KRISHI DARSHAN AMBA NI VAIGNANIK KHETI PADDHATI

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is the most important commercially grown fruit crop of the country. It is called the king of fruits. India has the richest collection of mango cultivars. Mango is one of the major fruit crops of Gujarat. Alphonso and Kesar varieties are grown for export and many more for consumption like Aangra, Rajapuri, Amrapali, Jamadar, Totapuri, Neelum, Dashehari etc. In Gujarat, it is cultivated on an area of 0.16 million hectare with production of 1.20 million tonnes (Anon. 2017-18 NHB database). Raw fruits of local varieties of mango trees are used for preparing various traditional products like raw slices in brine, amchur, pickle, murabba, chutney, sharabat etc. Presently, the raw fruit of local varieties of mango are used for preparing pickle and raw slices in brine on commercial scale while fruits of Alphonso variety are used for squash in coastal western zone. The mango kernel also contains about 8-10% good quality fat which can be used for saponification. Its starch is used in confectionery industry. Mango also has medicinal uses. It is a rich source of vitamin A and C. The fruit is consumed raw or ripe. The ripe fruit has fattening, diuretic and laxative properties. It helps to increase digestive capacity.In mango, many problems are associated with fruit set, yield and quality due to imbalance supply of nutrients and it results in poor health of plants, fruit quality, increase in fruit drop and moreover the unhealthy plants are also more prone to attack of insect-pest and diseases result in reduction of export of mango fruits. Scientific and advance technological information helps to mango growers for making Gujarat a strong mango growing state for providing income generation through production, value addition and export of fresh and processed product, employment opportunities and nutritional security.