BENGALURU: A new late-season variety of mango ‘Arka Udaya’ has been identified by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) at Hessaraghatta in Bengaluru. It will be released in the markets by next year. It is a sweet, high-yielding variety of mango with a long shelf-life.
Arka Udaya has some special traits. It can stay fresh at room temperature for about 10 days without refrigeration. It is a late-season variety and yields after other mango fruit trees have stopped fruition. The tree bears fruit every year.
Arka Udaya has been grown at IIHR and the mango trees were planted close to each other on one acre. The yield was high at around eight tonnes. M R Dinesh, Head of the Divison of Fruit Crops, is in charge of this plant-breeding project. He told Express, “Farmers can come by and collect some plant materials from the institute. Tissue culture is difficult in mango and we use the method of grafting to multiply the plant material. We are distributing the grafts through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and agricultural universities for more testing.”
Dr Dinesh added, “Arka Uday was grown in IIHR fields on a plot of about an acre. The trees were planted at a density of five by five metres.”
Arka Udaya is a hybrid made by crossing Arka Amprapali with Arka Anmol, both varieties released from IIHR earlier.
Arka Amprapali is a hybrid from Dasheri and Neelam so it is sweet and the pulp can be scooped out and eaten. Arka Anmol is a cross from Alphonso and Janardhan Pasand. Arka Udaya has all the good traits of these varieties.
Dr Dinesh said, “The tree is a regular bearer. We have identified it at the institute level. Farmers can pick up some plant material from the institute. We hope to release it into markets in a year.”
Farmers can contact the Director, IIHR, Arka Udaya.
Superior Traits of Arka Udaya