Intensive Cultivation of Mango Using Ultra-High Density Planting (UHDP), and Drip and Fertigation Technologies for Higher Productivity

Availability of arable land for extending mango cultivation has been a limitation over the years. Considering the continual increase in human population and land use pressure in the country, there is limited scope to expand the area. India has the largest area under Mango crop; however the productivity is one of lowest among the mango growing countries. The reasons for low yields are many: large number senile orchards, traditional methods of cultivation, mostly rain-fed or with occasional flow irrigation during fruit development, poor attention to the canopy, nutrition, pest and diseases, and lack of use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), lack of awareness among farmers of modern techniques like micro-irrigation and fertigation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Integrated Nutrition Management (INM), and modern post-harvest management methods. The observations and the results of experiments carried out have shown that to get optimum benefits of UHDP in several mango cultivars, the strict adherence to the following important aspects of practices are required. The Research and Development team of Jain Irrigation carried out a number of field trials, with high and ultra-high density plantation techniques in mango and tried to determine, irrigation and fertilizer requirement using drip technology and based on the results of soil and leaf analysis for targeted yields, and crop regulation by optimum canopy management and use of Placobutrazol (PBZ) for early uniform and regular flowering. They followed, IPM, Global-GAP and standardized, a package of practices for mango cultivars, under high density (4.5 m X 4.5 m) and ultra- high density mango (3 m X 2 m). The composite mango production technology thus developed over a period of 14 years in the R,D&D farm of JISL is now extended to many growers in the country.

The mango yields increased two to three times, the gestation period for the first harvest was reduced to three to four years, the quality of fruits were good for export and fruiting was regular even in shy-bearing cultivars like Alphonso and Himampasand. JISL is the only organization in the country which has invested quite a large funds and supported its research and extension team in educating farmers in improved agro-techniques and expose them to latest technologies.