Chapters 5.47

5.47 - Pomegranate As A Crop For Smallholder Farmers To Combat Climate Change

Georgia Cooney , University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Cooney,G. (2022) Pomegranate As A Crop For Smallholder Farmers To Combat Climate Change, In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Introduction to Pomegranate

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a deciduous fruit tree native to central Asia (Holland, Hatib, and Bar-Ya’akov, 2009) which has potential to help smallholder farmers cope with drying climates associated with climate change. Pomegranate is a very drought-tolerant crop, and on average, a mature pomegranate plant requires about 952 millimeters of water per year through the process of drip irrigation at a rate of about 10.5 millimeters per day (Ayars et al, 2017). Pomegranate is also extremely heat tolerant and thrive in climates with temperatures above 29 degrees Celsius for at least 120 days a year (MacLean et al., 2011). Due to its adaptive qualities in terms of climate and soil conditions, pomegranates have been adopted as a crop around the world, and are commonly grown in the Mediterranean, Asia, and California (Holland et al., 2009). Recently, there has been an emergence of pomegranate growth in the southern hemisphere in places such as South America, South Africa, and Australia, as a result of technological advancements surrounding harvesting of the fruit (Holland et al., 2009). Despite its variety of uses and beneficial qualities, for the most part, pomegranate has been considered a minor crop around the world (Holland et al., 2009).

Seed and Plant Growth

There are hundreds of different cultivars of pomegranate across the world, with different cultivars being suited to different growing areas. The main difference between the different varieties is the taste, though there is also some difference in terms of physical seed characteristics (Holland et al., 2009). One of the most popular varieties, especially in the United States and Israel, is the ‘Wonderful’ variety (Holland et al., 2009). Pomegranate seed varieties can be obtained by purchasing them through a global seed bank, such as the United Seed Bank or the Platinum Seed Bank, which are supported by organizations such as the International Seed Federation, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), and the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Durkin, 2019). After these initial international purchases, local community seed banks can be established, in which local farmers exchange seeds with one another to maximize yields and encourage biodiversity. The price of these seeds can be quite low. For example, one kilogram of pomegranate seeds is being sold for the equivalent of 81 cents USD from a commercial supplier in India (IndiaMart, 2020). Additionally, once farmers have trees that are producing fruit, they can remove the fleshy fruit from around the seed and plant the seed to grow more plants (Rhoades, 2020).

Pomegranate trees are planted from the seeds that grow inside of their fleshy arils, ideally into deep, heavy loamy soils as well as soils with good drainage capacity, as too much soil moisture can cause cracking in the fruit and lower yields (Farming India, 2018). Nevertheless, pomegranate can grow quite well in both sandy and clay soils (MacLean et al., 2011). The fertilizer recommendations for pomegranate are 200 kg/ha for nitrogen, 300 kg/ha for potassium (potassium oxide), and 60 kg/ha of phosphorus (phosphorus pentoxide), which can be distributed to the plants through a drip irrigation system (Holland et al., 2009). The growing season for pomegranate varies depending on where in the world it is grown. Flowering lasts around one month (Holland et al., 2009). Pomegranates are usually intercropped with low growing vegetable plants and pulses, as they are bushy and spreading in nature (Farming India, 2018). Weeding is not much of an issue and only really needs to be done twice a year in most countries, including at fertilization (Farming India, 2018). Pomegranate is harvested by cutting the branches with the fruit on them, which can be dangerous if the branches are high up and climbing is required (Grant, 2020). To avoid this, a simple intervention of low-cost fruit pickers can be purchased through websites such as Alibaba.com.

Benefits of Growing Pomegranate

There are a variety of benefits to growing pomegranate, some of the most notable being that pomegranates have positive effects on human health, the economy, and the environment. Pomegranate is considered a “super-fruit”, meaning that it contains many valuable nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories (Holland et al., 2009). One cup of pomegranate seeds contains 7 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 30% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C, 36% RDI of vitamin K, 16% RDI of folate, and 12% RDI of potassium (Leech, 2018). Pomegranate also has considerable medicinal value. According to Singh and Singh (2004), in ancient Indian medicine, almost every part of the pomegranate plant was used “in the treatment of dysentery, diarrhea, stomach ache, inflammations, tapeworm, hyrnenole-tidosis, dyspepsia, bronchitis and cardiac disorders.” As a result of this, there is both a market and high demand for the crop, meaning that it can be used as a cash crop or for exports (Finnegan & Gokcekus, 2015). Pomegranate rind can also be used to dye cloths, given its deep red-purple colour, which can also be sold, providing opportunities for female farmers to further the value of their crops (Mani & Suresh, 2018). There are also many different uses of pomegranate for human consumption. While pomegranate arils can be consumed on their own, pomegranate can also be used for the preparation of juice and squash (Mani & Suresh, 2018), made into condiments such as anardana (Mani & Suresh, 2018), and turned into juices and wine (Singh & Singh, 2004). These products provide opportunities for the formation of female farmer cooperatives, in which women can sell their various goods at a roadside stand, for example. Post-harvest, pomegranate has a relatively long shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated, similar to apples (MacLean et al., 2011). Growing pomegranate can also have economic benefits. For example, in India, farmers have made between Rs 2 lakh ($2,707.09 USD) and Rs 15 lakh ($20,303.18 USD) per acre of pomegranate trees, which is higher profit than would be obtained from growing sugarcane or grapes (Bhosale, 2020). Pomegranate thrives in arid and semiarid areas, even under desert conditions (Galindo et al., 2018). Due to this, pomegranate crops can be grown alongside existing crops with little to no interference, resulting in having more crops to sell (Finnegan & Gokcekus, 2015).

Pomegranate and Climate Change

Possibly the most significant benefit of growing pomegranate is its ability to mitigate some of the effects of climate change. Pomegranate is a very drought tolerant crop and is believed to have less moisture demand and a lesser transpiration rate than many other crops (Mani & Suresh, 2018). It can withstand long dry spells (Mani & Suresh, 2018). Deficit irrigation can be used to save water in the farming process of pomegranates and increase water productivity (Volschenk, 2020). Though pomegranate is drought-tolerant, since there is scarce rainfall in many areas where pomegranate is grown, irrigation must be used as a supplement when rainfall is unavailable (Galindo et al., 2018). This will optimize growth, yield and fruit quality for commercial production (Volschenk, 2020). Pomegranate can also tolerate salty water (Finnegan & Gokcekus, 2015) which can be problematic in coastal regions or degraded soils with a long history of irrigation and fertilization. Additionally, pomegranate trees can be used for carbon sequestration, therefore reducing carbon content in the atmosphere (Vázquez-Rowe, et al., 2017).

Adoption of Pomegranate as a Crop

When smallholders are adopting pomegranate as a crop, focus should be placed on areas in which pomegranate is already culturally familiar, such as the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and North Africa (Finnegan & Gokcekus, 2015). However, there has recently been introduction of pomegranate into other areas of the developing world that should be further explored. Pomegranate can be implemented through the process of crop switching, so that existing crops stay in the region and pomegranate is introduced as a new crop, in addition to existing crops (Finnegan & Gokcekus, 2015). Locals can work with external actors to implement crop switching, while the locals can ensure its success after implementation. In addition to crop switching, deficit irrigation should be used as a water conservation strategy. Deficit irrigation has been shown to significantly improve pomegranate performance post-harvest and is beneficial to both the taste and nutrient level of pomegranates (Galindo et al., 2018). Deficit irrigation can be achieved through drip irrigation, which has been found to have positive effects on tree height, stem diameter, plant spread, fruit yield, and fruit weight (Holland et al., 2009).

Critical Analysis

Some of the implementations strategies pose issues, as crop-switching require financial and technical intervention from external actors, while deficit irrigation has the potential to cause fruit splitting, therefore decreasing yields (Finnegan & Gokcekus, 2015). Additionally, “although pomegranates begin bearing an economic crop in the third year after planting, yield maturity is not reached until the sixth year” (Day, Klonsky, and De Moura, 2010). Disease and pests affecting pomegranate vary by geographical location (Holland et al., 2009) but include fruit borers and aphids, as well as diseases such as leaf spot and fruit rot (Farming India, 2018).

Additional Resources for Smallholder Farmers

Instructions of how to purchase pomegranate seed: https://avrdc.org/seed/seeds/

Seed Banks: https://platinumseedbank.com/product/massive-seeds-black-pomegranate/, https://unitedseedbank.com/product/massive-seeds-black-pomegranate/

Pomegranate Growing Manual: https://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4319/2/Bulletin%20English-2.pdf

How to plant pomegranate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BudS1nE3nTE

How deal with diseases that affect pomegranate: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pomegranate/diseases-in-pomegranate.htm

How to manage pests and diseases affecting pomegranate: https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/pomegranate/infos/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation

How and when to harvest pomegranate: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pomegranate/harvesting-pomegranate-fruit.htm#:~:text=When%20you%20are%20ready%20to,eat%20this%20delicious%2C%20nutritious%20fruit.

Post-harvest management of pomegranate: http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Commodity_Resources/Fact_Sheets/Datastores/Fruit_English/?uid=53&ds=798#:~:text=5%C2%B0C%20(41%C2%B0,F)%20to%20avoid%20chilling%20injury.&text=90%2D95%25%3B%20pomegranates%20are,conditions%20of%20lower%20relative%20humidity.

How to juice a pomegranate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwR4Ny5-9pM

Value-addition ideas for pomegranate: https://www.longdom.org/open-access/pomegranate-processing-and-value-addition-review-2157-7110-1000565.pdf

References

1. Ayars, J. E. et al. (2017). Determining pomegranate water and nitrogen requirements with drip irrigation. Agricultural Water Management, 187, 11-23. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378377417300811#:~:text=(2011)%20estimated%20the%20water%20requirement,5%2Dyear%2Dold%20tree.

2. Bhosale, J. (2010). Farmers reap millions by raising pomegranate. The Economic Times. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/farmers-reap-millions-by-raising-pomegranate/articleshow/5884409.cms?from=mdr.

3. Day, K. R., Klonsky, K. M. and De Moura, R. L. (2010). Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Pomegranates. University of California Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from https://coststudyfiles.ucdavis.edu/uploads/cs_public/d5/bd/d5bdaad2-b874-4b99-a3c2-cc7a89cfc72d/pomegranatevs2010.pdf.

4. Durkin, A. (2019). Pomegranates Are Symbolic Even For Trade. TradeVistas. Retrieved from https://tradevistas.org/pomegranates-are-symbolic-even-for-trade/.

5. Farming India. (2018). Pomegranate Farming Guide: How to Grow Pomegranates in India. Farming India. Retrieved from https://www.farmingindia.in/pomegranate-farming/#:~:text=Pomegranate%20farming%20is%20growing%20rapidly,crop%20and%20has%20export%20potential.

6. Finnegan, C.M. and Gokcekus, O. (2015). Sustainable Climate Change Adaptations in Developing Countries: A Case Study of the Turkish Cypriot Community’s Adoption of Pomegranate Farming. In A.,Vastola (Ed.). The Sustainability of Agro-Food and Natural Resource Systems in the Mediterranean Basin (pp. 159-171). Springer, Cham. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-16357-4_11.

7. Galindo, A. et al. (2018). Deficit irrigation and emerging fruit crops as a strategy to save water in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems. Agricultural Water Management, 202, 311-324. Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/science/article/pii/S0378377417302792?via%3Dihub.

8. Grant, A. (2020). Picking Pomegranates – Learn About Harvesting Pomegranate Fruit. Gardening Know How. Retrieved from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pomegranate/harvesting-pomegranate-fruit.htm.

9. Holland, D., Hatib, K., and Bar-Ya’akov, I. (2009). Pomegranate: Botany, Horticulture, Breeding. Horticulture Reviews, 35 (2), 127-191. Retrieved from https://ucanr.edu/sites/pomegranates/files/164442.pdf.

10. IndiaMart. (2020). Pomegranate Seed. IndiaMart. Retrieved from https://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/pomegranate-seed.html.

11. Leech, J. (2018). 12 Health Benefits of Pomegranate. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-benefits-of-pomegranate.

12. MacLean, D., Martino, K., Scherm, H., and Horton, D. (2011). Pomegranate Production. UGA Cooperative Extension Circular 997. Retrieved from https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C997&title=Pomegranate%20Production#:~:text=Pomegranates%20are%20extremely%20heat%20tolerant,critical%20for%20commercial%20fruit%20production.

13. Mani, A. and Suresh, C.P. (2018). Climate Resilient Crops - Possible Solution to Ensure Nutritional Security in Changing Climate Scenario. Climate Smart Agriculture (1st ed., pp. 52-62). Parmar Publishing Depot. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324133435_Climate_Resilient_Fruit_Crops_-_Possible_Solution_to_Ensure_Nutritional_Security_in_Changing_Climate_Scenario.

14. Rhoades, J. (2020). Planting Pomegranate Trees: How To Grow A Pomegranate Tree From Seeds. Gardening Know How. Retrieved from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pomegranate/growing-pomegranate-tree-seeds.htm.

15. Singh, D. and Singh, R. K. (2004). Processed Products of Pomegranate. Natural Product Radiance, 3 (2), 134-135. Retrieved from http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/9395/1/NPR%203(2)%2066-68.pdf.

16. Vázquez-Rowe, I., Kahhat, R., Santillán-Salvidar, J., Quispe, I., and Bentin, M. (2017). Carbon footprint of pomegranate (Punica granatum) cultivation in a hyper-arid region in coastal Peru. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 22(4), 601-617. Retrieved from https://www-proquest-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/docview/1879884699?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:primo&accountid=11233

17. Volschenk, T. (2020). Water use and irrigation management of pomegranate trees - A review. Agricultural Water Management, 241, 106375. Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/science/article/pii/S0378377420303231?via%3Dihub