Surveying Mango Diversity and its Custodian Farmers in the States of Bihar and Jharkhand, India

In Bihar and Jharkhand, mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a very popular fruit grown extensively in the area with great economic importance for livelihood security of the orchardists. A survey was carried out in 35 districts of Bihar and 8 of Jharkhand based on a set of questionnaire and complemented by visits to the mango orchards in the region after the interaction with DHOs (office of District Horticulture Offi cers) and KVKs (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) of concerned districts about farmers growing more than 10 cultivars of mango in the locality. All surveyed farmers were men.

Through participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and interaction with mango growers, it was found that the Langra (vernacular name Maldah in the region) is the predominant cultivar of Bihar (likewise ‘Jardalu’ in Bhagalpur Region) and ‘Amrapali’ in Jharkhand. The unique local varieties which were conserved in the region are Jalbanda (large sized fruit with sweet at mature green stage), Jalmarai (uneven shape but very tasty with hard peel), Bhastara (syn. Baramasi, bearing twice in a year) Sabja (syn. Bombaiya, an early and sweet even at mature green stage), Dalma (syn. Kalkatia Malda, dark greened, large sized), Malda seedling (fruit weigh up to 750 g, superior in taste and sweetness compared to grafted one), Bhont (thin stoned, papaya shaped and mid maturing), Sinduria (earliest maturity), Raja (sweet and easily digestible), Kaveri, Bahadura, Balajee, Kerwa, Tairia (heavy fruit bearer with regularity), Baelkhash (leaves/fruits contains flavour of bael), Chitranjan (late maturity, taste like curd of buffalo milk), and ‘Gaurjeet, (good smelled and highly flavoured) of West Champaran which has an excellent market in the bordering area of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.