Fresh ’n’ pricey: An array of Gulab Khas and Alphonso, priced between Rs 60 and Rs 700 a kg, at a shop in Ranchi on Monday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, April 6: When it comes to the king of fruits, more is always merrier.

If horticulturists are to be believed, there will be a bumper yield of mangoes this year. Over 80,000 tonnes of fruit is expected to be harvested in 2010 compared to 15,000-20,000 tonnes last year.

According to horticulture scientists at Birsa Agriculture University (BAU) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research complex at Palandu, mango trees bear fruit every alternate year. This happens to be the fruit-bearing year and very good flowering has been noticed in mango trees, heralding a bumper crop.

Another reason for the high yield, said scientists, was favourable floral induction temperature (11°C to 14°C in October-November), which helped more flowers grow. Mango is a sub-tropical fruit, which grows on any kind of soil.

In Jharkhand, as part of the National Horticulture Mission, new mango trees (Amrapali variety) have been planted over 30,000 hectares. An intensive plantation drive has also been carried as part of state-sponsored schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Going by data collected by horticulturists, the yield of popular mango varieties like Amrapali and Malika varies between 12 to 13 tonnes per hectare. Where there is high density cultivation — effective utilisation of land with trees planted close to each other — the yield is close to 25 tonnes per hectare.

For varieties like Himsagar, Dashari and Langra, the yield is six tonnes per hectare. In Jharkhand, the mango growing areas are Godda, Santhal Pargana, Hazaribagh and Ranchi. BAU is also promoting early maturing varieties of mangoes in Dumka, Sahebganj, Jamtara, East Singhbhum and Seraikela.

Speaking to The Telegraph, BAU professor Prashant Kumar said late flowering usually indicated abundant fruits.

Though buoyed by the projected high yield, scientists warned that due to high temperature, retention would be difficult. The remedy suggested was watering the trees every four or five days, followed by adopting the Milch technique, which entails covering the ground with straw to prevent evaporation.

Bikash Das, a scientist working at the Palandu research complex also confirmed that the yield this year would be very high, especially of the Amrapali variety.

He suggested promotion of high density orchards to increase profitability. “With high-density plantations, yields can be doubled,” he said.

Research director of BAU, B.N. Singh, said the Kesar variety of mango, which grows in Gujarat, could also be cultivated in Jharkhand for export to West Asia.

In Jharkhand, 1,40,000 hectares are under fruit cultivation.