AP Farmer achieves rare feat, grows 18 varieties of mangoes on single tree

A 24-year-old mango farmer from Krishna district has achieved a rare feat by growing 18 different varieties of mangoes on a single tree.

The farmer, Kuppala Rama Gopala Krishna, a native of Vadlamanu village in Agiripalli Mandal has managed to grab the attention of the government officials in Andhra Pradesh.

Gopala Krishna was felicitated by Krishna District Collector B Lakshmikantham for his experimenting spirit and innovation.

After being advised to axe all his trees down when his seven-acre-farm did not give encouraging yield in 2015, Gopala Krishna instead decided to graft (a horticulture technique where tissues of different plants are joined to have them grown together) different varieties of mangoes in his farm.

Now in 2018, having achieved the feat, he is getting invited by farmers from nearby villages to guide them in emulating his techniques

The State horticulture officials shared that two-three varieties are grafted together but growing 18 varieties on a single tree is indeed an achievement.

The 24-year-old farmer’s fruits are now exported to different States in India. Now, he aims to make all the trees in his farm bear different types of mangoes.