Publication
from Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0
by C. Orwa, A. Mutua, R. Kindt, R. Jamnadass and S. Anthony
Diospyros
kaki L.
Local Names:
English
(persimmon, oriental persimmon, keg fig, kaki plum tree, Chinese fig,
Chinese plum, Japanese persimmon, date plum), French (kaki,
Plaqueminier kaki), German (Kakipflaumenbaum), Italian (cachi),
Japanese (kaki), Spanish (kaki del Japon, caqui, kaki)
Family:
Ebenaceae
Botanic
Description
Diospyros
kaki is a
multi-stemmed or sometimes single-stemmed deciduous tree up to 6(-18) m
tall and typically round-topped, fairly open, erect or semi-erect,
sometimes crooked or willowy; seldom with a spread of more than 4.5-6
m. Branches somewhat brittle and can be damaged in high winds.
Leaves
alternate, entire, ovate-elliptic, oblong-ovate, or obovate, 7.5-25 cm
long, 5-10 cm wide, leathery, glossy on the upper surface, brown-silky
beneath; bluish-green, turning in the fall to rich yellow, orange or
red; petioles 2 cm long, brown-hairy.
Flowers inconspicuous
surrounded by a green calyx tube, borne in leaf axils of new growth
from one-year old wood. Female flowers solitary, cream-colored; male
flowers pink-tinged, borne in threes. Commonly, 1-5 flowers per twig
emerge as the new growth extends.
Fruit round, conical,
oblate, or nearly square, capped by the persistent calyx, skin thin,
smooth, glossy, yellow, orange, red or brownish-red; flesh yellow,
orange, or dark-brown, juicy, gelatinous, seedless or containing 4-8
seeds. Generally, the flesh is bitter and astringent until fully ripe,
when it becomes soft, sweet and pleasant, but dark-fleshed types may be
non-astringent, crisp, sweet and edible even before full ripening.
Seed flat, oblong, brown, 2 cm long.
From
the Greek diospyros, composed of dios (divine), and pyros (grain), from
the edible fruit of some species. The specific epithet is derived from
the Japanese word for plant, kaki-no-ki.
Biology
D. kaki trees
flower in March; are usually either male or female, but some trees have
both male and female flowers. On male plants, occasional perfect
(bisexual) flowers occur, producing an atypical fruit. A tree's sexual
expression can vary from one year to the other. Many cultivars are
parthenocarpic, although some climates require pollination for adequate
production. When plants are pollinated, they will produce fruits with
seeds and may be larger and have a different flavor and texture than do
their seedless counterparts. Many cultivars begin to bear 3-4 years
after planting out; others after 5-6 years. Shedding of many blossoms,
immature and nearly mature fruits is characteristic of the Japanese
persimmon as well as the tendency toward alternate bearing. Harvesting
takes place in fall and early winter. Late ripening cultivars may be
picked after hard frosts or light-snowfall.
Ecology
D. kaki
needs a subtropical to
mild-temperate climate. It may not fruit in tropical lowlands. In
Brazil, the tree is considered suitable for all zones favourable to
Citrus, but those zones with the coldest winters induce the highest
yields. The atmosphere may range from semi-arid to one of high humidity.
Biophysical
Limits
Altitude: 0-2 500 m
Soil type: D. kaki
can withstand a wide range of soil types as long as the soil is not
overly salty, but does best in deep, well drained loam. A pH range of
6.5 to 7.5 is preferred.
Documented
Species Distribution
Native:
China, India, Japan, Myanmar
Exotic: Afghanistan,
Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Israel, Italy,
Korea, Republic of, Palestine, Philippines, Russian Federation, Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (Former), US, Vietnam
The
map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does
neither suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological
zone within that country, nor that the species can not be planted in
other countries than those depicted. Since some tree species are
invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to your
planting site.
Products
Food:
Fully ripe fruits are
usually eaten out-of-hand. The flesh may be added to salads, blended
with ice cream mix or yoghurt, used in pastries, puddings, mousse, or
made into jam or marmalade. Ripe fruits can be frozen whole or pulped.
Drying is commonly practiced. Roasted seeds have served as a coffee
substitute. Tea can also be made from fresh or dried leaves. Kaki is
high in vitamin and a moderate source of ascorbic acid.
Timber:
Wood fairly hard and
heavy, black with streaks of orange-yellow, salmon, brown or grey;
close-grained; takes a smooth finish and is prized in Japan for fancy
inlays, though it has an unpleasant odor.
Tannin or
dyestuff: Tannin from unripe fruits has been employed in
brewing sake, also in dyeing and as a wood preservative.
Alcohol:
Fruit may be converted into molasses, cider, beer and wine.
Poison:
Juice of small,
inedible wild fruits, crushed whole, calyx, seeds and all, is diluted
with water and painted on paper or cloth as an insect- and
moisture-repellent.
Medicine:
A decoction of the boiled
unripe fruit is used to treat bloody stools. The leaves are rich in
vitamin C and are used as an antiscorbutic.
Services
Ornamental: It
is a handsome ornamental with drooping leaves and branches that give it
a languid, rather tropical appearance.
Boundary or barrier or support: Trees can be planted as a hedge or as a
screen if pruned heavily.
Tree
Management
The soil
should be well prepared–deeply plowed and enriched with organic matter.
Trees should be set out at spacing ranging from 4.5 x 1.5 m to 6 x 6 m,
depending on the habit of the cultivar. In Japan, 1 000 plants/ha may
be planted at the outset, and thinned down to 200 trees/ha in 10-15
years.
Good results have been obtained with a fertilizer mixture
of 4-6% N, 8-10% P and 3-6% K at the rate of 0.45 kg/tree per year of
age. Over-fertilization or excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer
causes shedding of fruits.
Young trees are pruned back to
0.7-0.9 m when planted and later the new shoots are thinned with a view
to forming a well-shaped tree. Annual pruning during the first 4-5
winters is desirable in some cultivars. If a tree tends to overbear and
shows signs of decline, it should be drastically cut back to give it a
fresh start. After flowering, the trees should be irrigated every 3
weeks on light soil, every month on heavier soil, until time for
harvest. The annual yield of a young tree ranges from 22.6-40.8 kg; of
a full-grown tree, 150-250 kg.
Germplasm
Management
Stratification is recommended for all persimmon seeds.
Pests and
Diseases
In Brazil, premature fall is partly linked to heavy infestation by the
mite, Aceria diospyri.
Retithrips
syriacus feeds on and blemishes the leaves and fruit skin.
The greenhouse thrips (Heliothrips
haemorrhoidalis)
blemishes fruits in Queensland. San José scale is combated by a dormant
application of Bordeaux in diesel emulsion in India. In Florida, white
peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis
pentagona, has required control and a twig girdler, Onsideres cingulatus,
has been troublesome. A flat-headed borer drills into bark and wood
causing oozing of gum and decline in vigor. Mealy bugs distort young
shoots and kill all new growth unless controlled. Fruit flies attack
fruits especially in dry years. Tree ripe persimmons are sought by all
kinds of birds and small mammals.
Further
Reading
CSIR. 1952.
The Wealth of India: A dictionary of Indian raw materials and
industrial products, Vol. III. CSIR.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/nexus/Diospyros_kaki_nex.html
IBPGR.
1986. Genetic resources of tropical and subtropical fruits and nuts
(excluding Musa). International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, Rome.
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