Bush Mango (Irvingia gabonensis): New Potential Multipurpose Fruit Tree for India

Abstract

Bush mango (lrvingia gabonensis) is an African tree with edible yellow fruit resembling mangoes valued for its oil
rich seed, fresh fruit, fuel, fibre, medicine, and hardy green termite resistant wood. Grows wildly in forest of tropical
Africa. It offers considerable scope for enhancing the nutritional and economic security ofsubsistence farmers in India.
In India, a large area is ideally suited to this tropical and subtropical fruit. In view of this, introduction of such plants
from their centre of origin is necessary for enhancing the existing plant wealth. National Bureau of Plant Genetic
Resources (NBPGR) New Delhi is nodal organization engaged in the various activities related to exchange of plant
genetic resources in the country. Acquisition of germplasm has become a priority due to latest development under
Convention on Biological Diversity and other International treaties and laws. Realizing the importance of tropical
fruits trees and their future potential in India, an attempt was made to introduce Bush mango (lrvingia gabonensis),
a new potential tropical fruit and sent to different research station for their preliminary evaluation. Multilocation
testing, multiplication and distribution will be done in later stage