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Blood fruit is a promising anti-oxidant rich underutilized fruit species with potential as a natural colourant for food, beverage and handicraft industries. The species has been used for fresh consumption, treating ailments and as a dyeing agent by local people including regional tribes in tropical Asian countries. However, at present, fruits are harvested from the wild and there is considerable scope for promoting their cultivation in homestead gardens. Owing to limited population of the species, seed germination studies were conducted. Treatment of seeds with thiourea (0.1%) or GA 3 (1000 mg/l) for 24 h was most congenial for obtaining healthy seedlings in large numbers. To extract chlorophylls and total carotenoids, dimethylsulphoxide was found to be a superior solvent over acetone (80%). Differences in fruit sizes were noticed in fruits grown in two states of India. These findings form the basis for conservation as well as domestication of this multipurpose fruit species in the tropical Asian countries.

-The product. Aonla (Emblica officinalis Geartn), the king of arid fruits, popularly known as "Indian gooseberry", is a small-sized minor subtropical fruit grown widely in North India. India ranks first in the world in aonla area and production volume. It is considered to be a "wonder fruit for health" because of its unique properties. Uses. Aonla fruit is very useful in treating many diseases such as diabetes, cough, asthma, bronchitis, headache, dyspepsia, colic, flatulence, skin diseases, leprosy, jaundice, scurvy, diarrhea and cancer. Packaging. Different packaging materials such as nylon net, perforated polyethylene bags, ventilated corrugated fiber boxes, gunny bags, wooden crates, etc., can be used for prolonging the storage life of fruit. Storage. Refrigerated storage helps in enhancing the storage life of fruit. Value addition. There are numerous products such as aonla squash, candy, jam, chutney, etc., which are prepared from aonla fruit. Inclusion of these products in the diet definitely helps in improving the nutritional value of Indian meals. Discussion. The low cost of the products as well as good sensory, nutritional and shelf life qualities mean that processed aonla products are appropriate for commercialization. In order to obtain a good income from aonla, it must be sold immediately in the market; if not, to make profit, proper storage facilities should be available.Emblica officinalis / fruits / traditional uses / packaging equipment / storage / value added Emballage, stockage et valeur ajoutée de l'aonla, un fruit sous-utilisé, en Inde.Résumé -Le produit. L'aonla (Emblica officinalis Geartn.), roi des fruits des zones arides, populairement connu sous le nom de « groseille indienne », est un petit fruit subtropical mineur largement cultivé en Inde du Nord. L'Inde occupe la première place mondiale en superficie et en volume de production de ce fruit. Il est considéré comme un « fruit étonnant pour la santé » en raison de ses propriétés exceptionnelles. Utilisations. Le fruit de l'aonla est très utilisé pour soigner de nombreuses maladies comme le diabète, la toux, l'asthme, la bronchite, les maux de tête, la dyspepsie, les coliques, les flatulences, les maladies de peau, la lèpre, la jaunisse, le scorbut, la diarrhée et le cancer. Emballage. Différents matériaux d'emballage tels que filets en nylon, sacs de polyéthylène perforés, boîtes en carton ondulé ventilé, sacs de jute, caisses en bois, etc., peuvent être utilisés pour prolonger la durée de conservation des fruits. Stockage. Le stockage réfrigéré permet d'améliorer la durée de conservation des fruits. Valeur ajoutée. Un très grand nombre de produits comme le jus pressé, les bonbons, la confiture, le chutney, etc., sont préparés à partir de fruits de l'aonla. L'introduction de ces produits dans l'alimentation contribue à l'amélioration de la valeur nutritionnelle des repas indiens. Discussion. Le faible coût des produits ainsi que ses bonnes qualités sensorielles, nutritionnelles et de durée de vie font que les produits transformé...

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During the previous three decades, organic produce has attracted the attention of a growing health-conscious population across the globe. Both international and domestic communities are becoming aware of issues like agrochemical residues, produce quality, and food safety. Worldwide, over 37.5 million ha of land (0.87% of total agricultural land) is being managed organically by 1.9 million producers in 164 countries. In addition, there is another 31 million ha certified for wild harvest collection. Global sales of organic products have reached U.S. $75 billion, with the U.S. and Europe as the largest consumers. The concept of organic farming is not new to the Indian farming community. Several forms of organic farming are successfully practiced in diverse climates, particularly in rain-fed, tribal mountains, and hilly areas of the country. Many of the forest products of economic importance, such as herbs and medicinal plants are in this category by default. The report of the Task Force on Organic Farming appointed by the Government of India noted the vast areas of the country where limited amounts of synthetic chemicals are used, although they have low productivity, but also which could have unexploited potential for organic agriculture. As of March 2014, India had 4.72 million ha under an organic certification process, including 0.6 million ha of cultivated agricultural land and 4.12 million ha of wild harvest collection forest area. During 2012-2013, India exported 165,262 million tons of organic products across 135 commodities valued at $312 million. The domestic market for organic commodities is also growing at an annual growth rate of 15%-20%.

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius), leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida) and large yellow-banded blister beetle (Mylabris phalerata) cause considerable damage to okra, especially under organic farming. Thus, the present study was carried out to test the bioefficacy and environmental safety of six naturally derived components [indigenous water plant extracts, i.e. chilli (Capsicum annum), garlic (Allium sativum L.) and neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) along with cow urine in three different combinations, one commercial botanical (azadirachtin 0.15%), and two formulated entomopathogenic fungi (Verticillium lecanii and Beauveria bassiana)] on aforesaid pests for two consecutive years at field scale. In addition to this, the eco-toxicological effect of naturally derived components was also studied on natural enemies’ populations, viz. spiders and coccinellids. Quaternary mixture application of chilli, garlic, neem leaf and cow urine (CGNC) at 10% w/v was found effective in reducing leafhoppers (94.6%), whiteflies (95.2%) and blister beetle (94.6%) over control. Okra treated with CGNC produced a higher marketable fruit yield (18.44 mg/ha) than those of other treatments. It was also observed that the application of CGNC had no phytotoxic symptoms on okra plants. Application of CGNC was found safer to the natural enemy's population (spiders and coccinellids). Thus, the study suggests that CGNC can be considered as a potential source for managing the population of whitefly, leafhopper and blister beetle without affecting the ecology of natural enemies and it could be a viable eco-friendly option in organic okra production for ensuring food safety and healthy environment.

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