Nagpur Mandarin (Nagpur Santra)
Grafted planting material, not true seed. The GI-tagged mandarin that gives Nagpur its name in every mandi in the country — worth buying only from a certified, greening-tested nursery.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Orange (Mandarin)
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Bearing from year 4–5 (grafted plant)
- Expected yield
- 100–150 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Long-cultivated Vidarbha-region selection, not a formally bred ICAR/university release; GI-tagged 1 September 2014 (a WebSearch-only figure reports GI Certificate No. 315, not independently confirmed).
About this variety
Nagpur Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco), locally called Santra, has been commercially grown in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and adjoining Madhya Pradesh for over a century — it is why Nagpur city is called India's 'Orange City'. A directly-fetched Down To Earth report confirms the GI tag was granted on 1 September 2014, recognising a distinctive sweet-sour flavour from a unique acid-sugar blend not matched by any other mandarin, alongside registered standards for fruit size, colour, seed count and juice chemistry (a WebSearch-only figure reports the certificate as No. 315, not independently confirmed by a fetched primary). A directly-fetched Wikipedia article adds that the tree sets two overlapping crops a year: the September–December Ambiya crop, still slightly sour, and the January-onward Mrig crop, sweeter and fully ripe. The variety is looked after by ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (CCRI), Nagpur — founded in 1985 as the Central Citrus Research Station, upgraded to National Research Centre for Citrus in 1986 and to full institute status in October 2014, per a directly-fetched Wikipedia article on the institute — India's national nodal body for citrus research, including greening (Huanglongbing) management.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Bearing from year 4–5 (grafted plant)
Expected yield
100–150 q/ha at full bearing
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Unique, nationally recognised acid-sugar flavour balance (the basis of its 2014 GI tag) plus a two-crop annual cycle (Ambiya and Mrig) most other Indian mandarins don't have.
- Backed by a dedicated national institute — ICAR-CCRI, Nagpur — whose mandate covers Nagpur mandarin-specific agronomy, variety development and disease management, including citrus greening.
Things to consider
- GI protection runs 10 years at a time (renewable) and needs individual grower registration — reportedly around ₹1,500 per grower, cost partly government-shared — to legally use the certified logo; it isn't automatic for every Vidarbha orange grower, per a directly-fetched Down To Earth report.
- Citrus greening (Huanglongbing) remains a live, documented threat in Maharashtra's mandarin belt — this record's own diseaseResistance field already flags it; buy grafted material only from a certified, greening-tested nursery.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Madhya Pradesh
Frequently asked questions
What does the GI tag on Nagpur Mandarin actually protect?
It protects the name 'Nagpur Orange' for produce from the Vidarbha region meeting registered standards — fruit size, colour, seed count and a distinctive acid-sugar juice chemistry — since 1 September 2014, renewable every 10 years, with certified growers able to use an official logo after individual registration.
Why does Nagpur Mandarin get picked twice a year?
The tree flowers around the monsoon and sets two overlapping crops: the September–December Ambiya crop, still a little sour, and the January-onward Mrig crop, sweeter and fully ripe — a documented two-harvest pattern specific to this variety.
Sourced from: Nagpur orange — Wikipedia, GI tag for Nagpur orange to benefit both farmers and consumers — Down To Earth, Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur — Wikipedia. editorial policy.