It is known as king of fruits and cultivated in India from old time. Mango is rich source of Vitamin A and C, its leaves are used as fodder in case of shortage of fodder while wood is used for furniture making. Unripe fruits are used for chutney, pickles and ripe fruits are used for eating purpose as well as for syrups, jam and jelly. Major mango producing states are, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.  

It can be grown on variety of soil. Deep soil without any hard pan upto depth of 4 feet are required for mango cultivation. pH of soil should be less than 8.5%.

Dusheri: It is widely grown in a region. Fruits are ready to harvest in first week of July. Fruits are small to medium size, smooth having yellow color, sweet in taste and stone is of small size. Fruits are having better keeping quality. It is regular bearing crop. It gives average yield of 150kg fruits per tree.

Amrapali: It is a cross between Neelam and Dushehri varieties. It also bears regular fruits. The variety has small sized plant.

Mallika: It is a cross between Neelam and Dushehri varieties. It bears regular fruits.

Langra: Fruits are medium to large, smooth having lemon yellow color. Flesh is fibreless with fine test. Skin of fruit is medium thick. Fruits are ready to harvest in second week of July. It gives average yield of 100kg per plant.

Banglura: It gives fruit every year. The fruits are medium and long in size which is egg shaped and flat. The fruits are yellow in color which are aromatic. It is medium maturing variety.

Banganapalle: It is a local variety of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is stored for long time. The fruits are large, egg shaped and flat. The variety matures timely and is suitable for canning.

Ratna: The flower develops in December-February month and its harvesting should be done in first week of June. Fruits are egg shaped and lightly long in size.

Sindhu: The variety is developed by crossing between Ratna and Alphonso. The average weight of fruit is 215gm and peel is red in color. The total soluble content contains in fruit is 21%. 

Pant Sinduri: Fruits are medium shaped and spreading. The fruits have an average weight of 200gm which matures in last week of May to first week of June. Flesh is yellow in color. The total soluble content in fruit is 16.18%. it gives an average yield of 150kg/tree.
 
Ramkela

Chaunsa

Dusheri-51

Other state varieties:

Alphonso: Having great export potential. Fruits are of medium and oval size. Fruits are of greenish light yellow with light pinkish blush. Flesh is fibre free with superb test. Skin of fruit is thin and smooth. Fruits mature in first week of July.

Hybrids: Mallika, Ratna, Arka Arjun, Arka Puneet, Arka Anmol, Sindhu, Manjeera

Varieties: Alphonso, Bombay Green, Himsagar, Kesar, Neelam.

Do ploughing, cross ploughing of land and then levelled the land. Prepare land in such way that water stagnation should not occurred in field. After levelling take one more deep ploughing and then divide lands in blocks. Spacing is varied from place to place.  

Time of sowing
Planting is done in month of August-September also in February-March. Do planting in cool hours of evening. Protect crop from high wind.
 
Spacing
For grafted varieties use distance of 10m x 10m and plant them in square system.
 
Sowing Depth
Dug pits of "1x1x1m" size at distance of "10x10m" one month earlier before planting. Expose them to sun. fill with mixture of soil, 30 to 40 kg of FYM or Compost and 1 kg single super phosphate.
 
Method of sowing
Square and Hexagonal planting can be adopted. Hexagonal planting accommodates 15% more plants.

Seed Treatment

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/tree)

In first year, application of nitrogen@720gm/tree, phosphorus@180gm/tree and potash@675gm/tree is added. The dose is multiplied by the age of the plant. In 10th year and above, application of nitrogen@730gm/tree, phosphorus@180gm/tree and potash@680gm/tree should be added.

Sometime changing weather causes fruit and inflorescences drop. If fruit drop is observed to minimize it spray 13:00:45@20gm/Ltr of water. Use mulching to minimize temperature effect. For good flowering and yield, spray 00:52:34 @150 gm/15 Ltr of water twice at 8 days interval when flowering starts. It will prevent flower drop also.
 

Weeding and earthing up should be done around newly planted crop. Black plastic mulch (100 micron) is used to restrict weed growth. For young crop "1mx1m" black polythene mulch size is required where as "2.5 m x 2.5 m" is required for eight years and above tree. 

Irrigation should be given at the interval of 10 days in April-June month.

After planting remove inflorescence for better vegetative growth upto four years and at age of five, keep inflorescence for fruit formation. Duringn this period, intercrop can be taken as it help to give additional income also it help to reduce weed growth. Onion, tomato, Radish, Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflower also Moong, gram and Lentil etc. Peach, Plum and Papaya can be taken as intercrop.

• Pest and their control:
  

Mango Hopper: Infestation is observed mostly in February-March Month when crop is in flowering stage. They suck sap from inflorescence, leaves. On infection flower get sticky and sooty mould a black color fungus is developed on affected parts. 

Mango Fruit Fly: It is serious pest of mango. Females lay eggs below epidermis of young fruits. Later on maggots feed on pulp afterward fruits starts rotting and get drop. 

Stem Borer: Serious pest of mango crop. It create tunnel under bark and destroyed tree by feeding on internal tissue. Larva of stem borer excreta is observed outside of tunnel.

• Disease and their control

Powdery Mildew: Whitish powdery growth observed on inflorescence and the floral parts. In severe condition, they get drop. Also fruits, branches and floral part show dieback symptoms. 

Anthracnose or Dieback: Dark brown or black spots are observed on shoots. On fruits also small, raise, dark spots are observed.

Changing of fruit color is sign of fruit maturity. It usually required 15-16week after fruits set to get mature. Pick individual fruits with help of ladder or bamboo having sharp knife and having net to collect harvested fruits. Avoid falling of fruits on ground as it will damage fruits during storage. After harvesting, do sorting and grading of fruits according to size, color and then packed in boxes. Place harvested fruits on polynet upside down.

After harvesting dip fruits in water. Reject immature fruits which floats on water. After that place fruits in 25 gm/Ltr salt water. Fruits which float in salt water used for export. According to prevention of Food adulteration act (1954) ripening of any food by using Carbide gas is a crime. For uniform ripening of fruits , dip 100 kg fruits in 100 Ltr of water containing (62.5ml-187.5ml) Ethrel at 52±2°C for 5min within 4-8 days after harvesting. For fruit fly detection in export quality fruits VHT (vapour heat treatment) is compulsory. For this process use 3 days prior harvested fruits.