Classification and Utilization Pattern of Fruits and Vegetables Available in Papum Pare District of Arunachal Pradesh

Documentation of species were carried out for a period of two years (2007–09) based on the standard questionnaire to report the diversity of locally available fruits and vegetable crops in different agro-climatic regime in Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh. The study revealed that a total of 36 fruit and 48 vegetable species were available in the study area. Vegetable crops were represented by 38 genera from 19 families; however, fruit crops by 21 families from 26 genera. Diversity of the species under different genera resulted that Brassica was among the most dominant genera represented by the 7 species followed by Phaseolus (3 species), Allium and Solanum (2 species each). Large number of plants were represented by the single species and contributing to 71 per cent of the total species diversity. Family diversity resulted that Rutaceae was among the most dominant (7 species) family and large numbers of families were mono-specious and contributing 47 per cent of the total species richness. However, in vegetables Brassicaceae and Cucurbitaceae were among the most dominant family and 11 families were represented by single species only. Utilization pattern of the crops revealed that large numbers of species were used as leafy components, followed by whole plats, fruits, inflorescence, rhizomes and tubers etc. Most of the fruit crops were used as fresh followed by fire wood, medicine and preparation for juice, jelly, jam, beverages etc.