Mangala
A semi-tall CPCRI selection from a Chinese accession, with the earliest flowering of the releases here (36 to 40 months). About 2% of palms grow weak and lanky and should be removed within 2 years. It suffers when underplanted in heavily shaded old gardens.
Quick facts
- Type
- Seedling (selected seed nut)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- First flowers 36–40 months after planting (CPCRI)
- Seed rate
- One nursery seedling a pit, not seed in the field. About 1,370 palms a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, or about 920 at 3.3 x 3.3 m in a mixed garden (DASD).
- Expected yield
- 2.90 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,700–3,900 kg/ha); potential 4.50 kg
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Climate
- Released for coastal Karnataka and Kerala up to about 800 m above sea level (CPCRI leaflet).
- Disease resistance
- No major disease or pest seen in CPCRI trials; guard against fruit rot where it is common
- Release
- Introduced from China in 1957 as accession VTL-3; recommended for release by the CPCRI Institute Research Council in 1972 (ICAR-CPCRI, Regional Station, Vittal)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Mangala is a semi-tall arecanut selection from ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Regional Station, Vittal. It was chosen from VTL-3, an accession brought from China in 1957, and recommended for release in 1972 for coastal Karnataka and Kerala up to about 800 m above sea level. The palm has a partly drooping crown, a medium-thick stem and short internodes, and carries more bunches than the local type it was compared with. Flower initiation comes 36 to 40 months after planting, the earliest of the CPCRI releases compared here, and yield settles early. The trial mean is 2.90 kg dry kernel a palm a year (3,700 to 3,900 kg a hectare), with a potential of 4.50 kg. CPCRI recommends it for irrigated gardens, notes that about 2% of palms grow weak and lanky, and says it does poorly when underplanted in heavily shaded old areca gardens.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Mangala if early flowering matters most. CPCRI records flower initiation at 36 to 40 months after planting, earlier than Sumangala (42 to 46), Sreemangala (44 to 48) and Swarnamangala (46). The price is yield: 2.90 kg dry kernel a palm in the trial, the lowest of the tall and semi-tall releases here. Do not plant it under the shade of an old garden, because the CPCRI leaflet says Mangala suffers there, and plan to remove about 2 palms in 100 that grow weak and lanky. If the best long-run yield is your aim and you can irrigate, look at Swarnamangala (3.88 kg).
Sowing & cultivation
- Seed rateOne nursery seedling a pit, not seed in the field. About 1,370 palms a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, or about 920 at 3.3 x 3.3 m in a mixed garden (DASD).
- Spacing2.7 x 2.7 m; 3.3 x 3.3 m when arecanut is grown as a mixed crop (DASD).
- IrrigationDry season: hose irrigation once in 4 to 7 days at 175 litres a palm, or drip at 20 litres a palm a day (DASD).
- Fertilizer100 g N, 40 g P2O5 and 140 g K2O a palm a year, with 12 kg green leaf, compost or FYM, in 2 equal splits in April to May and September to October. Give 1/3 of the dose in the first year, 2/3 in the second year and all of it from the third year (DASD).
- HarvestingFlower initiation 36 to 40 months after planting; CPCRI recommends irrigated conditions.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Flowers 36 to 40 months after planting, the earliest of the CPCRI releases here
- Yield settles early, with more bunches a palm than the local type it was tested against
- Released for coastal Karnataka and Kerala up to about 800 m above sea level
Things to consider
- Mean yield (2.90 kg dry kernel a palm) is lower than Sumangala, Sreemangala, Mohitnagar and Swarnamangala
- About 2 palms in 100 grow weak and lanky and need to be removed within 2 years of planting
- Does poorly when underplanted in a heavily shaded old garden, and CPCRI recommends it for irrigated conditions
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
Plan for the weak palms and keep Mangala out of the shade
CPCRI's leaflet on Mangala says something most variety pages leave out. Because the crop is heterozygous and semi-tall, about 2 palms in 100 grow a weak, lanky stem. CPCRI says to find them and take them out within 2 years of planting, and replace them.
In practice that means two things. Keep a few spare seedlings from the same lot, a rule of thumb being 2 or 3 for every 100 you plant, and walk the garden in year 2 looking for thin, leggy palms. On a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, which is about 1,370 palms, expect something like 27 to be pulled out. This figure follows from CPCRI's 2%. It is not a count CPCRI made.
The second warning is shade. CPCRI notes that Mangala suffers if it is underplanted in a heavily shaded old areca garden, and names South Kanara Local for that job. So Mangala belongs in a clean, open plot, with the earliest flowering (36 to 40 months) as the reward, and irrigation through the dry months.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Arecanut (Supari) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahikuchi | Assam and Meghalaya farmers who want the variety both CPCRI and the Assam package recommend | First flowers 50–52 months after planting; bearing by the 5th year (CPCRI, AAU) | 3.70 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,073 kg/ha); potential 5.30 kg | Assam, Meghalaya |
| Mangalathis page | Farmers who want the earliest flowering and can irrigate, in an open garden | First flowers 36–40 months after planting (CPCRI) | 2.90 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,700–3,900 kg/ha); potential 4.50 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Mohitnagar | North Bengal farmers, and anyone who wants uniform palms that settle into steady yield early | First flowers 48 months after planting (CPCRI) | 3.67 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,030 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg | West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala |
| Sreemangala | Farmers who sell dried chali and want bold, round nuts | First flowers 44–48 months after planting (CPCRI) | 3.18 kg dry kernel/palm/year (4,240–4,500 kg/ha); potential 5.40 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Sumangala | Farmers who want a well-tested tall palm that copes better with dry spells | First flowers 42–46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI) | 3.28 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,900–4,350 kg/ha); potential 5.60 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Swarnamangala | Farmers who can irrigate and want the best average yield and recovery among CPCRI's tall releases | First flowers about 46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI) | 3.88 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,320 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| VTLAH-1 | Farmers who want a short, easy-to-harvest palm, can irrigate and accept a lower yield per palm | First flowers 45 months after planting (CPCRI) | 2.54 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,100–3,400 kg/ha); potential 3.20 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Arecanut (Supari) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Arecanut (Supari) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Arecanut (Supari) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Arecanut (Supari) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Arecanut (Supari) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Arecanut (Supari) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Frequently asked questions
When does Mangala start flowering?
CPCRI records flower initiation at 36 to 40 months after planting. That is the earliest among the CPCRI releases compared here. We found no first-harvest date, so do not count on a crop in the third year. Young palms need water in the dry months to flower on time, and CPCRI recommends Mangala for irrigated gardens.
How much does Mangala yield?
The CPCRI variety compilation gives a mean of 2.90 kg dry kernel a palm a year (3,700 to 3,900 kg a hectare) and a potential of 4.50 kg (6,000 to 6,300 kg a hectare). An older CPCRI leaflet gives 3.0 kg of chali. Budget with the per-hectare mean, not the potential.
Where does Mangala come from, and up to what height can I plant it?
It was selected from VTL-3, an exotic accession brought from China in 1957, and recommended for release in 1972. CPCRI released it for coastal Karnataka and Kerala up to about 800 m above sea level. Mangala is semi-tall, with a partly drooping crown.
Can I plant Mangala between the old palms of a shaded garden?
CPCRI says no. Its leaflet notes that Mangala suffers if underplanted in a heavily shaded old areca garden. It names South Kanara Local, a tall palm giving about 2.0 kg of chali, as the type suited to interplanting there. Use Mangala in a clean, open plot.
What spacing and fertiliser does Mangala need?
The Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development recommends 2.7 x 2.7 m, which is about 1,370 palms a hectare, and 3.3 x 3.3 m when arecanut is a mixed crop. The annual dose is 100 g N, 40 g P2O5 and 140 g K2O a palm with 12 kg of green leaf, compost or FYM, in 2 equal splits in April to May and September to October. Give 1/3 of it in the first year, 2/3 in the second year and all of it from the third year.
Sourced from: Improved varieties of coconut, arecanut and cocoa — ICAR-CPCRI (variety records, yields, flowering), Arecanut varieties — ICAR-CPCRI Regional Station, Vittal, extension leaflet (1999), Calendar for arecanut — Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Technical Bulletin 67 (spacing, fertiliser, irrigation). editorial policy.