ABSTRACT
Plum holds a conspicuous and prominent position in the global scenario. Fresh plum fruits are delicious, nutritious, and have wide varieties of sizes and colors prized both for its exquisite fresh fruit flavor and in the fruit-processing industry. Plums are by far the most diverse of all the Prunus species and could be the most diverse of all deciduous fruit crop species. The diversity of plums is also reflected in their names. There are plums, prunes, gage plums, egg plums, and Mirabelle; and the wild plums such as cherry plums, bullaces, damsons, and sloes. The fruit constitutes an important source of minerals, vitamins, sugars, and organic acid in addition to protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Native species of plums exist in nearly every temperate zone in the world where there is sufficient chilling to break dormancy. With diverse genetic material, plums are the ideal species to play a central role as a fresh fruit for local or regional markets. Adapted cultivars have wider adaptability and can be found or bred for in any temperate region of the world.
