- Sun scald is a common problem in Bael grown under dry conditions.
- It appears as dark brown patches on the fruit shell where it is exposed to strong sunlight for most of the day.
- In severe cases, the pulp under the shell may also get damaged because of heat and loss of moisture.
- The main causes of sun scald are intense sunlight and lack of enough soil moisture for long periods.
- Although the pulp is usually not affected, the appearance of the fruit becomes poor, reducing its market value.
Management
- Mulching and canopy management are useful in reducing this disorder to some extent.
- It has also been observed that the variety having thin rinds is more affected by sun scaled than thick ones under rainfed semi-arid conditions in western India.
- It is found that covering fruits with different materials like cotton cloth, newspaper, etc. helps avoid sun scalding up to some extent.
Source –
Devendra Pandey, A.K. Misra, Neelima Garg, P.K. Shukla, Gundappa, S.K. Shukla and S. Rajan (2020). Bael Cultivation. Pub. ICAR-CISH, Lucknow
Singh, A. K., Singh, Sanjay, Saroj, P. L. (2018). The Bael (Production Technology). Technical Bulletin No. CIAH/Tech./Pub. No. 67 published by Director, ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner
