ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the origin and distribution, nutritional composition, medicinal values, climatic requirement, soil requirement, cultivated varieties and post-harvest management of jackfruit. Jackfruit, also known kathhal in Hindi, is considered as the poor man's crop in India. It is grown in homestead gardens without any management practices. Jackfruits are eaten unripe at 25–50" of full size as a vegetable or ripe as a fruit. When used as vegetable, it is peeled, sliced, boiled and then mixed with other food. The leaves of jackfruit tree are useful for curing fever, boils and skin diseases. Based on firmness of the bulb, the cultivated or naturally found jackfruit trees can be broadly classified into two types, that is, (i) firm fleshed and (ii) soft fleshed. Properly trained jackfruit grows with an open centre, which allows better light penetration. Shoot and fruit borer, mealy bugs, bud weevil, aphids and trunk borers are the insect pests that attack jackfruit during its lifetime.
