Trends and challenges in mango nursery production in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is the fifth largest mango growing country in the world. Despite being second most important fruit to the national economy, mango nursery production remained an under-developed enterprise in the country. Districts of Multan, Rahim Yar Khan (Punjab) and Mir Pur Khas (Sindh) are the leading areas for mango production due to large sales volumes estimated collectively about 0.12 million plants per annum. Inarching was the most preferred method for clonal propagation until late seventies. However, introduction of polyethylene grafting tape promoted the more efficient and cost-effective method of T-grafting which was later replaced by side grafting. Despite advances in propagation, raising seedling rootstocks from seed continued under trees or around commercial mango orchards which encouraged the proliferation of diseases like malformation, anthracnose and mango sudden death syndrome early in the trees life. Recently, Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkage Program (ASLP) funded by Australian Center for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), highlighted the problem and began to establish and popularize the concept of modern disease free mango nurseries. Their efforts are duly supported by Punjab Fruit and Vegetable Development Project (F and VDP). Work has been undertaken on development of potting mixtures using the indigenous low-cost ingredients and "Mango Germplasm Units" for provision of sanitized and true-to-type bud wood are being established. These efforts will provide basis for the nursery certification program launched by Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department. A few commercial nursery operators have taken the cleaner nurseries initiatives that show the beginning of a new era of future mango nurseries in the country. © ISHS 2013.