Ramnagar Mango Grower Increases Yield Three Times Through High Density Plantation Technique

By Kailash Suyal

Ramnagar: Innovation and adaptation to modern methods are a key requirement in improving the agriculture and horticultural yields in the country. This has been demonstrated by a horticulturist in Ramnagar area of the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

Deep Belwal has increased his income three times by saying goodbye to traditional mango farming and adopting the Ultra High Density (UHD) technique. His mango produce tastes so good that it is in demand not only in India but abroad as well.

Belwal told ETV Bharat that under traditional mango farming around 40 trees are planted on one acre of land but the UHD technique allows planting of more than 500 mango trees in one acre. This translates into 1,333 trees per hectare. Not only this, the yield from these trees has also tripled.

Belwal chose to plant the 'Mallika' variety using the UHD technique developed by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI). This variety has been created by crossing the famous 'Neelam' of South India and the popular 'Dussehri' variety of North India. The result has been a very delicious variety that is being liked all over India as well as in the other countries.

Belwal disclosed, “One tree produces 50 to 60 kg of mango annually and each fruit weighs more than half a kilo." Last year he sold this mango in the market for Rs 70 per kg. Besides the taste, the Mallika has a much longer shelf life. It remains fresh for almost a fortnight.

"Like other UHD-developed fruits, the height of the mango tree is low and it grows only up to 7 to 10 feet. This makes pruning and caring of the plant very convenient," explained Belwal.

He further explained that 'canopy management' is the most important aspect of the UHD technique and in its absence the orchard can turn into a jungle.

"Due to the low height of the plant, a farmer can do the bagging, cutting and maintenance of the trees himself. This also eliminates the risk of the fruit falling on the ground. The quality is maintained and a good price is obtained in the market because of these factors making the enterprise a profitable deal," he added.

Belwal’s family has been into farming since 1880. While maintaining the legacy he has added the element of modern technique to it. He said, "As time changed, we also changed the methods of farming. UHD technique has given the right direction to our hard work."

He disclosed that he got the inspiration for using this technique from Dr. Santram who trained him and other farmers at the Govind Ballabh Pant University in Udham Singh Nagar. Belwal has used this technique to plant more than 2650 trees on two hectares of land.

It initially appeared to be a big investment for him but the benefits that he has reaped have made it worthwhile. He has been encouraging the other horticulturists to go in for high-density plantations to produce more from less land.

Horticulture Officer at Ramnagar Arjun Singh Parwal pointed out, “Belwal's mango cultivation with the help of UHD technique comes as an example for others to follow. It shows that if farmers adopt new techniques, better production can be achieved even from less land."