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Alphonso mango

Alphonso, locally called Hapus, is a premium Indian mango cultivar grown on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, principally in Ratnagiri and Devgad districts. It received a Geographical Indication tag in 2018 covering the Konkan region (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Palghar and Thane districts) and is the highest-priced Indian mango in domestic and export markets.

Key characteristics

  • Origin: Konkan coast (Ratnagiri, Devgad), Maharashtra
  • GI registration: 2018, Konkan region
  • Fruit weight: 150-300 g
  • TSS: 18-22 deg Brix
  • Pulp: completely fibreless, deep saffron-orange, with intense floral aroma
  • Skin: thin, saffron-yellow at full ripeness

Cultivation

Alphonso is propagated by softwood grafting on local mango seedling rootstock and planted at conventional spacings of 8-10 m, with ultra-high-density variants (Mango Orchard Establishment Hdp) also adopted. The crop requires hot dry weather during flowering and fruit development, which the Konkan coast provides between November and May. Canopy training and pruning (Mango Canopy Training Pruning) and flowering management with KNO3 and paclobutrazol (Mango Flowering Management) are common in commercial orchards.

Pest and disease profile

Major constraints include mango hopper, mealybug, fruit fly (Fruit Fly Orchard Pest), powdery mildew and anthracnose. Pre- and post-flowering sprays of approved insecticides and fungicides, combined with sanitation and pheromone trapping, form the basis of integrated management.

Adoption and use

Devgad and Ratnagiri fruits differ subtly: Devgad fruits are typically bolder and sweeter, while Ratnagiri fruits are slightly more citrus-forward. The variety is sold primarily as fresh table fruit and is also processed into mango pulp, slices and aam papad (Mango Value Addition Rolls Thandra). Alphonso is the principal Indian mango sold in European and Gulf premium markets.

See also: Mango Banganapalli Beneshan, Mango Kesar, Mango Himayat Himam Pasand, Mango Dasheri, Mango Totapuri, Fruit Fly Orchard Pest.

References

  1. Alphonso mango. Wikipedia.
  2. GI Tag for Alphonso Mango (Ratnagiri and Devgad). Ratnagiri Hapus.