Fruit Research Station at Sangareddy forecasts bumper mango yield this year, ‘Mango Mela’ in May

SANGAREDDY: The Fruit Research Station (FRS), the repository of over 470 varieties of mangoes developed by the Nizams, hopes for a bumper yield this time. The early setting of summer and the hot environment reduced pest infestation and also the fall of flowers.

Speaking to NewsTAP, Dr V Suchitra, senior scientist and head of FRS, said on Tuesday that the late flowering and reduced attack of downy mildew reduced the fall of flowers, a phenomenon that could reduce yield. “With the heat in flowering time attack of the mango hopper is reduced. We have found leaf-eating caterpillars, but we advise control of the caterpillars with pesticide,” she said.

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The scientists at the 161.5 acre FRS in Sangareddy, a very impressive fruit setting was in progress with at least 10 fruits per panicle. “This year we have four commercial varieties at the FRS, Himayat, Banganpally, Keshar, and Dasshari. We also have small varieties like Chinna Rasalu. If untimely rains or Gail winds don’t spoil the prospects, the harvest will be during the first fortnight of May and a ‘Mango Mela’ will be held on the FRS premises by that time,” she said.

Stud farm to FRS

The once-stud farm of the seventh Nizam, the FRS was developed as a research station for annonaceous fruits in 1941.

Later, various verities of mangoes were introduced including Benishan, Pedda Rasalu, Dasheri, Kesari, Totapuri, Mallika and Cheruku Rasalu, Bombay Beda, Khaju, Dilpasand, Azam-us-Samar, Hydera Saheb, Tokku kaya, Muthavar Pasand and others.

After the formation of the State, the FRS came under the Dr Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University in 2014.

Auction of mangoes

Every year, the FRS auctions the produce, while the crop is still on the trees to two to three merchants who would be harvesting the fruits and selling them by setting up shops either inside the FRS or outside on the Hyderabad-Mumbai highway.

The scientists at the FRS said that the Azam-us-Samar variety was the costliest that could fetch up to Rs 600 per kg, followed by Himayat at Rs.250 a kg.

However, pestilence and untimely rains hurt the yields in the FRS. With huge quantities of the exotic Alphonso and Nizam’s favourite Benishan varieties being dumped at the Hyderabad fruit market, the demand for the FRS mangoes came down.

Last year, the FRS sold 77 varieties of mangoes at the ‘Mango Mela’.