Coloured mango, Falsa of Rajshahi get NSB recognition

Two fruits, coloured mango and the 'Falsa,' got registration from the authorities of National Seed Board. The coloured mango was carried from Saudia Arabia while the 'Falsa' is an indigenous fruit of Rajshahi.

According to sources, after conducting research with these two fruits for a long time, scientists of Horticulture Research Centre in Rajshahi applied for registration of the fruits to National Seed Board.

The fruit 'Falsa', an indigenous fruit of Rajshahi is, however, got registration for the first time in the country. It has been renamed as 'BARI Falsa-1' while the coloured mango has been named as 'BARI Mango-14'. There are also some more registered coloured mangoes in the country.

The newly registered coloured mango variety was carried to the country from Saudia Arabia while the 'Falsa' tree was available in Rajshahi Horticulture Centre.

According to sources, former Chief Scientific Officer Golam Murtuza of Chapainawabganj Horticulture Research Centre went to Saudia Arabia and worked in a Mango orchard there as a Researcher. In 2010 he collected several branches of 'Tomyatkins' variety of mango and after returning to the country, he gave those branches to Rajshahi Horticulture Research Centre. The branches were then grafted (taped) in ten-more branches.

Dr. Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Rajshahi Horticulture Research Centre informed, though tapes of the mango branches were made in 10 branches, nine of those died. Only one grafted branch remained alive. From the grafted branch, now four mother-saplings have been developed and all those are grown and bearing fruits. For the last 10-year, data and information of the mango trees are being collected. Coloured mango, fruits are now being plucked from the tree in almost every year.

It is learnt, the marooned coloured mango is ripened at the end of the month of July. The average weight of the mango is 550 gramme with its 75.35 percent of consumable parts. The average sweetness of the mango is 22.83 per cent while the mango is 10.83 centimetre in length and 8.49 centimetre in breadth.

Meanwhile, the data and information of a 20-year aged 'Falsa' tree at Rajshahi HRC was collected by the scientists for the last 10-year. Full in vitamin and minerals, this sweet-sour tasted fruit is very popular to the children. This fruit ripened in May-June and the fruit turns black or violet when riped. The fruit is 5 to 12 millimetre in radius.

It is possible to cultivate this mango and the Falsa elsewhere in the country. On December-31 last, Director General of Seed of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Secretary of National Seed Board gave approval and registration of these two fruits.

Dr. Alim Uddin informed, after getting registration, they would now start production of more saplings of the fruits. He hoped, these new varieties will spread elsewhere in the country soon.