RAJSHAHI, Mar 05: Flowering a huge mango buds in maximum trees of the district ushers a bumper production of mango during the coming summer.
Mango trees in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts usually start blooming during late February to mid-March but due to an early advent of winter this year, the mango buds also bloomed earlier which is also a clear indication of climate change, informed environmentalists and plant researchers in Rajshahi.
Dr Monjur Hossain, professor of Rajshahi University, said it was unlikely that the mango trees will bud so early. Even in early January this year, some mango trees were seen budding. In this connection, he mentioned, sudden fluctuation of temperature might be a cause of such early budding. He said, the temperature during the Mid-December to early January dropped to 10 to 5.3 degree celsius which usually comes down in late January. The sudden drop of such temperature during winter was a clear indication that the climate was changing.
Prof Dr Monjur Hossain further mentioned an early flowering mango was a response of the sudden climate change. Such early flowering of mangoes and other summer fruits like Jackfruit and Litchi occurred due to 'external signal'- a term used by climate experts, of changing temperature.
Dr Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer of Mango Research Centre (Regional Horticulture Research Centre) in Chapainawabganj informed, there has been a behavioural change in plants due to alien nature of climate though, he said, despite such climatic condition, the prospect of mango during the ensuing season looks bright as there was bright sunshine and most of the mango trees of the region are still at its flowering stage.
Dr Alim Uddin, principal scientific officer of Regional Horticulture Research Centre in Rajshahi informed, it was unlikely that the mango will get budding so early a time. But, in some mango trees budding occurred in early January this year. In this connection, he mentioned that early budding occurs in some local varieties of mangoes and the mango trees across the river Padma (India). But, it was not clear why budding in mango trees occurred so early instead of mid-February to March.
Meanwhile, mango orchard owners of the district are now passing a busy time by taking care of their trees.
Mango cultivators Bacchu and Hanif of Maskatadighi under Kankakhali municipal area informed, this year there has been a huge mango budding in maximum trees. If the flowers do not burn by summer heat and there was no pest infestation, there will be a bumper production of mango, they mentioned.
An official of Mango Research Institute in Chapainawabganj said the prospect of mango seems inspiring during the coming season. Though there was an early budding in some trees due to sudden fluctuation of temperature, that would not hamper the total production. If the mango buds are not disturbed by storm, hail storm and heat, there will be a satisfactory production of mango in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts.
Meanwhile, our Nilphamari correspondent adds: Unprecedented flowering of mango is being visible at this stage across the district. As such excellent production of the most popular fruit is expected in this year if the climate remains favourable all along the season till the harvest of the fruit.
District horticulturist office sources said there are nearly 1,000 small and medium size mango orchards comprising more than one acre of land and nearly one million fruit bearing mango trees in each and every households of six upazila of the district. On the other hand thousands of new mango orchards of different size are on the process to be reared comprising high quality mango saplings that comprise such varieties like Hari bhanga, Khirsa pati, Gopal vog, Lengra and so on.
While contacted ex-president of Nilphamari chamber of commerce of industries Abdur Wahed Sarkar said he has a mango orchard of one hectare of land comprising saplings collecting from the sapling rearing farms of the district. He said all of his mango trees are of three to five years of age but all of those trees has been flowered extensively that delighted him very much.
Sources said Haribhanga mango saplings of Rangpur division origin are the main choice and favoured by most of the households of the district to be planted, reared and nurtured.
