Interaction Meeting with Maharashtra Custard Apple Growers held on 25 August 2026

The programme commenced with a technical presentation by Dr. T. Sakthivel on the importance of custard apple and key research achievements and ongoing activities at ICAR–IIHR, Bengaluru. This was followed by an interaction with the Mr. Shyam Gattani, President of the Maharashtra Custard Apple Growers Association and other members. Mr. Shyam Gattani highlighted the increasing importance of custard apple cultivation in Maharashtra, particularly since 2007. The Balanagar variety was reported as a major cultivar grown in Maharashtra. The growers also shared their successful experience of preserving custard apple pulp by blast freezing at -40°C followed by cold storage at −20°C for powder and wine making.

The growers raised several practical concerns, including need for developing superior varieties, alternatives to assisted pollination, canopy management, fruit fly and mealybug infestation, chilling injury, limited availability of value-added products, post-harvest losses and inadequate market opportunities. The Association President specifically demanded strengthening of extension services, better farmer–scientist linkages along with improved market linkages to facilitate technology adoption and better price realization.

In response, Dr. Sankaran has highlighted the research achievements in custard apple breeding, off-season production, canopy management and biomass recycling. Dr. J. Satisha discussed rootstock evaluation for tree vigor management and reported that Balanagar had performed well compared with eight other evaluated species. Dr. Jayanthi Mala discussed integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for fruit fly and mealybug. Dr. Sujatha highlighted the potential for converting custard apple stem biomass into biochar, thereby promoting sustainable utilization of orchard waste. Dr. Rakesh Reddy assured the growers of research on shrink-wrap packaging for extending shelf life and reducing post-harvest losses. Dr. Preethi demonstrated potential value-added products, including custard apple powder, candy and fruit bar. Dr. Caroline talked about ongoing development of e-Pollinator as an alternate to hand pollination. Dr. B. L. Manjunath highlighted the importance of organic and natural farming practices in custard apple cultivation. The postgraduate students also interacted with custard apple growers and gained valuable insights into the practical challenges faced by growers, as well as the export potential of custard apples.

The meeting provided a valuable platform for two-way exchange between growers and scientists and highlighted the need for farmer-oriented, multidisciplinary research and stronger extension mechanisms to improve the productivity, post-harvest management and profitability of custard apple cultivation in Maharashtra.

Overall, the meeting was highly interactive and productive, with several potential areas for collaborative research, technology development, extension and market-oriented interventions identified. The meeting came to an end with vote of thanks proposed by Dr.Linta Vincent.