Abstract

CONSERVATION OF THE DIVERSITY OF INDIGENOUS MANGO (MANGIFERA INDICA L.) VARIETIES IN THE WESTERN GHATS FOR FUTURE POSTERITY

Dudhate B. K.*, Gadgile D. P., Gawate A. B., Mandge S. V.

Abstract

India has perhaps the amplest collection of mango (Mangifera indica L.) varieties on the earth. Indigenous mango varieties were first cultivated in the Western Ghats region of the country. Production of Alphonso mango is the chief characteristic of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. This excellent variety is focused on because of its huge demand which resulted in the neglect of many traditional varieties grown in the Western Ghats. Some of these are on the way to extinction. Many versatile plants, fruit trees, and their varieties are becoming scarce in the North Western Ghats of Sahyadri hills. Even conservation of these varieties is not yet attempted. Considering this fact, this is the only introductory research, future investigations must focus on analyzing and restoring the genetic variation in the traditional mango varieties. Conservation of these local mangoes is a must for future generation use.

Keywords: Diversity, Indigenous Mango, Western Ghats, Extinction, Conservation.