Rajkot: Mango lovers could soon be able to get their fill of the fruit well beyond the traditional April-June window. Farmers in the state’s renowned kesar mango belt are successfully cultivating pusa arunima, a hybrid variety that will lengthen the time that mangoes are available. The cultivar, a cross between north India’s Amrapali and the US’s sensation, bears fruit in the first week of Aug or even late July in the Gir region. This timing is significant as climate change and unseasonal rain have been shrinking the traditional mango season and affecting yields.Developed two decades ago by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), pusa arunima is gaining traction among farmers in Talala, the heart of kesar mango production. The variety shares many characteristics with the prized kesar variety while addressing some of its key limitations. The hybrid offers advantages in terms of climate resilience, and delivers an average yield of 16 tonnes a hectare compared to kesar’s 10 tonnes, while also demonstrating superior pest and disease resistance. Its climate resilience is a crucial factor as traditional mango cultivation faces increasing weather-related disruptions.In terms of quality, pusa arunima maintains competitive standards with kesar. Both varieties are fibreless and rich in vitamin C, containing 43-48mg per 100g. The new variety has a total soluble solids content of 19.5 degrees brix (°Bx), placing it within the sweetness range of kesar mango, which measures between 18-22°Bx. The pusa arunima features a distinctive red peel with light-yellow flesh inside and offers a shelf life of 10-12 days at room temperature after ripening.Suitable for high-density plantation and container growing, pusa arunima can also be cultivated in pots for home and terrace gardening, bringing its cultivation to urban spaces.Despite these promising characteristics, farmers are yet to fully accept the variety. D K Varu, principal and dean of the College of Horticulture at Junagadh Agricultural University, said, “In our region, no variety matches kesar’s taste among mango lovers, which is very unique. The colour of its pulp and aroma is unparalleled. Some farmers have taken to experimentation with other varieties, which are slowly gaining acceptance.““This year, the kesar crop was badly affected by climate change, but pusa arunima was quite resilient,” said Sumeet Jariya, a farmer in Sasan who has been experimenting with 50 pusa arunima trees for five years. His trees recently began producing fruit, validating the variety’s potential in local conditions.Earlier, farmers had succeeded in marketing Sonpari, another hybrid variety, and believe pusa arunima could similarly find market acceptance if consumer taste preferences can be developed.