Bush Mango (Irvingia gabonensis): New Potential Multipurpose Fruit Tree for India

Bush mango (lrvingia gabonensis) is an African tree with edible yellow fruit resembling mangoes valued for its oil rich seed, fresh fruit, fuel, fibre, medicine, and hardy green termite resistant wood. Grows wildly in forest of tropical Africa. It offers considerable scope for enhancing the nutritional and economic security of subsistence farmers in India. In India, a large area is ideally suited to this tropical and subtropical fruit. In view of this, introduction of such plants from their centre of origin is necessary for enhancing the existing plant wealth. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) New Delhi is nodal organization engaged in the various activities related to exchange of plant genetic resources in the country. Acquisition of germplasm has become a priority due to latest development under Convention on Biological Diversity and other International treaties and laws. Realizing the importance of tropical fruits trees and their future potential in India, an attempt was made to introduce Bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis), a new potential tropical fruit and sent to different research station for their preliminary evaluation. Multilocation testing, multiplication and distribution will be done in later stage.