The Fruit Research Station (FRS) here would supply high quality sapling of different mango varieties developed at a Mother Block getting ready on its premises.
FRS is the only research station in both the Telugu States which is taking up the development of a mother block facility, which would develop quality scion sticks of all important varieties of mangoes.
It will have table fruits varieties like Banganapally (Benisha), Himayat, Dasheri and Kesar, juice variety fruits like Pedda Rasam, Chinna Rasam and pickle varieties Navaneetham, Jalal, Tellagulabi and Amini. Other varieties will also have two to three saplings each in this mother block.
National project
The project is being taken up with the financial assistance from National Horticulture Board, which has been promoting such Mother Blocks for high pedigree material of fruit crops in horticulture research stations across the nation, FRS senior scientist Kiran Kumar said. The mother block is set to come up in 10 acres area in the FRS. Land has been made ready with digging of pits in equal distance and planning it in such a way that one can see from one end to the other. Drip irrigation system has already been set in place.
The scientists are planning to plant 150 saplings per acre and each plant was expected to produce between 150 to 200 scion sticks, which would be about 10 c.m. length and with required strength for grafting that would be taken up after cutting the scion stick.
After four years
It will take about four years to get quality scion sticks from the trees that would grow from the saplings that would be planted at the mother block.
“The total project cost is about ₹34.5 lakh spread for five years and part of the amount has already been released by the National Horticultural Board. We will offer best, genuine, healthy and quality plants for the farmers from this centre, which is the only one that supplies mango saplings in the both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” Dr. Kiran Kumar said.
