Mango Of My Country Bangladesh

Mango a fruit widely cultivated in the tropical and subtropical countries of the world. The origin of mango, Mangifera indica, of the family Anacardiaceae, is lost in antiquity. According to some authorities, horticultural forms are derived from the species M. indica, considered indigenous to the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Assam (India), and Myanmar. The other species, such as M. laurina, probably originated in the Malayan region. Very few fruits are so inextricably connected with the folklore and religious ceremonies of India as the mango.

It is said that Buddha himself was presented with a mango grove, so that he could find repose in its graceful shade. The value and importance of the mango in ancient times is attested by one of its Sanskrit names, am, meaning stored food or provisions. The noted Chinese traveller Hwen T'sang, who visited India between 632 and 645 AD is credited to be the first person to bring the mango to the attention of the outside world. During his rule from 1556 to 1605, the Mughal Emperor Akbar planted about 100,000 mango trees in an orchard near Darbhanga in Lakh Bagh, India. This is considered to be the first organised mango orchard of the subcontinent.

The name mango, by which the fruit is known in English and Spanish-speaking countries, is derived from the Tamil man-key or man-gay, which the Portuguese adopted as manga when they settled in western India. Introduction of the mango tree into the Western Hemisphere did not take place until about 1700, when it was planted in Brazil. From there it reached the West Indies around 1740. Some wild species grow in tropical America. Since a mango tree grows well in diverse agroclimatic conditions, it is now seen in many countries of the world.

The tree is evergreen and has a large, thick, and rough trunk; somewhat black bark, spreading branches; and a dense crown of foliage. When planted with wide spacing, the plant takes an umbrella-shaped top and may become more than 20 metre tall and 30 metre wide. The wood is grey, coarse-grained, rather light and soft in young trees, but hard in the old. They are found to remain crowded at about the end of a branch. The flowers, which are small, white yellowish, or violet, and fragrant, are borne in large terminal panicles. An inflorescence may contain 100-250 flower buds, not all of which may open.

The flowers may be unisexual or bisexual, and female flowers are rare. The extent of fruit setting depends on the proportion or number of complete flowers in a tree. Only about one or two flowers out of about one thousand may lead to a mature fruit. Two to three fruits in a panicle are often enough to give a satisfactory crop.

The fruit is smooth, a little compressed, fleshy, one seeded drupe. The form may be oval, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped, or long and slender, mesocarp fibrous or non-fibrous. Young fruits are usually green, and when ripe may turn greenish yellow, yellow, orange, red, often with various shades, or may even remain green. A mature fruit varies greatly in size and character. The smallest mangoes are no larger than plums, while others may weigh 750 g to 1 kg.

Mango trees grow widely throughout Bangladesh and are raised mostly as homestead plantations. Mangoes of this country belong mainly to two groups, such as, (i) superior or the elite varieties which are propagated through grafting and other vegetative means; and (ii) local varieties, raised by seedlings, popularly known as 'Deshhi' or 'Guti am'. The latter has no recognised varietal names, and the taste is not assured.

Bangladesh produces a large number of superior varieties of mangos, mostly grown in Rajshahi, Nawabganj, and Dinajpur. These have wide demand in the market and are commercially important. Prominent among the elite varieties are Fazlee, Langda, Gopalbogh, Himsagar, Khirsapat, Ashhwina, Khisanbogh, Kuapahadi, Lata Bombai, Foria, Bombai, Kohitoor, Laksmanbhog, Mohanbhog, Misribhog etc.

Propagation and cultivation There are nearly 100 cultivars of mango available in Bangladesh. Although there are numerous orchards scattered all over the greater Rajshahi and Dinajpur districts and other areas of the country, most of these are not well organised, old, and therefore, non-productive. The Department of Agricultural Extension of the Government of Bangladesh has arrangements for production and distribution of grafts of elite mango cultivars from their orchards, horticultural bases, and nurseries spread all over the country. Moreover, several orchards and research centres/stations including one each at Rajshahi, Nawabganj, and Joydebpur have been established by the Division of Horticulture, bangladesh agricultural research institute (BARI), to conduct research on propagation, production, post-harvest technologies etc.

Although mango plants are propagated or multiplied vegetatively, usually by grafting, to retain the characteristics of the mother plant, in rural areas these plants are still raised through seedlings from mango stones.

Almost any kind of soil is good for mango, except such soils which are less than one metre in depth and those with sub-soils having rocks or too sticky as clay. Some of the best mango orchards of Bangladesh are found in the gangetic flood plains in soils rich in alluvium loam, deep, and with a substratum of loose gravel. The optimum pH of soil for good growth ranges from 5.5 to 7.5. Mango flourishes well under conditions where there is enough rain to weight the soil up to a good depth, and a well-defined dry season with no rain at all. The setting of fruits is adversely affected by fog, rain, or cloudy weather in January-March when the trees flower. Mild showers at the time of development and enlargement of fruits are beneficial, but storms, particularly hailstorms, adversely affect them, often resulting in immature fruit drops.Mango market Are ....

When vegetatively propagated, mango trees begin to bear fruits for the first time in the fourth year of planting. Trees raised from seedlings take several years more to bear fruits. Once thus begin to have fruits, the number of fruits go on increasing year after year. Grafted trees remain in fruit bearing condition up to about the 45th year, after which there is a decline in fruit production. On the other hand, seedling trees tend to live longer and may bear fruits up to the age of 60 years or more.

Production: Bangladesh produced about 1,86,760 m tons of mango during 1997-98 from an area of about 1,24,520 acres. The annual production, however, fluctuates, depending upon various factors. The present production is not very high compared to that of other mango growing countries. According to FAO, mango production in this country amounted to, on average, about 4,24,000 m tons during 1969-71. This indicates that the production has declined considerably during the last three decades. The factors that are considered responsible for the decline of production include: (i) old trees which are no longer productive; (ii) a general lack of interest and attention amongst owners; (iii) lack of management and care of trees; (iv) absence of plant protection measures against insect pests and diseases; (v) growing trees from seedlings; (vi) apathy towards use of improved techniques of production; and (vii) indiscriminate felling of productive trees for fuel wood, road construction, house-building etc.

Pests and diseases: Among various reasons for the impaired production of mango, the attack of insect pests and diseases is of particular importance. Insect pests and diseases not only reduce yields but also sometimes account for complete crop failures. About three dozens of insect pests are known to attack mango plants in Bangladesh from their nursery stage to maturity.

Infested inflorescence bears a few or no fruits. Infested fruits drop prematurely or become unfit for consumption. Infestations to stem, branch, or roots may result in death or may affect the growth and vigour of a plant. Severe leaf infestations cause loss of vitality of trees which ultimately reduce fruit production. The major insect pests are Mango hoppers, Idiocopus atkisoni, I. clypealis and I. niveosparsus(Cicadellidae: Homoptera); Mango fruit weevils, Sternochetus frigidus, S. gravis andS. mangifera (Curculionidae: Coleoptera); Mango stem borer, Batocera rubus(Cerambycidae: Coleoptera); Mango shoot borer, Alcidodes franatus(Curculionidae: Coleoptera); Mango fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis (Tephritidae: Diptera) etc.

Several fungal diseases such as anthracnose, sooty mould, leaf blight, die back, powdery milddew, and a bacterial disease named leaf spot cause considerable damage to mango plantations.

Uses The mango is one of the most delicious fruits of the world and is rightly designated as the 'king of fruits'. Different varieties however, have different tastes and flavours. The best consumption of mango is in the form of fresh fruit. The ripe fruit is peeled and the pulp is eaten as such, the fleshes either cut into pieces or made into small slices. Green fruits are often put into curries or 'dal' (pulse soup) for extra taste.

A considerable quantity of both ripe and green fruits are used for making jam, jelly, squash, chutney, pickle (achar), and similar other products.

Jute The golden fiber of Bangladesh

Jute  dicotyledenous fibre-yielding plant of the genus Corchorus, order Tiliaceae. Jute was once known as the golden fibre of Bangladesh, since it was the most important cash crop for the country. Jute fibre is produced mainly from two commercially important species, namely White Jute (Corchours capsularis), and Tossa Jute(Corchorus olitorius). The centre of origin of white jute is said to be Indo-Burma including South China, and that of tossa Africa. The word jute is probably coined from the word jhuta or jota, an Orrisan word. However, the use of jutta potta cloth was mentioned both in the Bible and Monushanghita-Mahabharat. This indicates the ancient uses of jute materials by the people of these areas. There is evidence of the trade of jute cloth in the 16th century. 

It is grown in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brazil and some other countries. Bangladesh used to enjoy almost a monopoly of this fibre commercially; its share in the export market was 80% in 1947-48 but in 1975-76 it fell to only 25%. This fall in the world market was due to the fact that many countries had started growing jute and allied fibres.

The substitutes of jute are multiwalled paper bags, poly-propelin, polythylene, and natural fibres from kenaf, hemp, sida, sunhemp, etc. Jute fibres are used in hessians and gunnies, carpet and rugs, paper, canvas, tarpaulin, handicrafts, etc. Dundi (UK) purchases high class jute of all grades, particularly white and tossa. Belgium, Italy, USA, South America are the buyers of superior quality jute. Jute was cultivated in ancientCultivation largely depends upon pre-monsoon showers and moisture conditions. C.capsularis is more water tolerant and thus generally can be grown in low lands, and even under water logging conditions, while C. olitorious is more susceptible to water logging and hence cultivated in medium to lower medium lands. Jute can be grown in a number of soil types, ranging from clay to sandy loam with optimum fertility, and soil pH ranging from 5.0-8.6.

Jute is basically self-pollinated and has fourteen diploid chromosomes. It needs long day light for growth. After sowing, four to five months are needed for harvesting of crops. This is done at the flowering stage. The fibre is obtained from the bast or phloem layer of the stem. Jute cultivation is labour intensive and is mostly grown by marginal, poor, and small landowners. For successful cultivation, land preparation is very important. It needs 3-5 times cross ploughing and laddering for uniform smooth soil, which must have more than 20% organic content. Cow dung is generally used, along with NPK in appropriate proportion, according to the soil type. In Bangladesh farmers generally do not use any fertiliser in jute cultivation. However, when used it must be applied in three stages; one at land preparation, and two as top dressing at appropriate time. During cultivation weeding is usually done in addition to thinning.

Generally, 10-12 kg/ha seed is sown by the broadcasting method. In line sowing, lower amount of seeds is required. Traditionally, farmers keep a small part of the crop area for growing seeds until the seeds mature in October/November. After harvesting, plants are bundled together with required number of plants, and kept standing for 5-7 days in the field for shading off the leaves. Then the bundles are put under water. Clear slow flowing water is the best thing possible for good retting. After 12-15 days, when proper retting is completed, the fibre is separated from the stick by hand and then washed and dried in sunlight. After drying, farmers sell the fibre in the local market.

Although jute is grown in almost all the districts of Bangladesh, Faridpur, Tangail, Jessore, Dhaka, Sirajganj, Bogra, and Jamalpur are considered the better growing areas. Total area under the crop is estimated to be 559,838 ha and the total production about 5310,500 bales. bangladesh jute research institute (BJRI) so far has developed about 27 high-yielding and good quality jute cultivars. times in Bengal. At that time it was more or less a garden plant and its leaves were used as a vegetable and for medicinal purposes.Jute grows well where the annual rainfall is 1500 mm or more, with at least 250 mm during each of the months of March, April and May. The optimum range of temperature required is 18°-33°C. Jute is cultivated in the rainy season. In Bangladesh sowing usually starts at the end of February and continues up to the end of May, depending on the species.

Jute products Jute and jute-based products are put to a wide range of uses. Since antiquity it has been used as a raw material for packaging. Before being used as a commercial commodity it was used in different parts of the world to make household and farm implements such as ropes, hand made clothes, wall hangings, etc.

In Bengal sacks and saris made of jute were commonly used in the Middle Age. Export of sacks started in the 18th century. Its leaves and roots were used as herbal medicine, and as vegetable by the local people. Its use as an industrial commodity began in the Crimean war when it was used as a substitute of flax. Its use was popularised primarily in Western Europe, particularly at Dundee. Traditionally, use of jute products are limited to packaging materials like twine, hessian, gunny bag, twill, carpet backing, wool pack, tarpaulin, mats, canvas, wall cover, upholstery, and as furnishing fabrics of different types and natures.

Advantages of Jute:

§  Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly.

§  It is a natural fibre with golden and silky shine and hence called The Golden Fibre.

§  It is the cheapest vegetable fibre procured from the bast or skin of the plant's stem.

§  It is the second most important vegetable fibre after cotton, in terms of usage, global consumption, production, and availability.

§  It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of fabrics. Therefore, jute is very suitable in agricultural commodity bulk packaging.

§  It helps to make best quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks. It is one of the most versatile natural fibres that has been used in raw materials for packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. Bulking of yarn results in a reduced breaking tenacity and an increased breaking extensibility when blended as a ternary blend.

§  The best source of jute in the world is the Bengal Delta Plain in the Ganges Delta, most of which is occupied by Bangladesh.

§  Advantages of jute include good insulating and antistatic properties, as well as having low thermal conductivity and a moderate moisture regain. Other advantages of jute include acoustic insulating properties and manufacture with no skin irritations.

§  Jute has the ability to be blended with other fibres, both synthetic and natural, and accepts cellulosic dye classes such as natural, basic, vat,sulfur, reactive, and pigment dyes. As the demand for natural comfort fibres increases, the demand for jute and other natural fibres that can be blended with cotton will increase. To meet this demand, some manufactures in the natural fibre industry plan to modernize processing with theRieter's Elitex system. The resulting jute/cotton yarns will produce fabrics with a reduced cost of wet processing treatments. Jute can also be blended with wool. By treating jute with caustic soda, crimp, softness, pliability, and appearance is improved, aiding in its ability to be spun with wool. Liquid ammonia has a similar effect on jute, as well as the added characteristic of improving flame resistance when treated with flameproofingagents.

§  Some noted disadvantages include poor drapability and crease resistance, brittleness, fibre shedding, and yellowing in sunlight. However, preparation of fabrics with castor oil lubricants result in less yellowing and less fabric weight loss, as well as increased dyeing brilliance. Jute has a decreased strength when wet, and also becomes subject to microbial attack in humid climates. Jute can be processed with an enzyme in order to reduce some of its brittleness and stiffness. Once treated with an enzyme, jute shows an affinity to readily accept natural dyes, which can be made from marigold flower extract. In one attempt to dye jute fabric with this extract, bleached fabric was mordanted with ferrous sulphate, increasing the fabric's dye uptake value. Jute also responds well to reactive dyeing. This process is used for bright and fast coloured value-added diversified products made from jute.