Along the Belagavi–Sirsi highway near Haliyal in Uttara Kannada, red earth gives rise to a forest of mango saplings. Grafted stems rise in neat rows, stretching for kilometres — a quiet, green procession across the land.
The air carries the faint tang of moist soil and the rhythm of hands at work: farmers bending over tender shoots, tying, trimming, and nurturing them toward survival.
In villages like Havagi, Tergaon, and Antrolli, nursery yards hum with this craft.
“We use dried cow dung to fertilise the soil,” says 63-year-old Shanta Bhopal Karketi, her palms stained with earth. “The sapling must be strong from the beginning — only then will the orchard thrive.”
What began as a modest initiative in Tergaon has now spread across neighbouring villages, lining the highway for over four kilometres. Today, this stretch hosts more than 200 nurseries, each tended by families and ranging from half an acre to ten acres.
From small beginnings to a thriving ecosystem
Among the many nurseries are familiar local names — Jai Gurudev, Lakkaragoudra, R K Nursery, Guru, Krishna, Mailarlingeshwar, Samrudh, and Padmamba.
Each bag of soil holds more than a sapling. It carries the promise of orchards in distant lands, livelihoods for farming families, and a legacy passed down through generations.
Each bag of soil holds more than a sapling. It carries the promise of orchards in distant lands, livelihoods for farming families, and a legacy passed down through generations.
Every year, nearly 50 lakh saplings leave these villages, loaded onto trucks bound for mango-growing regions across India — from Ratnagiri’s coastal slopes to Tamil Nadu’s plains, Pune’s peri-urban farms, and Andhra Pradesh’s emerging orchards.
What begins as a fragile shoot in Uttara Kannada’s red soil eventually becomes the shade and sweetness of mango trees across the country.
The science behind stronger saplings
At the heart of Tergaon’s success lies a unique technique known locally as Eradu Beeja Moolakanda Tantra, or the double-seeded rootstock method.
Farmers sow two seeds in a single soil bag. One grows into the primary rootstock used for grafting, while the other acts as a backup — ensuring resilience if the first fails.
Two seeds offer security; one carries the graft, while the other quietly safeguards success.
“We’ve been making mango grafts for three decades now, and more nurseries are added each year,” says 45-year-old Sattapa Kakerri of Padmamba Nursery, which spans ten acres at Tergaon’s entrance.
Walking through rows of grafts ranging from knee-high to shoulder-length, he explains how each plant is priced based on age and growth.
A craft passed down, not taught
The roots of this thriving nursery ecosystem trace back nearly 30 years to Krishnappa Sidbhanvar, now 80.
“He guarded his craft closely — never one to teach it openly. People picked it up only by watching in secret,” says Sridhar Kakerri, 34, a software engineer who now helps run his family nursery alongside his remote job.
“We’ve been making mango grafts for three decades now, and more nurseries are added each year,”
says 45-year-old Sattapa Kakerri of Padmamba Nursery, which spans ten acres at Tergaon’s entrance.
Sridhar also manages marketing, coordinates with pulp factories, and arranges scion collection from across regions to sustain the grafting cycle.
Nearby, women sit by the roadside, dehusking mango seeds sourced from pulp factories in Hubli and Ratnagiri. Dried under the sun and planted in enriched soil, these seeds begin their transformation into sturdy rootstocks.
From seed to nationwide supply
Once grafted, these saplings are ready to travel.
Within three years, they begin to bear fruit. A three-foot plant sells for anywhere between Rs 60 and Rs 200, depending on its age and variety.
Kesar grafts dominate the landscape, with scions sourced from Koppal and Kolar. Other varieties — Dasheri, Raspuri, Imam Pasand, Alphonso, Banishan, Mankurad, and even the rare Black Mango — arrive from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
“In recent years, we’ve introduced Thai cultivars like Golden Chakapat and Nam Dok Mai,” Sridhar says. “Unlike Alphonso, which produces a single seedling, Nam Dok Mai is polyembryonic, meaning one seed can produce multiple plants.”
Seasonal rhythms and market demand
With the arrival of the monsoon in late May, the nurseries enter their busiest season. Sales continue until September, as saplings are transported across the country.
At Krishna Nursery, 25-year-old Sitaram Mirashi manages nearly one lakh saplings on just one acre.
“It’s the seven-month-old plants that buyers prefer most,” he explains. “Nurseries from Maharashtra usually opt for Kesar, while those from North Karnataka lean toward Alphonso.”
Tergaon’s unique microclimate — with temperatures between 30–35°C, high humidity, and iron-rich lateritic soil — produces hardier plants with deeper roots and greater drought tolerance compared to other regions.
High effort, low margins
Despite the scale of operations, profit margins remain slim.
Within three years, they begin to bear fruit. A three-foot plant sells for anywhere between Rs 60 and Rs 200,
depending on its age and variety.
A sapling that sells for up to Rs 200 costs nearly Rs 40 to produce. Add labour, maintenance, and weather risks, and the returns narrow significantly.
Seeds sourced from pulp factories cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per tonne. Even unsold saplings must be maintained, adding to the burden.
Many farmers diversify into sugarcane, cashew, or coconut cultivation to sustain their incomes.
Still, the numbers are staggering: a three-acre nursery can produce over five lakh saplings annually, with truckloads shipped regularly across India.
A climate-resilient future
As climate change threatens India’s mango belt — with projected yield drops of 10–20% by 2030 — Tergaon’s resilient saplings could play a crucial role.
As climate change threatens India’s mango belt — with projected yield drops of 10–20% by 2030 — Tergaon’s resilient saplings could play a crucial role.
“These plants are better adapted to heat and erratic rainfall,” Sridhar explains. “With the right support, this could become a much larger movement.”
Farmers are now calling for government support — from certified seeds and subsidies for shade nets to national-level marketing hubs.
Certification under standards like the National Horticulture Board could also help position these as premium “Tergaon Hardy” grafts for orchards across India.
Growing more than just mangoes
In Uttara Kannada’s red-earth cradle, families like the Karketis, Kakerris, and Mirashis are doing more than cultivating saplings — they are nurturing a quiet agricultural revolution.
Their work sustains livelihoods, strengthens climate resilience, and ensures that India’s love for mangoes continues to thrive.
From these small villages, millions of saplings travel outward each year — carrying with them not just fruit, but the promise of a sweeter, more sustainable future.
