Arid zone fruit crops

Abstract

Arid lands are among the world’s most brittle ecosystems, made more so by periodic droughts and increasing overexploitation of meagre resources (FAO (1989) Arid zone forestry. FAO conservation guide No. 20. FAO, Rome, p 143). Arid zone is characterised by extremes of temperature, low and erratic rainfall, high wind velocity, high evapotranspirational losses of water and light sandy soil with very low water holding capacity and poor fertility status. Looking to the very dismal future scenario of water in arid zone, growing of less water-requiring crops with high application efficiency is necessary. Drought-hardy crops especially perennial fruits with deep root systems are capable of surviving extreme radiation and temperatures and provide income security, nutritional security and food security. Ber, pomegranate, custard apple, aonla and date palm are the major fruit crops which are commercially grown in arid regions. In this chapter, major findings of research on abiotic stresses on major arid zone fruit crops are summarised.