Mango Trees
© Deccan Chronicle

Bengaluru: This year mango lovers need not wait till March/April to taste the local varieties of their favourite fruit. In many parts of the city, mango trees, especially the local species, which usually flower during December and January have surprisingly bloomed now, four months in advance.

This development has surprised farmers, but experts feel that in-depth scientific study is required to find out the exact reason.

Farmers said that in many parts of the city the mango tress, especially the local varieties, started blooming from August second week and now mango flowers can be seen. Even though they were not aware of the exact reason, they attribute it to the heavy rains the city has witnessed in the last three months.

Rajesh B Bhat, who owns a farm house near Magadi, told this newspaper that he was surprised to see flowers on mango trees from August second week. "I have never seen mango trees blooming in the month of August/September.

If it had happened in some hybrid species it would not have surprised me. But in my farm house the local varieties are blooming. I never saw such a trend till now. I now hope that by the end of the October I may get the first mango harvest," he said.

"I don't know why the trees bloomed now. But according to my understanding it may be because of the heavy rain lashing the city from last three-four months. Compared with previous years, the city weather is very cold and due to the increased humidity, mango trees are blooming," he said.

Many farmers feel there is a need to study the change in the pattern of blooming period. "Mango is a sensitive crop. It is really shocking to see flowers now. Generally local varieties never bloom at odd seasons," said Puneeth K Shetty, another farm house owner from Kanakapura road.

However, experts feel there is no need to panic and there is nothing special in this. According to Dr Shankar, director (research), GKVK this is a natural phenomena. "Before attributing this to factors like climate change, there must be some in-depth scientific study," he said.