Iffath Fathima By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Bangalore University campus, which is already home to four lakh trees, 786 plant species and 142 types of butterflies, is now going to have another feature added to it. Called the ‘fruit garden’, it will have 200 species of fruit-bearing trees planted on a 50-acre land, which will constitute 2,000 plants in total at the Jnana Bharathi campus. The initiative has been carried out by Professor of Geology, Dr T J Renuka Prasad, who brought a new life to the campus by making the biodiversity park. Instead of the usual dig and planting method, the contour trenching method will be carried out. “Contour trenching is an agricultural technique. Water collects in the trenches and percolates down. With this method, the sub-surface water is reserved, enhanced and does not evaporate easily. This will help the plants grow well with a good amount of water content. There will also be a good moisture content,” said Dr Prasad. With the contour trenching method, about 20 varieties of fruit plants have already planted like jamun, mausambi, chickoo, butter fruit, custard apple, mango, grapes, jackfruit, apple, pomegranate and gooseberry. Dr Prasad elaborated on the idea of having the fruit garden at the BU campus. “It will be helpful in future for students to carry out research studies. In addition, many schoolchildren can also come over, study these plants and witness different varieties of fruits in one place. Many birds and butterflies will also be attracted to fruit-bearing plants. With one garden, we can have multiple benefits,” he said. Some private firms and academies have already come forward to donate many plants and are providing funds to make drip irrigation and borewells for them. The team hopes to finish all the planting of 2,000 tree by July-end. Public participation is also open for people to come and take part in the exercise. Species Mango Raspuri, Alphonso, Kesar, Dashera, Nilam, Fouji Mango, Rumani Mango, Malgauba and more Chickoo Cricket ball, Kalapatti, white Chickoo Jackfruit Red rudrakshi, large rudrakshi, seedless, Thailand red, Thailand pink, Thailand yellow, etc Guava Spicy guava , Ahmedabad guava, Raichur guava, Kolkata guava, Maharaja, miniature blue, etc Other fruits Custard apple, Arkasahan litchi, strawberry, pear, cherries, plum, papaya, miracle fruit, wood apple, orange and lime are some of the other plants

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