Jack Fruit - Siddu

        Jack Fruit – Siddu   

        Siddu Jackfruit - Farmers Variety                                         (Coppery Red Flakes)

The well-known unique variety of jackfruit, with coppery red flakes, are not only tasty but also have a high nutritive value.  It is grown by 40-year-old man SS Paramesha of Chelur village in Karnataka's Tumakuru district in India.  The rare variety of jackfruit was planted 35 years ago by his father SK Siddappa and has now become a very popular commodity in the market.

S.S. Paramesha’s farm in Chellur has a 35-year-old jackfruit tree which yields unusual fruit.  It is small, red, flaky and very tasty. While scouting around for unique varieties of jackfruit in Tumkur district’s Gubbi taluk, a team from the Central Horticulture Experimental Station (CHES) came across Paramesha’s farm and his extraordinary tree. They were most impressed.

The CHES is at Hirehalli and is a sub-station of the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) in Bengaluru. The IIHR decided to propagate Paramesha’s jackfruit, honour him for conserving a unique variety and ensure that he received an income from his genetic wealth. Paramesha was presented the custodian of novel jackfruit type award by the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala,  in Bengaluru. For the first time in India, a jackfruit variety is being registered in a farmer’s name. Paramesha’s red-fleshed variety has been named as the Siddu jackfruit after his father, S.K. Siddappa.  

This pioneering move by IIHR is very significant.  It will become a model and precedent for many more excellent farmer varieties to be registered in the name of their custodians. The second important impact is that their initiative will showcase the red-fleshed jackfruit — an untapped genetic wealth of Karnataka to the rest of the world.

The mother tree at Paramesha’s farm yields fruit that weighs just 2.5 kg. The average number of bulbs it produces is 30. Scientists at IIHR believe that this variety of jackfruit is very convenient for small families because of its tiny size. The shape of the fruit is irregular. The estimated yield of the tree per annum is 1,098 kg. The tree’s fruiting season is from March to July and the average number of fruits produced is around 450.

The global rush for the seedlings of ‘Siddu’ variety of jackfruit since 2017 seems to have left the only standing tree of that strain in the world under tremendous stress. Grafting thousands of seedlings every year, the parent tree located at Seegenahalli in Chelur of Tumakuru district has given a low yield. The increased demand among VVIPS for the nutrient-rich Siddu jackfruit has also deprived the owner’s family of a chance to savour the fruit every year.

Creating a revolution in popularising jackfruit across the world, the discovery of ‘Siddu variety’ by IIHR scientists has changed the fortunes of the Paramesh family, which is currently the custodian of the tree. But while catering to the surging demand, the family has also sacrificed to a greater extent.

SS Paramesh, proprietor of the ‘Siddu Nursery’, says he has already received booking orders for 20,000 seedlings per year. “It requires a minimum of four to five months to graft and raise a quality seedling,” Paramesh said.  From June to August, our entire family will be busy in grafting and attending to the seedlings. 

The shape of the jack fruit tree is broadly pyramidal.  It is classified under small sized fruits (2-5 Kg). Weight of fruits 2.5 kg; Fruit shape irregular; Number of fruits/ tree- 450 (35 yrs.); and highly suitable for homesteads and commercial. Estimated yield 1098 Kg per tree; Bulb characters: Fruit consumption suit very much four member in family and each fruits contains (25-30 bulbs). Flakes colour- Coppery Red and quality (sweet and Firm), significantly proved better as compared to the Yellow and white colour flaked one. 

Weight of per flakes (24.5 g); Flake thickness (8.5 mm) and highest total soluble solids was recorded in (31.0 0B). Total soluble solids of these varieties is quite high which is an important parameter related with fruit quality.  The fruit bulbs with copper orange colour are rich in Vitamin C (6.48 gm per 100 gm) compared to other varieties of jackfruits (yellow bulbs). This apart, the fruit also has high percentage of carotenoids, flavonoids than any other variety of jackfruit.  The Siddu jackfruits have health benefits due to its high lycopin content of 2 mg per 100 gm of pulp, as against 0.2 mg in normal varieties. It is also rich in anti-oxidants.

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