Pollination: A Key for Improving the Fruit Yield of Custard Apple cv. Arka Sahan

Custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) belongs to the family Annonaceae, originated in tropical America and it is a small shrub of the genus Annona. It is commonly known as sweet apple or soursop. Custard apple is an aggregate fruit that grows from a single flower with numerous pistils, each with one carpel. Each pistil gives rise to a fruitlet. The fruitlets are referred to collectively as an aggregate or an etaerio. Custard apple seedlings can be observed growing wild in India. It is a cross pollinated crop, a wide variation in fruit shapes, sizes as well as pulp colour are available. A large number of local varieties are available in custard apple. In several areas of the growing zone, seedling progeny observed growing in the wild. The Arka Sahan, Balanagar, Mammoth, British Guinea, African Pride, Washington P1-98797, APK-1, Barbados seedling, Israeli Selection, Brandy, Islander, Red Sitaphal, are the varieties of custard apple. Among all the varieties, out of these Arka Sahan and Balanagar are having major share in commercial farming