Studies on physico-chemical traits of local carambola germplasm

Abstract

Carambola (Averrhoea carambola Linn.) fruit belongs to the family Oxalidaceae. It is an important fruit of warm, tropical and subtropical areas of the world i.e., Trinidad, U.S., South Florida, Brazil, Hawai and South East Asia. Carambola is cultivated with in 30o North and South equator (Watson et al., 14). Malaysia is the global leader in star fruit production. In India carambola is grown in the western coastal areas and at the Nilagiri hills up to the altitude of 1,200 m. According to Nayak (6) carambola fruits ripe during winter and spring in north India, during January-February and September-October in South India. Very recently Menon (5) reported that Nagas use tart fruit in treating the jaundice. It takes about 60-75 days from fruit set to maturity depending on varieties, cultural practices and weather conditions.