From NewCROP™, Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University
by Dr. K. K. Misra, Associate Professor, Dept. of Horticulture, G. B.
Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, (U.P.) India
Bael
1. Common and Regional Names
2. Scientific Names
3. Uses
4. Origin
5. Crop Status
1. Toxicities
2.Traditional Medicinal Uses
6. Botany
1. Taxonomy
2. Morphology and Floral Biology
3. Secondary Metabolites
7. Crop Culture (Horticulture)
1. Ecology
2. Soil
3. Training and Pruning
4. Nutrition
5. Pests and Diseases
6. Harvesting and Yield
7. Cultivars
8. Key References
9. Selected Experts
Common Names
English: Wood apple, Bengal Quince
Hindi: Bael, Sirphal
Scientific Names
Species: Aegle marmelos Correa
Family: Rutaceae
Uses
Various
parts of the tree are used for its curative, pesticidal and nutritive
properties. Fresh half ripe Bael fruit is mildly astringent and used to
cure dysentery, diarrhoea, hepatitis, tuberculosis, dyspepsia and good
for heart and brain. Roots have antidiarrhoetic, antidote to snake
venom, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. The Bael fruit
is one of the most nutritious fruits, rich in riboflavin and used for
the preparation of a number of products like candy, squash, toffee,
slab, pulp powder and nectar. The leaves and seed oil have pesticidal
properties.
Origin
Woody
tree, native to India. Now naturalized in Sri Lanka, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and most of southeastern Asian countries.
Crop Status
A
perennial woody tree grown in kitchen gardens, boundary plantation
around mango orchards and in forest plantations in most of the states
of India.
Toxicities
Not reported.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
It
is used as a medicine to cure a number of diseases in India. It's
medicinal properties have been listed within "Charaka Samhita," an
early medical treatise.
Botany
Taxonomy
Aegle belongs to one of the three monotypic genera of orange subfamily Aurantioideae, tribe Clauseneae and subtribe Balsamocitrinae
Morphology and Floral Biology.
Aegle marmelos
Correa is deciduous, 6–8 meters in height with trifoliate aromatic
leaves. The branches sometimes bear long straight spines. The bark is
shallowly furrowed and corky. The bisexual flowers are nearly 2 cm
wide, borne in clusters, sweet scented and greenish white. The shallow
calyx has 5 short sepals and is pubescent on the outside. The 5 petals
are oblong ovoid, blunt, thick, pale greenish white and dotted with oil
glands. Stamens are numerous, sometimes coherent in bundles. Ovary are
oblong ovoid, slightly tapering, axis wide, cells numerous (8–20),
small arranged in a circle with numerous ovules in each cell. Fruits
are 5–7.5 cm in diameter, globose, oblong pyriform, rind gray or
yellow, pulp sweet, thick yellow, orange to brown in color. Seeds are
numerous and arranged in the cells surrounded by a slimy transparent
mucilage. Seeds have wooly hairs.
Secondary Metabolites
Certain
biochemical constituents namely alkaloids, coumarin and steroid have
been isolated from different parts of the Bael tree. These are
skimmianine, aegelin (C18H18O4), Y-sitosterol (C29H50O), aegelenine
(C14H10O2N2), myrlene, p-menth-l-en-3 beta, 5 betadiol, N-2 (4 (3',3'
dimethylalloxy) phenyl) ethyl cinnamide, N-hydroxy-2 (4-(3', 3'
dimethyallyloxy) phenyl) ethyl cinnamide, N-4 methoxystyryl cinnamide,
N-2-hydroxy-2(4 hydro-xyphenyl) ethyl cinnamide, lupeol, sitosterol,
alloimperatorin, imperatorin, ß-sitosterol, marmesin (C14H11O4),
ß-sitosterol (C29H50O), Dietammine (C12H9NO2), marmin (C19H26O5),
umbelliferone, lupeol, marmelosin (C13H12O3).
Crop Culture (Horticulture)
Bael
is usually propagated by seeds. The seeds are recalcitrant and can not
be stored for longer periods under normal storage conditions. Budding,
patch or shield on seedling rootstocks in June or July gives very good
success. Air layering is also successful under humid tropical
conditions. In vitro propagation has also been standardized but it is
not feasible commercially.
Ecology
Bael
has capacity to adapt successfully to a wide range of habitat from
arid, semiarid to mesophytic conditions. It can be grown up to an
altitude of 1219 meters above mean sea level and is not injured by
temperatures as low as -8°C.
Soil
Bael
can be grown in any type of soil such as sandy, clay, water logged,
unirrigated, acidic or alkaline in the pH range of 5–10.
Training and Pruning
Bael
trees may be trained in modified central leader. Pruning is done twice
in a year, once in May and other in August. Pruning is limited to the
removal of dead and diseased twigs/branches in May while in August
healthy leaves are pruned for sale.
Nutrition
The deficiency of nitrogen and zinc is common in Bael orchards and can be corrected by soil application or foliar spray.
Pests and Diseases
More than a dozen insects have been found feeding on Bael. Phyllocnistis citrella, Aonidiella aurantii and Papilio demoleus
are the important insects which can be easily controlled by use of
insecticides. Bacterial shot hole, fruit canker and gummosis are the
serious diseases. Fruit cracking is the physiological disorder in some
genotypes of Bael which occurs just before ripening.
Harvesting and Yield
Fruits
take about 11 months to ripen. These are harvested with fruit stalk
when color changes to yellowish green. A full grown tree produces from
400-1000 fruits depending upon the cultivar.
Cultivars
A number of cultivars have been selected recently and the following are among the best with regards to yield and fruit quality.
NB 5—Fruit size medium, round having smooth surface at maturity, low mucilage, moderately fibrous, soft flesh with excellent taste.
NB 6—Fruit size medium, round with smooth surface, thin rind, few seeds, soft flesh, low mucilage, mild acidic.
Pant Shivani—Mid
season cultivar, shape ovoid oblong, size 2 kg, color lemon yellow at
ripening, fiber and mucilage content medium, rind medium thick, pulp
light yellow with very good taste and pleasant flavor
Pant Aparna—Late
cultivar, fruit size small (0.6-0.8 kg), globose, seed, mucilage, fiber
and acidity low. Flesh yellow, sweet, tasty and having good flavor rind
medium thick.
Key References
Jauhari, O.S., R.D. Singh and R.K.Awasthi. 1969. Survey of some important varieties of Bael (Aegle marmelos Correa). Punjab Hort. J. 9:48-53.
Hayes, W.B. 1957. Fruit growing in India. Kitabistan, Allahabad, India.
Singh, R.N. and S.K. Roy. 1984. The Bael cultivation and processing. I.C.A.R., New Delhi.
Swingle, W.T. 1943. The botany of citrus and its relatives of the
orange subfamily. In: Webber, H.J. and L.D. Batchelor (ed.), The citrus
Industry Vol. I. University of California Press, Berkeley (U.S.A.).
Teaotia, S.S., V.N. Maurya and B.N. Agnihotri. 1963. Some promising varieties of Bael (Aegle marmelos) of eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh. Indian Hort. 20:210-214.
Selected Experts
Dr. R.K. Pathak
Technical Coordinator
U.P. Diversified Agriculture Support Project, 41h Floor, PICUP
Bhawan, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow-226 010 (U.P.) India
Dr. K.K. Misra
Associate Professor
Department of Horticulture
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology
Pantnagar-263 145 (U.P.) India
Ph. No. 05944-60208
Dr. S.K. Roy
Professor
Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology, I.A.R.I.
Pusa, New Delhi- 110 0 12 (India)
Dr. B.C. Mazumdar
Reader
University Coll ege of Agriculture
Calcutta University, 35, Ballygunge
Circular Road, Ball ygunge
P.O. Calcutta-700 019 (West Bengal) India
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