The dearth of irrigation water has posed threat to expected bumper mango crop in south Punjab. The overall situation of flowering in mango orchards is extraordinary. The growers and country is likely to earn handsome profits this year, said In-charge Mango Research Station Abdul Ghaffar Grewal. He, however, feared that water shortage could also damage mango orchards in the region. He said that the Punjab province was facing 60 per cent shortage of its allocated share, adding that it could aggravated at the time of fruiting. Last year, there was 40 per cent shortage of total allocated share of the province. When questioned how growers could address the issue of water shortage, the mango scientist maintained that the growers should follow scientific ways for management of the orchards. He suggested growers use gypsum and potassium as it could help reduce effects of water shortage. Secondly, the growers should only the root-zone of the plants. In order to ensure maximum irrigation to the root-zone of the plants, the growers should ensure soil coverage. For the purpose, maltur technique is very essential. In this technique, a layer of grass is thrown on water area at root-zone and it reduces water evaporation and thus offer water to plant according to its requirements. To a query about losses due to water scarcity, the mango expert maintained that it damaged quality and size of the fruit. Secondly, it also damage mango shape. The region is very much popular for Sindhari and seasonal Chaunsa. There were over 15,000 mango growers and about 80,000 acres of mango orchards in district Multan. Pakistan used to export nearly 6 per cent of its total production. However, the exports could be enhanced by managing the orchards scientifically. Source - https://www.urdupoint.com