Ber and other Jujubes monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

Chapter 4. Climate and Ecology
4.1 Introduction
(Revised by J.T. Williams)
Most species of Ziziphus can be found in low rainfall areas. The climatic and
ecological background to the three important cultivated species is shown in
Table 4.1.
Table 4.1 Ecological background of three Ziziphus species
Z. mauritiana Z. jujuba Z. spina-christi
Latitude 30 o N to 30 o S 30 o S to 51 o N 0 o to 20 o N
Altitude m < 1500 Up to 2800 < 1000
Eco-region Warm lowland
plains
Cool highlands Mediterranean
drylands
Minimum 4 o to 12 o C -10 o to -20 o C -5 to 2 o C
temperature
Maximum 39 o to 45 o C 36 o C ±5 o C
temperature
Rainfall > 300 mm 200 to 450 mm ca. 100 mm
Soil type Shallow to deep
aridisols
Alluvial plains
and hills
Poor soils of arid
areas
Soil salinity Neutral to slightly Highly tolerant Medium tolerance
alkaline (5 dSm -i )
Alkalinity < 45 ESP Highly tolerant Some tolerance
This background explains the extremely wide distribution of wild and
cultivated forms of the species. Information given below is mostly taken from
(Pareek, 2001).
4.2 Temperature
4.2.1 Ber
Ber grows well under varying climatic conditions from sea level up to an
elevation of 1000 m (Singh et al., 1973 a) although it produces best below 600
m; it can be grown to altitudes up to 1500 m. Commercial ber plantations are
found growing in areas having a minimum temperature of 4 to 12 C and
occasionally reaching as low as -2 C for short periods, although this can injure
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