Legends have it that back in 327 B.C., the great Alexander found a mango garden in the Indus Valley. Ameer Khurso, poet and saint from Turkoman, composed a poem on mango as early as 1330 A.D. And the great Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have planted more than a million mango trees in this garden which was named as Lakh Bagh.

Mango is a popular fruit in India and is commercially cultivated in several states like West Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. In India, mango is cultivated over an area of 2500 thousand hectares with an annual produce of 12750 thousand metric tons. While a variety of types are cultivated and exported, Alphonso is very popular choice among foreigners.

In Punjab’s sub-moutane belt comprising Hoshiarpur Roop Nagar, Gurudaspur, Mohali, Fatehpur Sahib and Patiala districts, mango is grown in aplenty. In the recent times, mango production has spread across to canal irrigation areas of north India, and credit goes to organizations like HPM India for helping farmers with technical guidance and proper chemical usages to grow the fruit in large quantities. HPM India is a popular agrochemical supplier and offers consulting services to farmers to enhance their agricultural produce. It has an array of Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) which are popular in the market. 24 KARAT is a popular PGR product and is used extensively by farmers across India.

Mango can grow in various types of soil; however, soils with poor draining properties should be avoided. Also, mango tree does not grow well in soils with high pH level, more than 7.8 is the upper limit. Alluvial soil with mix of organic matter and pH level between 6.5 to 7.5 is ideal for mango trees. Though it is tropical fruit, the tree grows well in sub-tropical conditions. Rain or frost during the time of flowering can be harmful; temperature for the growth of mango is 22 – 27°C.

Besides being a popular fruit for its sweet taste, Mango tree is very useful for cattle care as well. In the shortage of fodder, mango leaves are fed to cows, goats, buffaloes and other domestic herbivores. Leaves are also used in various religious ceremonies in Hindu rituals. Additionally, mango tree has numerous medicinal properties: its wood is precious and is used to make furniture and to make fuel. As a fruit, it is a source of Vitamin A and C and mango pulp is laxative in nature and has some typical nutritional value. Also, the fruit is used at different stages of maturity like, pickles, curries and chautneys. While the ripe fruit is taken after meal, various types of food products (jams, jelleys, nector, soft drinks) are prepared from the juice or pulp

Out of the several varieties, some of the popular ones are discussed below:

Alphonso: It is a popular type with high exporting potential. It is grown across India, but grown in large quantities in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat.

Dusehari: This is a popular breed among people in north India. trees are moderately vigorous with rounded top and the fruit is oblong with rounded base.

Fazli: It is largely cultivated in Bihar and in parts of West Bengal. The tree bears large-sized fruits, which remain light green even at ripening, with stone heaving little fibre. Fazli ripens in July.

Langra: After Dusehari, Langra is an important type grown in north India. The fruit (with very strong and pleasant flavor) is medium in size and turn light green during maturity.