India will soon adopt an Israeli technology to rejuvenate mango trees that will increase the productivity of the crop.
The National Horticultural Board has placed orders for two Israeli machines Canopy Management Pruning Machine which can mechanically rejuvenate trees in large areas, NHB Managing Director, Mr Bijay Kumar said.
“Even as the area under mango production is increasing every year, the productivity has not gone up as there is an urgent need for rejuvenation of the trees, but farmers are averse to cut or prune their plants, which is affecting productivity,” he said.
The machines are a set of five equipments, which can pluck fruits that reduces post harvest losses and can also be used for spraying, Mr Kumar said, adding each machine will cost Rs 25 lakh.
“We can also use the machines for plucking and spraying on coconut and areca nut trees,” Mr Kumar said.
“The first machine will arrive within a month and we will give it to the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (Bangalore). The other will arrive in June and it would be given to the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (Lucknow) for bette r acclimation, he said.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Publication date: 4/2/2009
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