COMMERCIAL MANGO (MANGIFERA INDICA) VARIETIES - INDIA

A record yielding mango tree in Chandigarh (Punjab), once yielded 17.6 tonnes, while the wild mango trees yield bitter inedible fruit once every few years. Mango varieties have different economic characteristics and the selection of the right variety is the most important aspect of economics in a mango orchard. In a study of a profitable 1,632 plant orchard, which had twenty five different varieties, only two varieties - Neelam and Banglora were worthy of extensive cultivation.

This paper is based on my observations over the years mainly of the mangoes of AP and also India in general. AP is the largest producer of mangoes and boasts of the largest variety of superior quality mangoes. The article will be confined to only a few of the commercially useful varieties.

Brief information of selected varieties will be given in the following format:

1. Mango varieties: Table fleshy, table juicy, and fruit suitable for pulp, canning, tandra (dried mango pulp), and pickles.
2. The size of the tree to determine the optimum number of trees to plant, 100 – 494 trees/hectare.
3. Periodicity of fruit bearing is bi-annual to irregular over years.
4. Suitability of a particular area for planting.
5. Quality, yield, and price.
6. Market price, demand, and export possibilities.
7. Methods of propagation.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)