Blooms hint blooming mango crop, notwithstanding early flowering due to warm winters

It's as if almost each and every tree is trying to flaunt their blossoms in Lucknow mango belt this time. So profuse and rapid had been the flowering this time that all trees are laden with massive bloom. The flowering this time also been a month early than the normal, reports Pankaj Jaiswal.

It's as if almost each and every tree is trying to flaunt their blossoms in Lucknow mango belt this time. So profuse and rapid had been the flowering this time that all trees are laden with massive bloom. The flowering this time also been a month early than the normal.

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"The situation is more or less similar in all the mango belts and pockets in UP-be it Saharanpur, Unnao, Pratapgarh, Bulandsher, Meerut or Barabanki. We expect good crop this time if weather continues conducive," said Padmshree mango grower, Kalimullah Khan, Malihabad.

Lucknow mango belt is spread over district's three blocks--Mall, Malihabad and Kakori. And is famous for its dussheri variety of mangoes.

The belt produces 4.8 lakh metric tonnes from the cultivation area of 24,000 hectare. It is the most productive mango belt in the country with average yield of nineteen metric tonnes per hectare, while national average is just six metric tonnes per hectare.

Early flowering has been attributed to the warmth in initial winters. "Normally, flowering phase ends in early February. But this time it ended in early January. Abundant flowering is not due to warmth alone. Last year the crop had virtually failed. The trees did not have much fruits then. Due to this the trees' vitality remained conserved. This vitality too is a factor behind the early and profuse flowering," said Khan.

The president of Mango Growers' Association of India, Insram Ali said: "There is so much flowering that even its being early may not damage the good productivity prospects. Even after some shedding of flowers or buds, there would be a lot left."

While Khan said that the little rain that we had recently too was good for productivity. It has washed the trees that would boost the organic processes in the trees and at the same time kills lot of larvae of pests.

Mango blossoms have brought joy among the growers. They anticipate a bumper crop this year.

"Over ninety per cent trees in the belt are laden with profuse flowering and now fruit-setting (flower changing into fruit) is awaited. But still weather would play important role in how the crop would behave," said Ali.

Mango is a climate-sensitive crop. The growers watch even minute undesirable fluctuations in weather conditions with bated breath.

The Dussehri mangos season for a consumer is between May end to July. However, the season for a grower starts in December, because this is the time when they begin to tend the trees. Now, they are busy to protect plants against pests.