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Nagpur mandarin orchard, Vidarbha Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Nagpur mandarin (Vidarbha santra)

The Nagpur mandarin, locally called santra, is a loose-skinned mandarin selection of Citrus reticulata that has been grown in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra for more than 200 years and is the type-specimen of the commercial mandarin in India. Nagpur Orange holds a Geographical Indication tag (GI No. 248), and the commercial belt is centred on Katol, Kalmeshwar, Saoner, Narkhed and Warud tehsils of Nagpur and Amravati districts. ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (ICAR-CCRI), the national citrus institute, is located at Amravati Road, Nagpur because of this belt.

Key characteristics

  • Scientific name: Citrus reticulata (mandarin orange).
  • Tree: medium-vigour, spreading; commercial bearing from year 4-5.
  • Fruit: medium (130-180 g), oblate, deep orange rind that separates loosely from the segments; sweet pulp with 10-12 deg Brix and 0.8-1.0% acidity; 10-15 seeds.
  • Bahar: trees flower in two distinct flushes — ambia bahar (Jan-Feb, harvest Oct-Nov) and mrig bahar (Jun-Jul, harvest Feb-Mar). Most Vidarbha growers crop the mrig bahar on heavy black soils.
  • Yield: 40-60 kg per tree at full bearing; 12-18 t/ha under conventional 6 m x 6 m spacing.

Cultivation

Nagpur mandarin is propagated by shield budding, traditionally on Rangpur lime rootstock (Rangpur Lime Rootstock), although ICAR-CCRI has released improved rootstocks (X-639, Sour orange) for replanting in CTV-endemic areas. Spacing is conventionally 6 m x 6 m on Vidarbha black cotton soils; ICAR-CCRI has demonstrated 6 m x 3 m and 5 m x 5 m high-density plantings to lift early yields (Citrus Spacing Canopy Collapse). The defining operation is bahar treatment: the orchard is withheld irrigation for 45-60 days to induce stress, then heavily irrigated with NPK to force a synchronous flowering flush. Mrig bahar is the preferred crop because the black soils retain enough moisture through the post-monsoon harvest. Drip irrigation with mulching has begun replacing flood basins to manage Phytophthora gummosis and the broader citrus decline complex.

Pest and disease profile

Citrus greening / huanglongbing (Citrus Greening Hlb Candidatus), citrus tristeza virus (Citrus Tristeza Virus India) on susceptible rootstocks, and Phytophthora gummosis (Citrus Gummosis) together drive the long-running citrus dieback complex (Citrus Die Back Citrus Decline Complex) that has shortened orchard productive life in Vidarbha from 30-35 years in the 1970s to 12-18 years today. Asian citrus psylla (Citrus Psylla Diaphorina Citri), citrus leaf miner, citrus blackfly and orchard mites are the main insect pests. ICAR-CCRI's Citrus Estate model — a community pack-house plus indexed-nursery hub — is the recommended turnaround approach.

Adoption and use

About 1.7 lakh hectares of mandarin orchards are concentrated in the Nagpur-Amravati belt, supplying fresh-fruit markets across central and southern India through the Kalmana, Saoner and Warud APMCs. Processing into RTS juice and squash is rising at small-scale units in Katol and Warud but remains a fraction of the fresh-fruit trade. Nagpur Orange (GI) labelling is mandatory for branded export and large-format retail consignments.

See also: Citrus Kinnow Mandarin Punjab, Citrus Die Back Citrus Decline Complex, Citrus Greening Hlb Candidatus, Rangpur Lime Rootstock.

Sources

  1. Nagpur mandarin cultivation. ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur.
  2. Mandarin orange package. National Horticulture Board.
  3. Nagpur Orange Geographical Indication. Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India.