Challenges in Mango Cultivation
Even in favorable years, mangoes remain one of the most challenging fruit crops to cultivate due to their reliance on a precise balance of climate, tree physiology, and farming practices.
Achieving this balance is vital for India, the world's largest mango producer, which harvests 23 million tonnes annually—accounting for nearly one-fifth of the country's total fruit output.
However, many farmers have faced increasing difficulties in mango cultivation in recent years.
"Mango farming has become unpredictable,"says Upendra Singh, a 62-year-old farmer managing 16 acres in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh. He is the fourth generation in his family to farm mangoes and began working on the farm at age 12.
"Seasons no longer follow a pattern. Flowering, fruiting, and harvesting all shift every year because of climate change,"Singh explains.
"Input costs have gone up—pesticides, labour, irrigation—but yields have declined. Farmers are spending more money but earning less from mango orchards."
Varieties and Regional Cultivation
India cultivates nearly 700 mango varieties, with regional preferences shaping dominant types: Dasheri in northern India, Alphonso in Maharashtra, and Langra and Malda in Bihar and West Bengal.
Despite regional differences, climate change impacts all farmers.
"With erratic weather patterns becoming the norm, mango farming is under pressure,"states Dr. Hari Shankar Singh, a scientist at the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (ICAR).
"Mango is highly temperature-dependent,"he adds.
"Last year, flowering occurred early, strong winds damaged fruit development, maturity accelerated, and much of the crop was lost. This year, prolonged low temperatures in north India delayed flowering altogether."
Research and Breeding Efforts
To enhance farmer resilience, researchers are developing mango varieties tolerant to broader temperature ranges and resistant to pests and diseases. However, progress is slow because mango trees require five to ten years to flower after breeding.
Mango trees are heterozygous, meaning offspring rarely resemble their parents, complicating breeding efforts.
"Mango breeding is a multi-decade scientific commitment, not a quick innovation,"notes Hari Singh.
Genetic science has accelerated this process. In 2016, ICAR led a team that successfully sequenced the mango genome, focusing on the Alphonso variety.
"Mango genome sequencing allows researchers to identify genes linked to fruit colour, aroma, sweetness, flowering behaviour, climate resilience, and disease tolerance,"Hari Singh explains.
"This has significantly reduced the 10 to 20 years traditionally needed for mango breeding."
Adoption of New Varieties and Techniques
Farmers are open to adopting innovations when available. Upendra Singh has planted a new "coloured mango" variety at higher density than his older orchard.
"The biggest advantage of coloured varieties is they give fruit every year. Traditional varieties like Dasheri and Langra often have off years,"he says.
Modern cultivation techniques also contribute to improved outcomes.
"Scientific pruning, canopy management, and growth regulators are used to control tree size, induce flowering, and manage early or uniform harvests,"Singh adds.
ICAR promotes several methods to enhance crop quality.
One such innovation is "bagging," where each fruit is enclosed in a breathable protective cover during early development.
"This method creates a controlled micro-environment around the fruit, reducing exposure to insect infestation, fungal pathogens, mechanical damage, and excessive solar radiation,"says Dr. T Damodaran, Director of ICAR.
Another technique recommended by ICAR is "girdling," which involves making a narrow, controlled ring cut on selected branches. This induces stress that redirects the tree's energy toward flowering and fruit development.
Older orchards can be rejuvenated by pruning trees to heights between 14 and 18 feet.
"Once rejuvenated, flowering improves dramatically, fruit size increases, and most fruits become A-grade instead of B or C grade,"Hari Singh states.
Scientific Cultivation and Future Directions
For Neeti Goel, mango farming began as a hobby a decade ago when she planted a few trees out of curiosity. Today, she manages over 1,100 trees across 27 acres in Alibaug, Maharashtra.
"Instead of traditional trial-and-error farming, we use scientific mango cultivation,"she explains.
"We start every season with soil and leaf analysis. Without that, fertiliser application is guesswork, not farming. Micronutrients like boron and zinc play a decisive role in fruit, so ignoring them directly impacts yield."
Her next step involves constructing greenhouses to control temperature.
"We have started building greenhouses so that the temperature can be controlled. If one does not adopt innovative methods we are doomed,"Goel warns.
Export Challenges and Greenhouse Cultivation
Saravanan Achari, founder of Berrydale Foods, which exports Indian mangoes to 13 countries, emphasizes pest management as a major concern.
"Export markets demand zero tolerance on pests. Even if inspectors find a single fruit fly, the entire consignment is discarded, leading to huge losses,"he says.
Climate change complicates pest control as fruit flies appear after rainfall, but unpredictable rainfall patterns cause pests to emerge at varying times.
"Climate change has become the single biggest risk factor for mango exports today,"Achari states.
To address this, Berrydale is experimenting with greenhouse cultivation.
"Countries like Japan and Israel are already using greenhouse and protected cultivation because they face similar climate challenges. Indian farmers will also have to move in this direction if we want consistent quality and reliable exports,"Achari concludes.
