By Miss Naseem Sharif (Research Officer)
Horticultural Research Institute, AARI Faisalabad
Ber (Zyzyphus mauritiana) is called apple of desert and is considered king of all arid fruits. It belongs to Family Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family) consisting of more than 170 species distributed throughout temperate, tropical and 
subtropical regions of world. Ber cultivation is becoming popular due to its outstanding advantages including bearing early, being rich in nutrition, long flowering season, as well as high tolerance to drought and salinity. Fruits of jujube are used in Pakistan as fresh and dehydrated for later use. By products of Ber include jams, chutney, murraba, juice and candies. Ber demonstrates a rich genetic diversity mostly resulting from natural cross pollination and self incompatibility. The genetic variation in ber population is in forms of fruit volume, yield and other characteristics. There is very less study regarding the selection of ber in Pakistan. Thus, it is necessary to select desired genotypes for superior fruit characteristics and to develop standard cultivars from a wide variety of ber population. More than fifty varieties of Ber are being grown in Pakistan, which belong to species Zyzyphus mauritiana .In following article foremost Ber varieties have been enlisted with their physico-chemical and fruit morphological description. So that farmers can be familiar with Ber varieties.
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• Dehli Sufaid
It is very delicious and large sized variety of Ber. Fruit shape is round. Average fruit weight is 28gram while average fruit size is 11cm2. Stone size is 1.7cm2 and stone weight is 1.5gram. Yield per tree is 230-240kg. Vitamin C contents are 134mg per 100 gram while TSS is 21%.
• Dilbhar
This is early variety of Ber. Fruit size is very attractive and of large size upto 11cm2. Fruit weight is upto 25gram. Stone weight is 1gram and stone size is upto 1.2cm2. TSS is 15%. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 112mg per 100gram. Yield per tree is 160-165kg.
• Suffon
Fruit size of this variety is somewhat smaller then Dehli Sufaid. Average fruit weight is 16gram. Fruit size is 7cm2. Stone weight is 0.9gram while stone size is 1cm2. Total soluble solids are 17% while Vitamin C contents are 132gram per 100 gram. Average yield of fruit per tree is 115-120kg.
• Faisalabad-1
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 28gram while average fruit size is 11cm2. Stone size is 1.4cm2 and stone weight is 2.1gram. Yield per tree is 170-175kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 109mg per 100 gram while TSS is 17%.
• Ajooba
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 14gram while average fruit size is 7cm2. Stone size is 9cm2 and stone weight is 9gram. Yield per tree is 115-120kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 134mg per 100 gram while TSS is 18%.
• Fauladi
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 37gram while average fruit size is 13cm2. Stone size is 2cm2 and stone weight is 2.3gram. Yield per tree is 180-185kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 113mg per 100 gram while TSS is 19%.
• Mehmood Wali
Average fruit weight of this variety is 14gram. Fruit size is upto 6cm2. Stone size is .3cm2 while stone weight is 1.4gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 103mg per 100gram. Yield per tree is 158-163kg while the TSS is 16%.
• Saddiqia
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 10gram while average fruit size is 7.5cm2. Stone size is 0.7cm2 and stone weight is 0.7gram. Yield per tree is 170-175kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 158mg per 100 gram while TSS is 23%.
• Yazman local
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 34gram while average fruit size is 13cm2. Stone size is 0.7cm2 and stone weight is 1.3gram. Yield per tree is 145-150kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 82mg per 100 gram while TSS is 17%.
• Gorh
This variety is also called Desi Ber and used fir rootstock purpose. Average fruit weight of this variety is 5gram. Fruit size is upto 3 cm2. Stone size is 0.2 cm2 while stone weight is 0.5gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 177mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 24. Yield per tree is 137-140kg.
• Khobani
Average fruit weight of this variety is 13gram. Fruit size is upto 7cm2. Stone size is 0.3 cm2 while stone weight is1.2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 167mg per 100gram while the TSS is 18%. Yield per tree is 117-120kg.
• Bhawalpur selection
Average fruit weight of this variety is 21 gram. Fruit size is upto 11 cm2. Stone size is 1.6 cm2 while stone weight is 2.2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 128mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 16%. Yield per tree is 195-198kg.
• Anokhi
This is also very delicious variety which develops reddish to brown spots on maturity. Average fruit weight of this variety is 16 gram. Fruit size is upto 7 cm2. Stone size is 1.6 cm2 while stone weight is 1.2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 102mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 16%. Average Yield per tree is 190-195kg.
• Allu Bukhara
This is late variety of ber reaches in market at end of March. Average fruit weight of this variety is 23gram. Fruit size is upto 10 cm2. Stone size is 0.6 cm2 while stone weight is 1.3gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 132mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 17%. Yield per tree is 210-215kg.
• Pak White
This variety can be store for more days as compare to others so can be marketed to distant areas. Average fruit weight of this variety is 31gram. Fruit size is upto 13 cm2. Stone size is 0.5 cm2 while stone weight is 2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 122mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 19%. Yield per tree is 200-205 kg.
Courtesy: Pakissan Team