Tropical Fruits

Spanning a wide variety of climatic conditions and soil types, tropical fruit include species which have long been important exports and some which, until recently, were grown and consumed only locally. However, improvements in transportation and handling are making many tropical fruits increasingly important as large-scale crops and exports. This volume presents a broad survey of tropical fruit production and usage. It begins with an outline of tropical climates, tropical soils, and general principles of cultivation and postharvest handling. It then devotes separate chapters to each of the important fruits, which include annonas, avocado, bananas, litchi, mango, papaya, and pineapple; each chapter covers botany, origin and distribution, ecology, genetics and cultivar development, culturing practices, pests and diseases, harvest and postharvest handling, and utilization of the fruit.