Yogi govt to host national seminar on boosting mango yield and quality

Lucknow : A national seminar focused on enhancing mango production and quality will be held on September 21 at the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) headquarters in Rehmankhera, Lucknow.

Renowned agricultural scientists from India and abroad will gather to explore strategies for further elevating the mangoes of Uttar Pradesh and North India to exceptional standards during the event.

This national seminar titled, ‘Strategies and Research Priorities for Improving Yield and Quality of Mangoes’ is being organized by the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

According to T. Damodaran, Director of CISH, “The mango is one of the most important fruits in tropical and subtropical regions globally, especially in Asia. India is the world’s largest producer of mangoes, contributing approximately 24.7 million metric tonnes out of the global production of 58.3 million metric tonnes. India is also a major exporter, having shipped 22,963.76 metric tonnes of fresh mangoes worth $48.53 million in 2022-23.”

Notably, owing to efforts by the Yogi government, mangoes were exported from Uttar Pradesh to the US for the first time this year. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is continuously working to enhance the reputation of mangoes from Uttar Pradesh. To promote the state’s mango varieties, the government organizes a large-scale Mango Festival annually.

Additionally, a per-hectare grant is provided for planting new mango orchards and renovating old ones. The government recently issued an order to remove obstacles in orchard renovation, specifically in canopy management.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the leading mango-producing states in India, accounting for around 23.6% of the country’s total mango production, followed closely by Andhra Pradesh at 22.99%. India boasts an incredible diversity of mango varieties, with approximately 1,000 types, although only about 20 of these are widely traded and exported. Indian mangoes are renowned for their unique range of flavors, aromas, textures, appearances, and other bioactive compounds.

Mango cultivation provides a livelihood for millions of farmers and horticulturists. However, the national average mango productivity in India remains significantly lower than the global average. This gap can be attributed to several factors, such as the spread of diseases like blight, anthracnose, and pest infestations from fruit flies, thrips, and hoppers.

Adverse weather conditions, including extreme temperatures, irregular rainfall, frost, and saline or alkaline soil, further impact mango growth, flowering, fruit quality, and overall yield. Other challenges include the lack of high-quality planting materials, insufficient training in pruning and orchard management, a shortage of high-density orchards, and the gradual loss of traditional mango varieties. These issues pose significant threats to India’s mango productivity.

More than 70 hybrid or improved mango varieties have been developed by various institutions across India. Among these, the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) has introduced varieties such as CISH-Ambika, CISH-Arunika, Avadh Samridhi, and Avadh Madhurima.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, has released notable varieties like Pusa Arunima, Pusa Surya, Pusa Pratibha, Pusa Shrestha, Pusa Pitambar, Pusa Lalima, Pusa Deepshikha, and Pusa Manohari. Meanwhile, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, has developed Arka Suprabhat, Arka Anmol, Arka Uday, Arka Puneet, Arka Aruna, and Arka Neelachal Kesari.

However, many of these varieties are not widely cultivated due to their region-specific climatic requirements, which limit their commercial viability across the country.

The upcoming event will be led by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticulture), ICAR, New Delhi, with Dr. A.K. Singh, Vice Chancellor of Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (Kanpur), serving as the Chief Guest. Other distinguished participants include Dr. K.B. Kathiria, Vice Chancellor of Anand Agricultural University (Gujarat), Dr. N.K. Singh, National Professor at ICAR (NIPB, New Delhi), Dr. S. Rajan, Former Director of ICAR-CISH (Lucknow), and Dr. M.R. Dinesh, Former Director of IIHR, who will chair and co-chair various technical sessions.

This event will provide a platform for renowned researchers from India and abroad to exchange insights on mango cultivation. Esteemed experts such as Dr. Natalie Dillon, Senior Biotechnologist, and Dr. Ian S.E. Bally, Senior Horticulture Specialist from Queensland, Australia, Dr. Yuval Cohen from the Volcani Institute, ARO, Israel, Dr. V.B. Patel, Assistant Director General, ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. M. Sankaran, Division Head, and Dr. Prakash Patil, Project Coordinator (AICRP) at IIHR, Bengaluru, will deliver presentations.

Key topics to be covered in the seminar include:

• Breeding mango varieties for consistent fruiting, high yield, attractive color, extended shelf life, wide adaptability, and climate resilience.
• Developing rootstocks for salinity tolerance and dwarfing.
• Precision breeding using genomic selection and accelerated breeding techniques.
• Clonal and half-sib selection of improved mango varieties and hybrids.
• Leveraging natural genes from related species of Mangifera.
• On-farm conservation of heritage, traditional, and GI-tagged mango varieties.