Compare and find the similarities of variety of fruits, soil, climate found in Maharashtra state with that of the Mediterranean Region
Answers
Explanation:
The Mediterranean basin has long been a site of temperate fruit and nut production. Grapes, olives, figs, almonds, dates, and carobs have been cultivated there since early times. This area has both active consumption and commerce in these crops. Mediterranean countries are also rich sources of plant germplasm with the potential for new crops, and the revival of old crops. Recently interest in traditional diets, particularly in the Mediterranean diet, has increased among the public and scientific health communities. At a recent international symposium (Tree Nuts, Health and the Mediterranean Diet), in San Francisco, scientists presented several lines of evidence indicating the Mediterranean diet has the potential to prevent heart disease and other chronic diseases (Drescher et al. 1995).
Grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, wine, seeds, and tree nuts are a part of the "Traditional Healthy Mediterranean Diet Pyramid" (Fig. 1), a diet now associated with the good health and high adult life expectancy of the Mediterranean people (Sacks 1995). Traditional Mediterranean fruit and nut crops include grapes, olives, figs, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pomegranates, apricots, and citrus. One important aspect is the fat in olive and nut oils is mostly unsaturated, good for the prevention of heart disease. These oils are very high in monounsaturated fat (oleic acid), and secondarily high in polyunsaturated fat (linoleic acid).
Olive oil, an important part of the Mediterranean diet, has been object of renewed interest in recent years. Other Mediterranean crops, such as mandarins, figs, loquats, persimmons, pomegranates, pistachios, carob pods, and cactus pear, have received little attention up until now but are now being re-emphasized in areas with Mediterranean climates for diversification and revitalization of local agriculture. These crops are important in many Mediterranean countries: Spain, Portugal through Southern France to Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East through Morocco and Tunisia to Egypt. They are also being introduced in other areas of the world such as California, Australia, and South America. The economic importance of these Mediterranean crops is shown in Table 1.
Mediterranean crops covered are a diverse group, ranging from those of major international importance supporting large industries to locally important species grown only in home-gardens. They vary in their contribution to local diets (Table 2). While the majority are high in carbohydrate and supply some vitamins and minerals, many are of low nutritional value. Some, such as carob and cactus pear, make a significant contribution to carbohydrate intake to local diets; these multi-purpose plants have a wide range of uses in medicine, industry or agriculture, agroforestry and soil conservation, and for production in marginal lands in semi-arid environments.
The current state of genetic erosion of these crops is quite high. This is a result of many factors, including the origin and distribution of the crop, its breeding system, the propagation methods used, commercial policies, and lack of research. In recent years several countries of Southern Europe have started surveys of native material of these crops in collections and gene pools (IBPGR 1986; Bettencourt and Konopka 1989; Lionakis 1994; Llacer et al. 1994; Monastra et al. 1994). Traditionally morphological and physiological characteristics have been used to identify these cultivars (Zielinski 1955). Some of them are strongly influenced by the environment, and their use as indicators of performance may lead to unreliable or erroneous results. For this reason isozyme gel electrophoresis is increasingly being used for cultivar identification in many tree crops (Arulsekar and Parfitt 1986; Ryugo et al. 1988; Tous et al. 1992).
MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT CROPS
The current situation of nine temperate Mediterranean fruits
Compare and find the similarities of variety of fruits, soil, climate found in Maharashtra state with that of the Mediterranean Region.
- Grapes, olives, figs, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pomegranates, apricots, and citrus are a few examples of traditional Mediterranean fruits and nuts. One crucial factor is that olive and nut oils' fat is primarily unsaturated, which is advantageous for preventing heart disease.
- Winters in Mediterranean regions are cool and wet, which promote abundant fruit production.
- Mediterranean agriculture is the kind of farming practised in the regions that border the Mediterranean Sea and experience hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
- It is also practised in other regions that experience a similar climate, such as central and southern California, central Chile, the south-west of the Cape Province, and the south-west of Western Australia.
- Due to their extensive fruit farming, Mediterranean forests are referred to as the "Orchards of the world." To cultivate what they want, people have cleared away the local vegetation. As a result, citrus fruits including oranges, figs, olives, and grapes are frequently grown here.
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