The Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis, also known as Kapiak is a widely dispensed attractive, tropical of South East Asia, evergreen, fruit bearing tree. It grows best in the tropical lowlands under 650 meters with rainfall of 1500-3000 mm. The Breadfruit is single-trunked with spreading canopy, evergreen tree that can reach a height of up 20 meters.

Breadfruit is a member of the family Moraceae the genus Artocarpus closely related to the Breadnut or rosimum alicastrum, and the Jackfruit or Artocarpus heterophyllus. Breadfruit is a purely hot tropical plant and consequently very cold sensitive. Minimum temperature tolerated 5-10°C.

Artocarpus altilis is a fast growing plant in positive conditions, growing up to 1.5 meters per year. The trunk might be as large as 2 meters in diameter at its base. Leaves are large and thick, alternate, broadly ovate, deeply cut into pinnate lobes, dark green with green or yellow-green veins, yielding latex when broken up.

The breadfruit tree is monoecious with male and female flowers growing on the same tree. The male flowers are born first, followed soon afterward by the female flowers, which grow into a crown capable of pollination just three days later. Fruit bats in the family Pteropodidae have been the pollinators.

The rounded grapefruit-sized fruit has a rough surface, divided up into several achenes each achene surrounded by a fleshy perianth and growing on a fleshy receptacle. Some cultivars have seedless fruit.

Artocarpus altilis is one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree developing up to 200 or more fruits per season with crop fluctuations between wet and dry regions. Commonly there is some fruit on trees for most of the year.

The fruit can be cooked and consumed at all stages of maturity. It can also be cooked after been frozen. Pick fruit when firm and green if you prefer to use it as a starch vegetable or you could allow the fruit, until a later stage, when the starch turns to sugar, and the fruit has a sweet custard taste.

Breadfruit is a basic food in numerous tropical regions. They are very rich in starch and prior to being eaten they are boiled, roasted, baked or fried. When cooked the taste is identified as potato-like, or same to fresh baked bread and hence its name breadfruit.
Fruit can be transported quite easily to markets and it keeps well when picked at the green phase. The main market is Pacific indigenous communities in cities.

The tree is propagated generally by suckers since most varieties don't produce any seed. It is easy to propagate and demands little care and input of labor or materials. It commences bearing in 3-5 years and is productive for many decades. Breadfruit favors a sandy loam or loam soil that drains well.

Artocarpus altilis is able to grow in coral sands and lightly saline soils. The tree favors a 20-50% shade, particularly when young, but can be grown in full sun. It is relatively free of diseases and pests, although mealybugs could be a trouble locally.

Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis

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The key to successful fruit and nut production is the provision of a beneficial environment for the trees that bear them.