Best Ber (Indian Jujube) Varieties for Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

Umran

Umran is a robust, hardy variety well-suited for arid and semi-arid regions. The trees are medium-sized with bushy, decumbent branches that almost touch the ground, and curved thorns. Leaves are ovate oblong with prominent serrations. The fruits are large, oblong, and elliptic, measuring about 4.2 cm long and 3.2 cm thick, with smooth glossy skin that changes from golden yellow to chocolate brown on maturity (March end to mid-April). It produces heavy yields of around 150-200 kg per tree. Umran fruits have an excellent taste and quality and are a late-season variety.

Banarasi Karaka

Banarasi Karaka is a tall and vigorous tree reaching heights of 8-12 meters. The leaves are green, elliptic to ovate. The fruits are globose to oblong, about 5.2 x 3.0 cm in size, with a tapering stylar end, green when unripe and turning golden yellow on ripening. It is a mid-season bear variety with good yield, cultivated widely in regions like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The fruit quality is excellent, and it produces attractive large fruits weighing 40-50 gm.

Mundia

Mundia is a semi-tall tree with spreading branches. The fruits are oval to oblong, smaller in size around 4.45 x 2.10 cm, and are known for their high sugar concentration, making them ideal for drying and producing sweet dried ber. This variety adapts well to semi-arid conditions, especially in western India like Gujarat, where it fetches good price in domestic and export markets.

Seb

Seb is an early maturing variety characterized by spreading growth. The fruits are golden yellow, slightly oblong, and small, around 3.0 cm x 2.5 cm, weighing 25-30 gm. It yields about 90-100 kg per tree and acts as a good pollinizer for other varieties. Seb is suited to arid and semi-arid zones and praised for its quality and early bearing capacity.

Gola

Gola is adapted to desert climates like Rajasthan and grows up to 8-12 meters tall. The leaves are ovate to ovate-oblong with an obtuse base and acute apex. Fruits are oval, oblong to round, about 4.7 x 3.1 cm in size, weighing 40-50 gm, sweet in taste, and an early bearer. It is drought-resistant, grows well in hot summers, and has minerals like potassium and iron beneficial for health. Gola thrives in harsh desert conditions with adaptations for water conservation and heat tolerance.