'Demo orchard' of hybrid mango varieties ready in Nurpur

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, April 27

The state Horticulture Department, which started developing a progeny-cum-demonstration orchard (PCDO) of hybrid and regular mango plants at Jachh, near here in 2021, has successfully grown 605 plants of six varieties. The orchard is now ready for demonstration and becoming an attraction for fruit growers in the sub-tropical zone of lower Kangra hills.

The benefits

• Hybrid mango varieties start bearing fruit in three years; traditional varieties take 6-7 years for doing so
• 1,111 plants of these varieties can be grown on one hectare, as against only 100 plants of traditional varieties
• The growers can also resort to inter-cropping for cultivating seasonal vegetables in their orchards

The Rs 1,135-crore World Bank-funded project was approved during the previous BJP regime in 2020-21. The department is all set to attract fruit growers who have been growing traditional mango varieties and persuade them to switch to Pusa Arunima, Pusa Lalima, Pusa Surya, Pusa Shrestha, Malika and Chausa hybrid varieties.

Interestingly, these mango varieties will enter the market between August 20 and September 10 when all other mango varieties are exhausted. The Horticulture Department procured these varieties from Pusa Institute, Delhi, and the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CSIR), Lucknow, in 2020-21.

Dr Kamal Sheel Negi, Deputy Director (Horticulture), Kangra, said mango was the main cash fruit crop in the sub-tropical area of the state, but the production of traditional varieties was very low.

“The use of latest orchard techniques, including drip irrigation, in growing new hybrid mango varieties will ensure higher productivity and remunerative market price for the yield,” he said.

Negi exhorted growers to visit this orchard and switch to new hybrid mango varieties. The department would provide them saplings of these varieties in a phased manner, he added.