Karnataka - Bangalore

Fall in area under ‘chakkota’ causing concern

BANGALORE: A fruit that is synonymous to the Devanahalli region, “chakkota” is losing out to development with rapid urbanisation and infrastructure development in the area around Devanahalli leading to drastic decline in the number of chakkota plantations.

Chakkota or pomelo is the largest citrus fruit known mainly in the western world as the principal ancestor of the grapevine.

The fruit is consumed as it is or used in the preparation of jellies along with other citrus fruits.

In Karnataka, the cultivation is in small patches as individual trees or as mixed crop in the orchards, and the Horticulture Department will shortly apply for Geographical Indications (GI) tag to be issued by the Controller General of Patents.

M. Vishwanath, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department’s Biotechnology Centre at Hulimavu, told The Hindu: “We are trying to revive the crop by introducing new plants in the area where genuine quality planting material will be supplied. Grafted plants from the existing healthy tree are also being tried.”

Application for GI is part of the crop revival plan, he added.

While chakkota cultivation is today restricted to 13 villages in Devanahalli taluk, it is also sparsely seen in eight villages in Siddlaghatta taluk, seven villages in Doddaballapur taluk and one village in Chickballapur taluk.

The shallow and somewhat excessively drained, gravelly loam to clay soil found in region around Devanahalli provides a conducive atmosphere for the tree, and the area receives an annual rainfall in the range between 330 mm and 807 mm.

Among the villages that boast of the famed chakkota tree in Devanahalli taluk include Melinathotadahalli, Shivanapura, Soopanahalli, Neelaganapalya, Beerasandra, Raghunathapura, Vishwanathapura, Kundana, Neelaguntepalya and Chanarayapatna.

K.P. Devraj of Singelli village in Devanahalli taluk said that the trees were rapidly vanishing from the area because of large-scale development.

“Though chakkota provides supplementary income to the farmers, it occupies an important role as an income generator. Each tree has the capacity to bear around 300 fruits in a year, and the fruit has a good demand in the city,” he added.

On the estimated land under chakkota cultivation, Mr. Vishwanath pointed out that the department was surveying the area to get exact figures.

“At several places, we are finding farmers owning one or two chakkota trees, and the total area may not be large,” he added.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu