Bad weather could affect mango crop in Karnataka

The recent unseasonal rains and cloudy conditions in parts of Karnataka could impact the mango crop for the second consecutive year, with a technical committee constituted by the government mango board terming 2022 as an 'off year' for the beloved fruit.

"The major concern of experts is the high level of moisture in the soil," said K V Nagaraju, Chairperson, Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Ltd (KSMDMCL).

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"Unseasonal rains have also hampered the flower initiation process. Despite winter setting in, it is still raining in many parts due to which congenial weather conditions have not been created for the flowering process. Dry and cold weather is necessary for mango flowers to blossom."

Nagaraju said that farmers must drain out excess stagnant water in the fields to enable land to dry quickly rather than wait for it to evaporate on its own.

According to technical experts, the flower initiation process begins in November-December (winter) months.

"Although good vegetative growth is observed, there is no guarantee that it will give a good yield. The estimation of yield can be done only after full-fledged flowering," a botanist said.

Nagaraju said that even if plants are "healthy", it doesn't mean "they will bear flowers and fruits". He pointed out that the delay in flowering will lead to an increase in the waiting period for the availability of fruits.

The delay in the flowering process is expected to hit the production period that will overlap with the rainy season.

"If it rains during the fruiting season, it will lead to fly infestation and the entire crop will be wiped out. We have been sensitising farmers about this threat and need for the spray before and after flowering," Nagaraju said.

In the 2021 mango season, the KSMDMCL sold 72.71 tonnes of mangoes through the online portal Karsiri, which received a total of 22,371 orders.

As many as 24,239 boxes or 72.71 tonnes of mangoes were sold to 47,740 buyers, with the total sale value amounting to Rs 1.10 crore.

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