Indian farmer's mangoes that look like apples, taste like bananas - in pictures

  • Syed Ghani Khan grows about 119 varieties of mango, many of which are unique to his orchard, located in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Syed Ghani Khan grows about 119 varieties of mango, many of which are unique to his orchard, located in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • Some of the trees on Khan's farm are more than 200 years old and have been conserved for seven generations. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Some of the trees on Khan's farm are more than 200 years old and have been conserved for seven generations. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • The mangoes are unique because some variants taste like bananas, sweet lime and even cumin. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    The mangoes are unique because some variants taste like bananas, sweet lime and even cumin. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • Some mangoes take the shape and hue of apples. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Some mangoes take the shape and hue of apples. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • Mini mavinakais weigh 50 grams, while baga golas go up to 1.25 kilograms (the average mango is about 200 grams). Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Mini mavinakais weigh 50 grams, while baga golas go up to 1.25 kilograms (the average mango is about 200 grams). Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • Khan collects mango seeds and grafts the tree branches in his quest to conserve the variants with their unique DNA. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Khan collects mango seeds and grafts the tree branches in his quest to conserve the variants with their unique DNA. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • Khan says some of his mango trees bear fruit as early as February and as late as August. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Khan says some of his mango trees bear fruit as early as February and as late as August. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • Khan's fertiliser-free farm is spread over 6.5 hectares, with paddy growing below and the mango orchard above. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    Khan's fertiliser-free farm is spread over 6.5 hectares, with paddy growing below and the mango orchard above. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • A retailer reports that Khan's mangoes are the most sought after in his store. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    A retailer reports that Khan's mangoes are the most sought after in his store. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
  • The biggest challenge, says Khan, is 'the need to conserve and rejuvenate dying variants. Once the diversity is lost, it will be impossible to see it again'. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao
    The biggest challenge, says Khan, is 'the need to conserve and rejuvenate dying variants. Once the diversity is lost, it will be impossible to see it again'. Photo: Bindu Gopal Rao