Totapuri
The mainstay of south India's pulp and processing industry.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Mango
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Mid-season
- Expected yield
- Very high
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate
- Release
- Traditional Andhra Pradesh cultivar, later spread to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states — a farmer-selected heritage variety, not a formal institute release
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Totapuri, also known by regional names Bangalora, Ginimoothi, Kili Mooku and Sandersha, is a traditional mango cultivar that originated in Andhra Pradesh and later spread to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and beyond — a farmer-selected heritage cultivar rather than an institute release. Its name means "parrot beak," referring to its distinctive long, pointed tip. Golden-yellow when ripe, it is known for industrial processing rather than fresh eating. It has a high flesh-to-seed ratio, a firm texture that holds up through processing, consistent quality and a long season. Those traits have made it the backbone of India's mango pulp, juice and concentrate industry: over 60% of India's commercially processed mango products reportedly use Totapuri as their base.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Totapuri if you sell to pulp, juice or concentrate units. It has a high flesh-to-seed ratio, firm flesh that holds up in processing, steady quality and a long season. Over 60% of India's processed mango products reportedly use it as the base. It grows in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is not the best fresh-eating mango, so choose Banganapalli if you sell fresh. No exact yield figure was found, so treat 'very high' as an estimate. Fix your buyer before you plant a large area.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJuly to December (TNAU)
- Spacing7–10 m either way in a conventional orchard; 5 x 5 m, 400 trees per hectare, under high density (TNAU)
- Sowing methodOne-metre cube pits filled with topsoil and 10 kg farmyard manure; plant approach or epicotyl grafts with the union 15 cm above the soil
- IrrigationWater regularly until establishment, then weekly; a third of that under micro-irrigation
- Fertilizer10 kg farmyard manure and 0.2 kg each of N, P and K per tree in the first year, with the same increase annually. From the sixth year it reaches 50 kg manure with 1.0 kg N, 1.0 kg P and 1.5 kg K. Apply it September–October, from 45 cm out to the drip line (TNAU)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Red loamy soil with good drainage
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Totapuri is widely grown beyond Andhra Pradesh, its primary origin, especially in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
- Totapuri accounts for over 60% of processed mango products and has a high flesh-to-seed ratio, which is why it is the mainstay of south India's pulp and processing industry.
- No formal breeding institute or release year was found — like Langra, Totapuri is a heritage farmer-selected cultivar rather than a bred-and-released variety.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
Selling to a pulp unit
Totapuri is the mainstay of south India's pulp and processing industry, and processing is a volume business, not a beauty contest. The unit buys on weight, sweetness and delivery timing, not on perfect skin, which is exactly why a heavy-bearing variety suits it.
Work to the unit's schedule. Ask before the season what it pays per tonne, which weeks it crushes, whether it collects or you deliver, and how it deducts for immature or spoiled fruit. Harvest at the maturity it wants and deliver the same day, because fruit that sits in a heap heats up and starts fermenting — that is where rejections come from. Keep a record of each load and its weight. If your market is fresh fruit rather than pulp, a table mango such as Banganapalli is the better variety; Totapuri is grown for the factory.
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) | 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 |
| Totapurithis page | 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 Totapuri called "parrot beak"?
Its name refers to the fruit's distinctive long, pointed tip, which resembles a parrot's beak — the same trait behind its other regional names like Kili Mooku ("parrot beak" in Tamil).
Why is Totapuri used mainly for processing rather than fresh eating?
It has a high flesh-to-seed ratio, firm texture that processes well, consistent quality and a long season — traits industrial processors value over the sweetness or aroma prized in table varieties.
How important is Totapuri to India's mango processing industry?
Over 60% of India's commercially processed mango products reportedly use Totapuri as their base — it is the backbone of the country's pulp, juice and concentrate industry.
Which states grow Totapuri mango?
It originated in Andhra Pradesh and is also widely grown in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
What does Totapuri fruit look like?
Golden yellow when ripe, with a long, distinctive pointed tip — a shape immediately recognisable and the source of most of its regional names.
Should I grow Totapuri for fresh sale?
It is possible, but Totapuri is known for processing, not fresh eating. If your market is fresh fruit, a table mango like Banganapalli, which is large, fibreless and sweet, is a better fit.
Do I need a buyer before planting Totapuri?
Yes, it is wise. Its value is in pulp and juice processing, so check that a processing unit is within reach and what it pays before you plant a large area.
What other names does Totapuri sell under?
Totapuri is also known as Bangalora, Ginimoothi, Kili Mooku and Sandersha in different regions. Ask for it by these names at your local nursery if you cannot find it as Totapuri.
When should I plant Totapuri grafts?
July to December (TNAU). Since the fruit goes to processing, plant where a lorry can reach the orchard in all weather. A pulp unit buys in bulk on a schedule, and fruit that cannot be moved on the day loses its grade.
Totapuri or Banganapalli if I want both pulp and fresh sale?
Banganapalli, if you must pick one. It is a large, fibreless table mango that stores well and can also go to a processor at need. Totapuri is a very high yielder grown for pulp and juice, and the fresh market in most towns will not pay for it.
Sourced from: Mango production guide, TNAU Agritech Portal: planting season, pit size, spacing, irrigation and age-wise fertiliser schedule. editorial policy.