Hand Book of Aonla

Aonla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) is one of the important indigenous fruits of Indian subcontinent and is known as the king of medicinal fruits and a beautiful gift of God to human being. It is also known as “wonder medicinal fruit” of the twenty-first century. Today, it has become the crop of commercial significance and is a very important fruit in India and other countries due to its high vitamin C content and health and medicinal value. Aonla is being successfully cultivated in all types of soils and climates in all states of India due to its hardy nature. As per the recent estimates, aonla has spread approximately over 100 to 1.48 thousand hectares area in the country with approximate production of 1,026.17 thousand MT. The crop play an integral part in the lives of many, not only by being a rich nutrient source and medicinal properties but also as a source of livelihood for millions of people.

The book “Hand Book of Aonla” authored by Dr. A.K. Misra, Dr. D. Pandey and Dr. Himanshu Pandey focuses primarily on different aspects of aonla crop cultivation including its mythological and medicinal importance. The information on the aonla crop cultivation is given in crisp manner, so that it is easily understandable and is of practical utility. High-quality coloured photographs are included in the book on the various aspects of the aonla crop, including varieties, propagation, cultivation, diseases, pests and post-harvest aspects for the better understanding of the operation, identification, understanding and concept. In this book, important and latest varieties, new varieties developed are described with photographs, which is very useful for aonla lovers to identify the varieties. Typical symptoms of the diseases, pests and disorders and life cycle of different diseases and pests are also depicted, which give better understanding about protection aspects. The photographs of the symptom will be useful for identifying the diseases and pests by the fruit workers. Post-harvest aspects are described in a manner that it is useful for aonla lovers, farmers and entrepreneurs. Though significant work has been done in the country and abroad on aonla crops over the years, consolidated handy useful information on the crop in one place is lacking. The information presented in this book would be very useful for aonla research workers, fruit workers, horticulturists, consultants, managers, extension workers, teachers, students, agribusiness representatives and aonla lovers, growers/farmers, who are concerned with the aonla cultivation, production, protection, post-harvest and commerce.