Borojó
Alibertia patinoi | Familiy: Rubiaceae
Water:
Sun:
85% humidity In the shade of other trees
Challenge: Not much information about the plant
Substratum: Very rich soil, on river banks, acidic soil
Fertilisation:
Temp.: 28ºC, 85% humidity Companion: -
Non-Companion:
Spacing: Between row 1.5 m between plants 2.5 m
img: www.off2colombia.com
Description: Borojoa patinoi Cuatrec. There is also Borojoa sorbilis Cuatrec. Both species are similar, varying in the type of floor where it grows. Fruit: It is one of the few of the Rubiaceae family that has edible fruit. The fruit which is a berry, is about 12 cm large with a round shape and brown color and average weight of 740-1000 grams. In its early stages the fruit is light green and reddish brown when it‘s ripe. The pulp represents 88% of the total weight. Each fruit has 90 to 640 seeds. Borojo has high levels of protein, ascorbic acid, calcium and iron and very high levels of phosphorus. Borojo has a delicious, sweet-tart flavor—imagine a plum with hints of vanilla. Medicine: In traditional medicine it is used to treat sexual impotence, bronchial diseases, malnutrition, hypertension, cancer, erysipelas. It is used as an energizer and hair treatment. Native: To South America. Cultivars: Around 3,000 hectares are used to cultivate borojo. Production plantations is 15 to 20 tons per hectare. Alibertia sorbilis is a very similar species, also used with commercial purposes. Borojó de la Amazonia (Amazonas borojo), Duroia maguirei, is a wild species in a different Rubiaceae genus, which grows up to 8m and has a smaller, edible fruit. Claes Persson (1999)
Planting time is in between October and November. Spacing between row 1.5 m between plants 2.5 m. Sowing: It is sown from seed in seed beds and re-transplanted when seedling are 20 to 25 cm high. The species is dioecious, 5% of the trees needs to be male to allow adequate pollination. Trees can bare around 50 fruits per year. Water: Supplemental 3,000 m3 of water per hectare per year. Climate: It growes in the rainy forests where the annual average rain fall is more than 4,000 mm; The average temperature is 28ºC and the relative humidity 85%. It grows in the shade of other trees. Adapts well up to 1,200 m altitude. It can tolerate brief frosts as well as floods. The Borojo tree needs a lot of shade, and usually grows in the shade of other trees. Soil: Grows in very rich soil, on river banks in the jungles in acidic soil. Fertilisation: Plants require a dose of 80-40-70 NPK manuring per hectare of crop. Cut: No necessary. Harvesting: After 5-6 years the tree will bear fruits. Borojo is considered ripe when it falls off the
Source: web; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibertia_patinoi, www.borojo.net, www.borojo.com, www.revistas.unal.edu.co, www.valentine.gr, www.tropifruit.de/en
tree. Most havesting time is between April and October. The fruit cannot be harvested green. At maturity the fruit turns brown, and falls on the ground. Only then the fruit can be harvested, and only then, the fruit has all the legendary properties it is known for. Sexes: The two genders are not phenotypically distinguishable before flowering (3-4 years after planting). Male Borojo plants have clusters of fragrant white flowers. Females have a single white flower at the tips of branches. Only the female plants produce fruits. Masculine flowers in chapters, short calyx, prismatic or conic, generally actinomorphous, sessile, pentamerous and some times tetramerous without an ovary or, if it exists, it is rudimentary or non functional. The feminine flowers are lonely and terminal with two pairs of bracteal stipules and six longer stigmas; inferior ovary, with umbilical calyx at the base, six cavities and many ovules, corolla with six to nine petals, lineal stamen, empty or sterile. Food-facts: Borojo is used in the preparation of jam, wine, desserts and traditional medicines with supposed aphrodisiac effects. Borojo has been traditionally made into a popular drink. It balances the sugar levels in the blood and helps with bronchial ailments as well as for menstrual symptoms in women. In addition, the Borojo has a naturally stimulating energy as well as a strong aphrodisiac potency enhancing effect. The fruit juice is considered by the Colombians as “Jugo del amor” (love www.PermaTree.org, Herbarium Page 12
juice), which is why its enjoyed particularly by male Colombians and has a certain popularity. Borojó juice helps cleaning kidneys. It is also used by the local communities against hypertension, bronchial diseases and malnutrition. Borojo extract is widely sold on the internet as a health food. Borojo’s health benefits are largely still an untapped resource in the United States. In addition to having a high content of phosphorus, essential to brain functions such as memory and concentration, borojo also has one of the highest levels of water-soluble B-vitamins among fruits. Polyphenols are strong antioxidants that are believed to protect cells against damage. The fruit’s energizing properties are said to improve the function of both body and mind, increasing mental clarity and the capacity to sustain physical activity. The “borojo boost” is even said to act as an aphrodisiac. The pulp is also used as a poultice for healing, as masks for oily skin. Preservation: Storage temperature between 4 ° to 6 ° C.
100g contains: Minerals mg Vitamins Sodium - Vitamin A Potassium Vitamin B1 Magnesium Vitamin B2 Calcium 23.00 Vitamin B3 Manganese Vitamin B5 Iron 01.50 Vitamin B6 Copper - Folate Zinc Vitamin E Phosphorus 40.00 Vitamin C Selenium Vitmain K Source: web; medactiv.yshop.ro, book; Taschenlexikon tropischer Nutzpflanzen und ihrer Früchte
mg - - - - - - - 1.8 -
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