Shrikishan Suman, a 55 years old farmer from Kota in Rajasthan, has developed an innovative mango variety which is a regular and round-the-year dwarf variety of mango.

Named as Sadabahar, it is resistant to most major diseases and common mango disorders. The fruit is sweeter in taste, comparable to langra and being a dwarf variety, is suitable for kitchen gardening, high-density plantation, and can be grown in pots for some years too.

Besides, the flesh of the fruits, which is borne round the year, is deep orange with sweet taste, and the pulp has very less fiber content which differentiates it from other varieties, the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement.

In 2000, Shrikishan identified a mango tree in his orchard with an appreciable growth trend, dark green colored leaves. He noticed that the tree bloomed round the year. On observing these traits, he prepared five grafted mango plants using it as a scion.

It took him about fifteen years to develop this variety by preserving and preparing the grafts. He noticed the grafted plants started bearing the fruits from the second year of grafting itself.

The innovative attributes of the variety have been verified by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), India, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.

NIF also facilitated an on-site evaluation of the variety through ICAR - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore, and a field testing at SKN Agriculture University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is in the process of being registered under the Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers Right Act and ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi.

NIF has also facilitated the plantation of Sadabahar mango variety in the Mughal Garden at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

For this evergreen variety developed, Shrikishan Suman was conferred the NIF’s ninth National Grassroots Innovation and Traditional Knowledge Award and subsequently recognised at various other fora. Through various channels, NIF has been making efforts towards dissemination of the information about the variety amongst farmers’ networks, government organisations, state agriculture departments, NGOs, etc.