Garcinia gummi-gutta (Cambogia gummigutta L.,)
Seed collection, processing and storage
Seed collection:
The G. gummi-gutta trees bear ripened fruits mostly during the rainy season of June-July. Even though they fall on ripening, in order to procure sufficient quantity of seeds, the branches of trees bearing yellow, ripened fruits can be shaken or beaten and the required number of fruits collected. The fruits fallen on the ground after ripening deteriorate within a month, leaving behind the seeds. The rind and the pulpy parts of fruits are to be removed and the succulent white aril of seeds thoroughly washed in water to get clean seeds, before they are sundried and stored. Care should also be taken to discard flat and thin seeds, as they may not germinate.
Seed characteristics:
On an average, 6-10 fruits weigh one kilogram and each of them will contain 5- 8 seeds. On an average, 75 kg of fresh fruits contain one kilogram of seeds, which usually contain 590-600 numbers. The fruits are of the average size of 5.8 cm x 6.5 cm, almost globose, ridged and light yellow in colour. After removing the rind and also the white succulent aril, the brown, ovoid seeds of an average size 3.3 cm x 1.5 cm can be used for germination.
Fruit and seed characteristics of G. gummi-gutta
Colour Size (cm)
| Colour | Size (cm) | Shape | No. per kg | |
| Fruit | Light yellow | 5.8 x 6.5 | Depressed globose | 6-10 |
| Seed | Pale Brown | 3.3 x 1.5 | Ovoid | 590-600 |
Seed storage
The dried seeds have to be sown in the nursery, as early as possible, and storage will lead to infestation of pests and mould. Rai (1999) had suggested to mix the fresh, cleaned and dried seeds with ash, farmyard manure and red earth and pack inside paddy straw to retain their viability for about six months.
Seed pests and control
No instance of pest damage was noticed in both fresh and stored seeds of G. gummi-gutta.
Seed diseases and control
Only few fungi like species of Cladosporium, Trichoderma, Geniculosporium, Scolecobasidium and sterile mycelium were recorded on the seeds of G. gummigutta in blotter tests. Relative per cent incidence (RPI) of these fungi was very low and ranged from one to six. Cladosporium species recorded the highest incidence. As the incidences of spermoplane microbes were very low, seed dressing with fungicide is not usually carried out.
Seed processing and pre-treatments
The rind and pulpy part of fruits are removed and the seeds are thoroughly washed in water. The cleaned seeds are spread out and dried under shade for 4-5 days. Removal of the white succulent aril and seed coat is found to enhance the germination rate, substantially. However, trials are also conducted with processed seed samples like seeds with succulent aril, seeds without succulent aril, seeds without seed coat and those stored for 5 months.
