A Bhagalpur farmer known for his mango cultivation in the region claimed to have developed a tree that can produce different varieties of the fruit three times in a season.

Ashok Choudhary (55) has used grafting technology on a jardalu tree to develop fruits at three intervals between May and October. He claimed after the grafting process is complete, mangoes of different varieties would start developing after three years.

People in Bhaglapur call Choudhary the "mango man" for his contribution to the cultivation of the king of fruits. In 2010, Choudhary was awarded the Kisan Sree honour by the state government for best mango production over the years. Now, with his innovation, people could be able to enjoy the juicy fruit from May to October against the usual July.

Choudhary, the chairman of Bihar Mango Federation, an organisation of mango cultivators in the state, has developed over 72 varieties of mango. His new experiment would provide fruits three times in a year - early variety (May-June), middle variety (June-first half of August) and late variety (second half of August-October).

At his Madhuvan nursery, some 18km east of Bhagalpur, next to National Highway 80, Choudhary said he always preferred producing better qualities of mango.

On the grafting technology he used, Choudhary said: "It's a multi-variety tree with a single head. I experimented on a jardalu tree in the orchard with grafting technology. I fixed different branches of different varieties of mango plants to the mother plant. The fruits developed after the grafting process was complete."

Umakant Jaiswal, a senior faculty member in the horticulture department of Bihar Agriculture University (BAU), Sabour, explained the scientific process. "Such development is only possible with grafting technology, better known as multi-variety propagation. In this, the variety to be grafted to the mother plant is developed in such a way that it maintains the original character. The dominating gene of the grafted plant then leads to the offshoots," said Jaiswal.

Choudhary claimed such a feat has been achieved for the first time in and around Bhagalpur. "People like me in this country develop different varieties of mangoes in a single tree. In that case, jardalu, himsagar and gulabkhash can develop in one tree at the same time. But it is for the first time in this region that such a mango tree has been developed that can provide fruits three times in a season," he said.

Bombay, jardalu, himsagar and gulabkhash varieties of mangoes have developed in the early variety now. Malda and bharatbhog would develop in the middle variety and fazli, Mallika, Amrapali, Ratna and kesar would develop in the late variety. "Fruits of the early variety are almost ready and some of the produce has been harvested already," Choudhary said.

BAU's faculty member Jaiswal welcomed Choudhary's efforts. He said: "This process would bring in a new revolution in mango cultivation in these areas.

The other farmers in the area should also utilise this technology to bring changes in the production cycle of mangoes."