Fruit bagging technology is going to be promoted in mango orchards in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj commercially during the forthcoming pre-harvest season to protect fruits from pest attack and facilitating the farmers to get quality yield.
The technology was first introduced primarily last year and, as it had been found effective, this year the technology has been introduced commercially, said Dr Saraf Uddin, Senior Scientific Officer of Scientists of Regional Horticulture Research Centre (RHRC) in Chapainawabganj.
“The technology is used just before the pre-harvest period to protect mangoes from pest attack and snow-hit,” Saraf said. “It also reduces the use of harmful chemical insecticides and pesticides that will help to retain the quality and colour of the mangoes,” he also said.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension sources, there are about 3 million mango trees of different ages and varieties on some 32,816 hectares in the region, with the creation of many more new mango orchards and increased mango farming in the homesteads in recent years.
If the bags are used substantially, the use of harmful chemical insecticides and pesticides on the huge trees could be reduced to a greater extent. Thereby, the technology will open up a new door of exporting mangoes.
Scientists of RHRC have released the technology among the growers this year after attaining remarkable success in this field last year.
Already, a private organisation procured the specialised bags from China to supply to the farmers at a cost of Tk3-4 per bag.
Dr Safar says pre-harvest fruit bagging is a useful approach for plant protection and improved post-harvest fruit quality as bagging of mango fruits for lower insect and disease damage in fruits.
This is a well-known practice in many of the mango-producing countries but information is lacking on its effects on the external and internal characteristics of the fruits, the appropriate bagging materials, and the economics of its adoption.
Bagging with different paper materials resulted in fruits with lower insect and disease damage and minimised the fruits' quality defects. Thick waxy magazine significantly prevented fruit fly damage with infestation ranging from zero to less than one percent.
Dr Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Fruit Research Station in Rajshahi, said: “The mango is one of the commercially important fruit crops in the region but this important cash crop is prone to attacks of insect pests and diseases in all stages of development.”
If the technology is used, there will be no spots on mangoes among the bagged ones. Besides, the mango could be protected from all kinds of diseases and pests that will boost the volume of exportable mango. Apart from this, as the market price of the bagged mango is lucrative, the growers can sell their produce at a high price of at least Tk500 per pound.
However, concerned quarters noted that this year the price of mango would be higher than in earlier periods because the use of bags would add a bit of extra value in the market.
Taslim Uddin, a farmer of Kanshat of Chapainawabganj, said: “ I have 50 hectares of mango orchards and I have used the technology for about 15 heactares.”
Taslim however expressed fear that the use of the technology would impact the market price of the mango as it would add an extra production cost. Sanowa Haque, a farmer of Tanor in Rajshahi, said: “I am aware of the technology as it is costly.”
