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Coorg mandarin tree under coffee shade Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Coorg mandarin (Kodagu shade-grown citrus)

The Coorg mandarin, locally called Coorg orange, is a loose-skinned mandarin selection of Citrus reticulata grown as a shade-tolerant fruit crop within the coffee plantations of Kodagu (Coorg), Hassan and Chikmagalur districts of Karnataka and parts of the Wayanad plateau of Kerala. It holds a Geographical Indication tag (GI No. 79). The crop differs from Nagpur and Kinnow mandarins in being a true shade-grown intercrop with coffee and pepper rather than a sole-orchard crop, and in its preference for the cool, high-rainfall (1500-3000 mm) lateritic hill soils of the Western Ghats above 800 m elevation.

Key characteristics

  • Scientific name: Citrus reticulata (mandarin orange).
  • Tree: medium-vigour, spreading; commercial bearing from year 5-6.
  • Fruit: medium (110-160 g), oblate, deep orange to orange-red rind; loose peel; juicy aromatic pulp with 11-13 deg Brix and 0.8-1.0% acidity; 12-18 seeds.
  • Maturity: December-February in Kodagu.
  • Yield: 30-50 kg per tree at full bearing under coffee shade; 8-12 t/ha at field densities of about 200 trees/ha intercropped with coffee.

Cultivation

Coorg mandarin is propagated by shield budding on Rangpur lime (Rangpur Lime Rootstock) and rough lemon (Rough Lemon Jamberi Rootstock) rootstocks. Within a coffee estate it is planted as scattered shade-and-yield trees at 6-8 m x 6-8 m, often replacing portions of the silver oak overstorey. The orchard does not receive separate irrigation in Kodagu because of the heavy monsoon rainfall, but supplementary basin irrigation during the December-March dry spell is increasingly recommended. Fertiliser is applied with the coffee schedule, typically 600 g N + 200 g P + 600 g K per mature tree split through the year. Crown opening — a once-in-3-years pruning of the dense canopy to admit light — has been re-emphasised by UAHS Shivamogga as productivity-lifting in old shaded orchards.

Pest and disease profile

The Coorg belt experienced a severe long-running citrus decline complex (Citrus Die Back Citrus Decline Complex) from the 1960s onwards, driven by citrus tristeza virus (Citrus Tristeza Virus India) on susceptible rough-lemon rootstocks, Phytophthora gummosis (Citrus Gummosis) on heavy-rainfall slopes, and citrus greening (Citrus Greening Hlb Candidatus). Production fell from a 1960s peak to less than a fifth by the 1990s, and although replanting with indexed material on Rangpur lime is reviving area, the belt has not regained its former extent. Citrus leaf miner, fruit fly and orchard mites are the main current pests.

Adoption and use

Coorg mandarin is consumed primarily as fresh fruit and supplies the Bangalore, Mysuru and north Kerala fresh-fruit markets through Madikeri, Virajpet and Somwarpet mandis. A small but significant share is processed into Coorg-brand orange squash and marmalade at cottage units in Madikeri and Kushalnagar. The GI tag and association with Kodagu coffee tourism support a niche premium-price segment.

See also: Citrus Nagpur Mandarin Vidarbha, Citrus Die Back Citrus Decline Complex, Citrus Tristeza Virus India, Rangpur Lime Rootstock.

Sources

  1. Coorg mandarin. ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru.
  2. Mandarin cultivation in Kodagu. University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga.
  3. Coorg Orange Geographical Indication. Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India.