Alphonso (Hapus)
Grafted planting material, not true seed. The GI-tagged Konkan variety with India's highest mango prices — export and retail rest on its name alone.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Mango
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bearing from year 4–5 (grafted plant)
- Expected yield
- 40–60 kg/tree at full bearing — lower than Dashehari, priced well above it
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Prone to alternate bearing and spongy tissue disorder in a hot year
- Release
- Konkan landrace tracing to Portuguese-era grafting in 16th-century Goa — not an ICAR-bred release. 'Alphonso' has carried a GI tag for five Konkan districts (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, Palghar, Raigad) since 3 October 2018.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Alphonso mango is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese viceroy of Goa from 1509 to 1515. Jesuit missionaries in 16th-century Portuguese Goa (roughly 1550–1575) began grafting mango trees to breed firmer, sweeter fruit that could be 'cut and served' after shipping to Europe, and Alphonso was one of several Portuguese-named results of that effort, alongside grafts called Fernandina and Phillipina. It is grown mainly along the Konkan coast — Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, plus Valsad and Navsari districts of Gujarat. Today's fruit weighs roughly 150–300 g, with golden-yellow skin showing a red tinge where mature and rich, creamy, non-fibrous pulp. The harvest window runs from late March through June. Since 3 October 2018, 'Alphonso' has carried a Geographical Indication tag covering five Konkan districts (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, Palghar and Raigad); this single registration merged three separate applications originally filed by Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth and by grower groups from Ratnagiri and Devgad; a Devgad Mango blog post describes roughly a decade of effort behind securing that recognition. Export markets — Japan, Korea and the EU among them — reopened after a US import ban (1989–2007) and a later EU ban (from April 2014) were both lifted, the EU ban ending in January 2015, once export and pest-treatment protocols improved. The variety's best-known weakness is spongy tissue disorder. A Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango blog post describes it as an internal physiological problem where part of the pulp stays unripe, white and spongy. It is invisible from outside the fruit, both at picking and when ripe, and is only found when a ripe mango is cut open. It is linked to heat, nutrition and irrigation stress on the tree during fruit development, and rough post-harvest handling and ethylene exposure can make it worse.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Alphonso if you farm on the Konkan coast or in Valsad and Navsari, and you grow for the highest mango price, not the biggest crop. A full-bearing tree gives 40–60 kg, well below Dashehari's 80–100 kg, but the name sells the fruit. Two risks to accept: spongy tissue disorder in hot years, which you cannot see until the fruit is cut open, and alternate bearing. The GI tag since 2018 covers five Konkan districts (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, Palghar, Raigad), so check which name you can sell under if you plant elsewhere. Choose Dashehari if you want more fruit per tree.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timePlanting runs from July to December (TNAU)
- Spacing7–10 m either way in a conventional orchard, 5 x 5 m (400 trees per hectare) under high density, or the double hedge row system — 5 x 5 m within the double rows and 10 m between them, 266 trees per hectare (TNAU)
- Sowing methodPits of 1 m x 1 m x 1 m filled with topsoil and 10 kg farmyard manure. Use approach or epicotyl grafts, set the ball of earth intact in the centre, and keep the graft union 15 cm clear of the soil
- IrrigationWater regularly until establishment and weekly thereafter under flood irrigation; micro-irrigation needs about one-third of that water
- FertilizerPer tree, from 10 kg farmyard manure and 0.2 kg each of N, P and K in year one, increasing by the same each year to 50 kg manure, 1.0 kg N, 1.0 kg P and 1.5 kg K from the sixth year. Spread it in September–October between 45 and 90 cm from the trunk, out to the drip line (TNAU)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Red loamy soil with good drainage
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- India's highest-priced commercial mango — the name alone commands a premium in domestic and export markets, now including Japan, Korea and the EU since import bans were lifted
- Rich, creamy, fibreless pulp — the fruit quality that built the reputation over centuries of grafted propagation from the original Portuguese-era stock
- GI protection since 2018 now legally restricts the 'Alphonso' name to fruit grown in the notified five-district Konkan tract
Things to consider
- Spongy tissue disorder in hot years is a real risk for Alphonso. It is an internal physiological problem linked to heat, nutrition and irrigation stress during fruit development. It is invisible from outside until the fruit is cut open, and it is a real export-grade risk.
- Alternate bearing is common in old grafted mango varieties generally, and Alphonso is no exception.
- The 'Alphonso' GI itself is a 2018 merger of three separate original applications (a university plus two grower groups) — the protected name today covers a wider five-district area than 'Devgad Alphonso' or 'Ratnagiri Alphonso' alone might suggest to a buyer
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Gujarat
Spongy tissue in a hot year: you cannot see it from outside
Alphonso carries India's highest mango prices, and its own particular risk is spongy tissue disorder: an internal problem linked to heat, nutrition and irrigation stress while the fruit is developing. The fruit looks perfect from outside, and the buyer finds the soft, off-tasting patch after cutting — which is why one bad consignment damages a reputation built over years.
The protection is in the orchard and in the handling. Keep irrigation steady through fruit development instead of swinging between dry spells and heavy watering, and follow the nutrition advice your state horticulture office gives for Konkan Alphonso rather than guessing. Harvest at the right maturity with a stalk left on, do not let picked fruit lie in the sun on hot ground, and let the heat out of the fruit before packing. If you supply an exporter or a premium retailer, agree in advance how a spongy-tissue complaint will be handled, because the problem is invisible at the point of sale.
Where the planting material comes from
This variety is a grafted plant: the variety on top, joined onto a rootstock below. Seed out of its fruit will not come up as this variety, so it cannot be kept as seed. Buy grafted plants from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Mango variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alphonso (Hapus)this page | Premium price on the Konkan coast, not volume | Bearing from year 4–5 (grafted plant) | 40–60 kg/tree at full bearing — lower than Dashehari, priced well above it | Maharashtra, Gujarat |
| Amrapali | High-density orchards and steady yearly fruiting | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant, dwarf habit) | 60–80 kg/tree at full bearing — more trees fit per acre than Dashehari | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi |
| Banganapalli | Large, fibreless table mango that stores well | Mid-season | Very high | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu |
| Dashehari | Aromatic North Indian table mango with good keeping quality | Bearing from year 4–5 (grafted plant); 60–90 days fruit maturation after flowering | 80–100 kg/tree at full bearing (year 10+) | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar |
| Kesar | Very sweet saffron-pulp mango for export and pulp | Mid-season | High | Gujarat |
| Langra | Mid-season green-skinned mango with rich aroma | Mid-season | High | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, Punjab |
| Totapuri | Pulp and juice processing, not fresh eating | Mid-season | Very high | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
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 Mango is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Mango plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Mango variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Mango into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Mango rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Mango seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called 'Alphonso'?
It's named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese viceroy of Goa from 1509 to 1515 — Jesuit missionaries in 16th-century Goa began grafting mango trees to produce firmer, sweeter varieties for shipping to Europe, and Alphonso was one of the results, alongside other Portuguese-named grafts like Fernandina and Phillipina.
Is fruit called 'Alphonso' from anywhere the same thing?
Legally, no — since 3 October 2018 the 'Alphonso' GI tag protects the name only for fruit grown in five notified Konkan districts (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, Palghar, Raigad); the registration is a merger of three earlier separate applications from a university and two grower groups.
Alphonso or Dashehari: which should I plant?
Alphonso gives 40–60 kg per tree but earns the highest mango price in India. Dashehari gives 80–100 kg per tree and is North India's benchmark table mango. Both can bear in alternate years. Pick Alphonso for price on the Konkan coast. Pick Dashehari for volume in the north.
What is spongy tissue disorder and how do I reduce it?
It is an internal problem where part of the pulp stays unripe, white and spongy. You see nothing outside the fruit until you cut it open. It is linked to heat, poor nutrition and irrigation stress while the fruit is growing, and rough handling after harvest can make it worse. Look after tree nutrition and water during fruit growth, and handle the fruit gently. Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra for a schedule for your area.
How many years before an Alphonso tree gives fruit?
A grafted Alphonso plant starts bearing from year 4–5. At full bearing it gives about 40–60 kg per tree. Grafted plants are used, not seed, because seed does not give the same variety.
When should I plant an Alphonso graft?
Between July and December, the planting window TNAU gives for mango. Plant into a pit prepared ahead of time, and stake the young graft on the Konkan coast, where wind through the first two monsoons breaks more young trees than any pest does.
Why plant Alphonso when Dashehari yields more per tree?
Because the money is not in the kilos. Alphonso gives 40–60 kg per tree at full bearing against 80–100 kg for Dashehari, but it sells at several times the price on the Konkan coast. Plant it for price, and only where the market and the climate suit it.
Sourced from: Alphonso mango — Wikipedia, Devgad Alphonso Mango Got Its Very Own GI Tag — Devgad Mango, Spongy Tissue Disorder — Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango, Mango production guide, TNAU Agritech Portal: planting season, pit size, spacing systems, irrigation and age-wise fertiliser schedule. editorial policy.