MANGO TREES

Transportation of mango

2012-01-29T21:19:00.000-08:00

Mango has become an important export commodity for several developing countries. Means of transportation are scarce.

Mango transportation need careful handling since fruits in ripening become too soft, easy injury that reduce eating and keeping quality of fruits.

If the market is within close proximity of the field and the pack house, the fruit can be harvested at almost the fully ripe stage.

Fruit intended for longer transportation distances or storage is in general harvested firm and green, but physiologically mature, when the fruit ‘shoulder’ rose above the stem-end and once there is a slight color change.

Efforts must be made to protect the fruits from the direct rays of the sun to reduce fresh weight loss, shriveling and deterioration of fruit quality.

The good advice is that to transport mangoes during the cooler part of the day.

Wooden boxes are commonly used for packaging and transportation of mango fruits.

Under the dynamic transport conditions nails come out due to vibration and puncture the fruits which results in bruising decay and low price of fruits.

Transportation of mango

Mango skin

2011-11-14T20:57:00.001-08:00

The fruit is composed of 11-18% skin, 14-22% flesh and 60-75% stone, based in dry matter. Skin and stone are the main waste products of processing.

The skin of mango may be thick or thin, leathery, green, yellow or red or a fanciful combination of these colors.

Mango skin contains 10-15% pectin, which is extracted and used for the preparation of jellies.

Due to high amount of the skin produced in diverse industries, mango skin as a dietary fiber source has been studied. This dietary fiber is a rich source of indigestible polysaccharides, principally indigestible dietary fiber.

The polysaccharides pectin is present in mango and provides firmness; when the fruit is unripe, the pectin concentration is high, and the pectin level decreases during ripening of the tissue.

Pectin and other soluble fibers may help lower high blood glucose and cholesterol levels in some people.

In the mango canning industry 25 to 30% of the fruit is lost in the form of skin or peeling. These mango skin are fermented into a fruit vinegar. Mango skin juice and waste can be used as a molasses for cattle and also for fermentation into alcohol etc.
Mango skin

Ecology and climatic requirements

2011-09-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

Mango trees perform well both under tropical and subtropical climatic conditions. The trees can survive at 10 °C to 65 °C but the optimum of temperature is 21° C to 27 °C.

Mango trees grows over a wide range of frost free climates. The trees produce best in climates that have well defined, relatively cool dry season with high heat accumulation during the flowering and fruit development period.

Highest production of quality fruit occurs in those are with a distinctive non-freezing cool periods and an extended dry period prior flowering, hot temperatures during fruit development, and access to water from flowering to harvest.

Drought during fruit set and development may result in reduced yields and fruit size.

For coastal areas, seasonal flooding of the heavy clays and lower humidity than in the savannah areas differentiate these two important ecozones. On the case of mangoes, plants may develop extensive canopies and grow into large size trees in both ecozones, however it is only in the areas with relatively lower humidity that mango trees are able to consistently produce fruit.

Mango grows and produces fruit over a wide range of elevations from sea level up to 1200 m in tropical latitudes.

Mango not makes no high demands on the soil. It can be sandy or loamy, lateritic or alluvial, as long as it is deep and free-draining. Very poor, shallow, rocky and alkaline soil should be avoided.

Three needs good drainage since it has a medium tolerance to waterlogging.
Ecology and climatic requirements

Description of mango fruit

2011-08-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

This tropical fruit is high in vitamin C. Mango fruits contain 10-20 percent sugar and are important source of vitamin A. They have a rich, luscious aromatic flavor and a delicious taste in which sweetness and acidity are delicately blended.

The genus Mangifera consists of 69 species but not all bear edible fruit. The mango fruit is a large, fleshy drupe, containing an edible mesocarp of varying thickness.

The mesocarp is resinous and highly variable with respect to shape, size, color, presence of fiber and flavor.

The flavors range from turpentine to sweet. The exocarp is thick and glandular.

Fruit possess one seed enclosed in a stony endocarp, seeds may have one (monoembryonic types or multiple (polyembryonic) embryos.

Fruit shape varies, including elongate, oblong and ovate or intermediate forms involving two of these shapes.

The mango fruit is climacteric and increased ethylene production occurs during ripening.

The fruit skin may be thick, or thin, leathery, green yellow or red or a fanciful combination of these colors.

The pulp of immature fruit is hard and white to light yellow at maturity the pulp may be more or less fibrous, soft, juicy and light yellow to orange.

Mango can be eaten fresh when green half ripe or ripe. They make excellent jams, marmalades and chutneys. Mangoes cam also be pickled, frozen or canned.
Description of mango fruit

Packing and Packaging of Mango

2011-07-01T07:43:00.001-07:00

Mangoes should be cooled as soon as possible after harvesting, particularly if the fruits are required to undergo long distances sea transport.

Packaging of mangoes is crucial in obtaining optimal flavor. The fruits need to be ventilated well within the packages and packing of the fruits in polyethylene-lined cardboard boxes often results in off-flavor development due to accumulation of CO2 and suboptimal decreases in the oxygen concentration leading toward anaerobiosis.

Carton size, design and method of packing depend on the market and the mango variety. Most large volume, extra regional markets will require mangoes packed in a single layer with no fruit resting over another.

For domestic market, fruits may be packed in ventilated wooden boxes or corrugated cardboard boxes with a net capacity of 18 – 20 kg. Fruits should not be packed more than two layers deep.

The use of bags should be avoided for packing mangoes. In addition to boxes being stackable, facilitating greater quantities per load for transportation, they offer better ventilation and greater protection against damage than bags.

Mangoes destined for the export market should be packed in ventilated cardboard cartons. One layer flats with dividers with a maximum capacity of 8 kg may be used.

If it is necessary to have more than one layer of mangoes in the package unit, the liners should be used to protect fruits from compression damage. It will provide some additional buffering against impact damage.

Organic materials (i.e. paper, leaves or shredded wood) have been used to cushion individual fruit in cartons. These materials can harbor pathogens, for example Rhizopus stolonifer, which causes transit rot of mangoes and has been detected in shredded wood used in mango packaging.
Packing and Packaging of Mango

Minerals distribution in Mango

2011-05-09T01:01:00.001-07:00

Mango is full of nutritious quality. A ripe mango has 86 percent of water, 0.3 % mineral salt, calcium 0.01%, phosphorus 0.02%, iron 5 mg per 100 grams

Other mineral in mango is silica, a mineral that gives structural support to human hair, muscles, bones, teeth and skin.

Silica also plays a role in keeping the skin tight and smooth by supporting both bone and collagen formation.

Other key minerals in mangoes including magnesium, sodium, zinc, copper, and manganese.

Iron in mango is needed for the formation of red blood cell.

Calcium and magnesium in mango are good for building strong bones and teeth. Calcium also important for the healthy functioning of the muscles including the heart and nerves.

While for zinc it is needed for the body growth, healing and the metabolism of protein and carbohydrates.
Minerals distribution in Mango

Mango rich with vitamin C

2011-03-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

The ripe fruit is very wholesome and nourishing. Mangoes provide large amounts of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta carotene, which can block the effects of harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals, which can damage healthy tissues throughout the body.

Mango is a good source of vitamin C. It provide 16.0 mg vitamin C and small amount of vitamin B complex too.

One serving or ½ medium mango contain about 15% of your daily vitamin C.

The vitamin C in the mango enhances the absorption of iron and helps in preventing anemia.

Taking mango regularly makes the complexion fair and the skin soft and shining.

Vitamin C and calcium present in mangoes helps in tightening the capillary vessels and preventing bleedings of inner parts of body.

Vitamin C also play a role in preserving immune function and preventing oxidative damage caused by chronic inflammation.

Vitamin C may also contribute to the maintenance of a healthy vasculature and to a reduction in atherogenesis through the regulation of collagen synthesis, prostacyclin production and nitric oxide.
Mango rich with vitamin C

The Tree of Mango

2010-12-22T02:03:00.000-08:00

Mango is one of the most productive tropical plants. Mango contains protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins A, B, C, amino acids, resins, natural sugars, and citric tartaric and malic acids.

The mango tree is believed to have evolved as a canopy layer or emergent species of the tropical rainforest of South-east Asia.

The trunk of the tree is covered by a dark grey, cracked bark, when old. The young plant, to be sure, has a green outer skin called epidermis, like annual herbs.

Mature trees can attain a height of 40 m or more and can survive for several hundred years.

Mango trees that have been domesticated by selection from openly pollinated seedling populations show variation in tree architecture.

The tree is an arboresent evergreen. Leaves are simple and alternate, with petioles that range in length from 1 to 12.5 cm.

The petioles, besides placing the leaves in such position that they can get light, also save them from being torn when wind blows very strongly as they are springy.

Leaf morphology is highly variable, depending on the cultivar: leave can be lanceolate, oblong, ovate and intermediate types involving these forms.

Leaf length ranges from 12 to 38 cm and width can be between 2 -13 cm. Young leaves are copper colored, changing gradually to light and then dark green with age.

The leaves are spirally arranged in whorls and are produced in flushes. The canopy is normally oval, elongated or dome shaped.

The leaves of mango tree contain saponins, glycerine, sterols, polyphenols an benzoic acid and posses antibiotic properties.

Mango tree is able to keep its leaves on all the year round and thus can keep its root much cooler than a tree which has at times no leaves.

The juvenile period of seedling trees can range from 3 to 7 years. The root system consist of along, vigorous taproot and abundant surface feeder roots.
The Tree of Mango

Vitamin in Mango

2010-08-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Vitamin in Mango
The vitamin value of mango fruit lies mainly in its vitamin C, vitamin A and small amounts of vitamin B group.

They are extremely rich in vitamin A, with a high concentration of beta carotene. One mango may have 10,000 IU of vitamin A.

Mango source of vitamin A to the extent that one medium size mango can meet the vitamin A requirement for one week.

Intake of mango, therefore, can avoid vitamin A deficiency which otherwise leads to many eye troubles like keratitis.

The vitamin also protects the epithelium of the cornea, iris and retina.

During ripening process, the fruit are initially acidic, astringent and rich in ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Ripe mangoes containing moderate levels of vitamin C, fairly rich in provitamin B1 and B2. Pulp mangoes is concentrated source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C has been touted as a nutrient that can help fight stress. Vitamin C also boosts the body’s ability to fight infection and a growing body of research suggest that it may protect against heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Vitamin C’s potential as a chronic disease fighter stems from its function as an antioxidant.
Vitamin in Mango

Grading and Standardization of mango

2010-07-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Grading and Standardization of mango
There is no internationally recognized grading system for mangoes. However, there are numerous advantages to be derived for a grading system.

The purchaser is assisted since it is possible to buy more precisely what is desired; to buy by description rather than having to inspect every fruit and to be assured of consistency in quality at every purchase.

The seller is also assisted by a grading system since it is possible to sell products closer to what consumers desire and to establish price differentials with higher grades fetching a higher price than lower grades.

The establishment of a grading system for mangoes is complicated by the existence of numerous varieties of mangoes, each of which have their own characteristic size, shape, color, texture and flavor.

Grade A shall consist of fruits that are:-
At a mature green stage of development (immature/ripening fruit would not be acceptable).
Free from deformities
Free from insect and pest damage
Free from mechanical damage
Free from anthracnose spots
Free from dark latex stains
Trimmed of their pedicels
Not less than weights quoted below for specified varieties:
Tommy Atkins – 642 g
Haden – 465 g
Julie – 300 g
Starch – 175 g

Grade B shall consist of fruits that :-
Free from deformities
Free from insect and pest damage
Free from anthracnose spots
Do not have greater than 10% of their surface area affected with anthracnose spots
Do not have more than 1% of their surface area contaminated with dark latex stains
Are not less than weight quoted below for specified varieties:
Tommy Atkins – 500 g
Haden – 350 g
Julie – 275 g
Starch – 120 g
Grading and Standardization of mango

The Nutrition

2010-06-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Nutrition
Mango is used as raw and ripe. Raw mango is rich source of pectin, oxalic, citric and succinct acids. It is a good source of vitamin C, B1 and B2 too.

The ripe fruit is very wholesome ad nourishing. The principal ingredient of mango is sugar. There are citric, malic and tartaric acids in a ripe mango that are beneficial to the body and help maintain the alkaline reserve of the body.

On the average, 100 grams of mango contains 81.0% moisture, 0.6% protein, 0.4% fat, 0.4% minerals, 0.7% fiber and 16.9% carbohydrates.

It provides 14 mg calcium, 16 mg phosphorus, 13 mg iron, 16.0 mg vitamin C and a small amount of vitamin B complex too.

Its calorie value is 74. The ripe mango nourishes the body by increasing gastric juice, blood, flesh, fat, bone marrow and semen. This fruit is also beneficial in liver disorders, loss of weight and other physical disturbances.

The latest research shows that mangoes has a potential to stop the growth of cancer cells. It was found that they were effective mostly against coon and breast cancer.

Researchers believe it’s the polyphenols in mangoes that are responsible for these exciting effects.
The Nutrition

Mango Kernel Fat

2010-05-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Mango Kernel Fat
Extensive work has been carried out in mango kernel fat. The reported values on kernel fat content very from 8.85% to 16.13%.

The lipids of mango kernel are composed of neutral lipids phospholipids and unsaponifiable matter.

Mango kernel fat contains 94.8%-97% of neutral lipids, 1.1%-2.8% of phospholipids, and 1.3%-2.2% of unsaponifiable matter.

The researchers processed magi kernel for recovery of fat and refined the fat. Mango stones were decorticated by using a specially adapted decorticator.

Fat was extracted both by hexane as well as by a combined method of expeller followed by hexane extractions.

Blandness, plasticity and absence of toxic substance render it a potential edible fat in sweetmeat and in pastries who which saturated fats are required.

It can be used as a substitute for tallow in the preparation of high-quality soaps and as an extender to cocoa butter.

The fat extracted meal can be used in animal feed rations and as a direct sizing agent in textile.

The fatty acid compositions of kernel fat has been investigated by many researchers. Stearic and oleic acid s are the major constituents of mango kernel fat, accounting for over 85%.

Investigation also showed that kernel fat added to ghee from buffalo milk at the rate of 1% acted as an antioxidant.
Mango Kernel Fat

Black Tip of Mango

2010-04-16T02:25:00.000-07:00

Black Tip of Mango
Black tip is a serious disorder that is capable of causing considerable set back to the grower. Among the commercial cultivars, Dashehari is most prone to the disorder, while Lucknow Safeda is least.

The infection of fruits is initiated right at marble stage, with a characteristics yellowing of tissues at the distal end.

Gradually, the color intensifies into brown and finally black.

At this stage, further growth and development of the fruit is retarded and the black ring at the tip extends toward the upper part of the fruit.

Black tip disorder has generally been detected in orchard located in the vicinity of brick kilns.

A spray of 1% borax at the tine of fruit set, followed by two more sprays at 10 day intervals might be useful in controlling the disorder.

Sprays of washing soda (0.5%) and caustic soda (0.8%) were found to be equally good in minimizing the disorder.

Irrigation in the orchards after fruit should be maintained at regular intervals to reduce the severity of black tip; this will also increase the fruit size.
Black Tip of Mango

Black Spot Disease of Mango

2010-03-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

Black Spot Disease of Mango
Although the symptoms on leaves and fruits are by far the most commonly observed symptoms, Xanthomonas sp. mangiferaeindicae may cause lesions on all the aerial parts of the mango tree.

The first visual signs on the laves are small angular oily looking spots measuring 1-3 mm and delimited by the veins, They then turn black and appear in relief on both sides of the leaves.

Most often young lesions have an oily looking margin and are surrounded by a chlorotic halo. Old foliar lesions are brown and then become ash grey.

X. sp. mangiferaeindicae does not cause tree mortality but reduces the yield of susceptible cultivars sometimes drastically, due to very heavy defoliation.

Disease incidence is acute on these cultivars in all regions with concomitant hot and humid periods.

The disease was first observed on herbarium specimens collected from India in 1880.
Black Spot Disease of Mango

Mango and the disease

2010-03-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

Mango and the disease
The low productivity in India production of mango is due to the associated disease problem.

Mango is affected by a number of disease at all stages of its development, right from the plants in the nursery to the fruits in storage or transit.

Hardly any plant organ is immune and almost every part viz. stem, branch, twig, root, leaf, petiole, flower and fruit are affect by various pathogens, yet there are few diseases which are of great economic importance.

These diseases manifest themselves as several kinds of rot, die back, mildew, necrosis, scab, blotch, stem bleeding, wilt, spots canker, sooty moldy and malformation.

Leaf spot diseases cause great loss and hamper the efforts made to increase the yield of mango tree.

They impoverish the leaves, diminished the phyto-synthetic efficiency and upset normal physiological activity of the host.

Some of theses disease take heavy tool of trees and have become limiting factor in mango cultivation in some regions.

Bloom blight or Blossom blight in some years causes a complete failure of the crop.

Other disease like bacterial canker, black tip, powder mildew, sooty mould and doe back in India are the sources of great loss to the orchardists.
Mango and the disease

Fruit of Mango

2010-02-25T19:02:00.001-08:00

Fruit of Mango
India contributes about 64% of the world production of mangoes. The mango fruit is highly perishable, highly susceptible to disease, extremes of temperature and physical injury, and international trade in mango has been limited.

However, a number of products, such as canned mango pulp, juices, nectar, splash, beverage jam, chutney pickle, mango leather and raw mango powder, are routinely prepared .

Mango is one fruit that is processed and used at almost every stage of its growth.

Raw mango fruit is mainly use for the preparation of raw mango powder, chutney and pickle.

Mango puree made from ripe mango is one of the most important processed products which finds further utilization in various other products, such as nectar, squash, jam, and ready to serve beverages.

Puree is canned for long term storage and marketing worldwide.

Mango pulp can also be preserved using 350-700 ppm of sulfur dioxide but there are reservations among consumers towards sulfited foods due to objectionable odor and acidity.

Mangoes fruit beverage are very nutritive drinks and are extremely popular in India and other Asian countries.

Mango beverage with 20% puree in the formulation and 20 Brix taste very sweet so most of these mango drinks are adjusted to only 15 Brix, because less than 15% puree adversely affects the color and flavor of the mango beverages during storage.

Mango being rich in a desirable strong flavor of its own, lends itself to be blended with a number of other fruit for the preparation of fruit juice cocktails.

Blends of mango puree with papaya, orange, kinnow, apple, guava, pear and apricot could be used in many foods.

Peeled slices or cubes obtained from ripe or semiripe mango fruits can be preserved in sugar syrup.

Mango leather another popular product is prepared by drying mango pulp to final moisture content of about 15 %. Pectin when used at a rate of 0.5 to 0.75% improves the texture of mango leather.
Fruit of Mango

Inheritance pattern

2010-02-07T20:41:00.001-08:00

Inheritance pattern
The mango is not a convenient plant for genetical analysis due to its long life cycle, cross pollination and high degree of heterozygocity, lack of detail information on its inheritance pattern, intricate arrangement of sexes in the panicle and excessive fruit drop.

However the inheritance of some characteristics has been worked out which are readily analyzed.

Some of the more desired characters like upright tree habit is dominant over spreading and spreading is dominant over dwarfness.

There exists a strong linkage between bearing and fruit quality. Biennial bearing is dominant over regular bearing.

Precocity and regularity of bearing are governed by recessive genes.

Fruit bearing in bunches gas been observed to be dominant over single fruit bearing.

The genetics of fruit color has not been studied in detail but available combinations resulting in different colors.

The inheritance of duration of the juvenile period is yet to be examined critically. Totapari Red Small has been found to have a very short juvenile phase and thus it can be used as a male parent in hybridization programme to reduce the length of the juvenile phase.

This is because no effect of the female parent has been found on the distribution of the juvenile period or fertility.

Resistance to floral malformation is controlled by recessive gens. Spongy tissue, a physiological disorder of fruits has also been found to be governed by recessive genes.

Susceptibly to bacteria canker is transmitted through cytoplasmic inheritance.
Inheritance pattern

Internal Breakdown of Mango

2010-01-24T02:49:00.000-08:00

Internal Breakdown of Mango
Generally the symptoms of internal breakdown are characterized by breakdown of the flesh on the ventral side and toward the apex on the fruit.

In Haden mangos, there is a yellowing of the green skin at the apex, which becomes soft.

At the advanced stage of the disorder, the tissue becomes spongy and grayish black.

The causes of this malady are mostly unknown, but exposure of fruits to infra red rays at 40 degree C produced 100% occurrence with 20% intensity of damage.

The symptoms of this disorder are revealed only when the fruits are open cut open. The internal breakdown tissue is soft or spongy, with or without off-flavour.

The disorder commences from the stone and spreads toward the periphery. In severe cases the whole fleshy tissue becomes too soft, resembling bacteria rot.
Internal Breakdown of Mango

Green Revolution of Mango

2010-01-09T18:11:00.001-08:00

Green Revolution of Mango
Mango has become a major fruit crop of the tropics and subtropics, particularly in Asia, where mango has always been the most important fruit crop and here it has been considered the ‘king of fruits.

A generation ago, the Green Revolution culminated, creating surpluses of staple and horticultural crops in many developing countries.

The Green Revolution was the result of nearly a century of effort of applying Mendelian genetics to crop improvement (i.e. conventional breeding) together with optimization of agronomic and horticultural practices and the successful management of insect pests and diseases.

However, improvement of tree crops has lagged behind crops for several reasons: their heterogeneity, polyploidy, lengthy juvenile period, time required for evaluation of tree in the field and the relatively high cost of maintaining tree paintings.

For the most part, fruit cultivars continue to be ancient selections, many of which have serious problem, including alternate bearing lack of disease of resistance, low yields, etc.

The rapid growth of mango production in recent years has been due to its expansion into growing regions of the New World, China and parts of Africa; the planting of regular bearing selections; and the adoptions of modern field practices, which include irrigation management control of flowering, etc.

Agricultural practices are currently undergoing another revolution as integrated pest and disease management replaces the earlier reliance on agrichemicals and merging fields within biotechnology begun to impact cultivar development.
Green Revolution of Mango

Limitations in Breeding

2009-12-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Mango breeding is beset with many problems. It is out breeding species and thus highly heterozygous and has remained unchanged for generations because the commercially adopted varieties have been vegetatively propagated.

Vegetatively propagated trees are also characterized by more or less prolonged juvenile phase which they are either unfruitful or bear fruits uncharacteristic of the mature tree.

Juvenile becomes even more pronounced when trees are propagated from seeds – a necessary procedure when hybridization is the adopted method of breeding.

Obtaining large population of hybrids is problematic. The problem is complicated by occurrence incompatibility factor in the backcross of the hybrid with superior parents, resulting in negligible number of backcross progeny.

The occurrence of nuclear embryo (polyembryo) in the seed parent interferes with production of hybrids.

If the gametic embryo is such combinations happen to be very week, these may be naturally eliminated in the progeny, and thus the objective of hybridization is countermanded.

However, of these happen to be vigorous, it would ne difficult to distinguish them form nuclear seedlings of the seed parent.
Limitations in Breeding

History of Mangifera indica (Mango)

2009-11-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

History of Mangifera indica (Mango)

M. indica was evidently domesticated in the northern India-Burma region, where it still grows wild in the hills of Assam and adjacent areas.

The wild trees, like their cultivated derivates, can grow to over 40 m in height and live for over a century.

The mango was probably being planted in India by 2000 B.C and is prominently recorded in ancient Sanskrit writings.

Human selection has been concentrated on the fruit and has produced cultivars with much larger, better flavored fruits with less resin and fiber and smaller pits.

During the 17th century, the Portuguese planted mangoes in coastal areas of both East and West Africa; but acceptance by the Africans was slow and spread into the interior was erratic.

Mango trees were present in a few interior market towns in West Africa, e.g., Fouta Djallon, when European explorers arrived in the late 19th century, but most of the spread came later.

The earliest known successful introduction of M. indica to the New World was to Bahia in Brazil about 1700 with plantings elsewhere along the Brazilian coast soon after.

In 1742, the mango was successfully introduced to Barbados from Rio de Janeiro. Soon other direct introductions to the West Indies were made from the Indian Ocean.

In latter half of the 18th century, British and French colonial botanical gardens played a leading role in mango introduction.

Mango trees, along with East Indian spice trees, were planted in the St. Vincent botanical garden when it was started in 1766.

Meanwhile, a quite spate introduction had taken place across the Pacific from the Philippine to Mexico.

Mangoes were not grown around Manila until over a century after the trade with Mexico began, nor were they grown in Mexico until late in the 18th century when Mexico acquired, under the name of mango of Manila, the unusual apomictic variety grown in the Philippine and Guam.

The great expansion of mango growing over tropical Central and South America took place between 1800 and 1850 mainly by casualty planted and volunteer seedling trees often yielding poor quality fruit.

Geographic spread of Mangifera was essentially completed in the last half of the 19th century with its introduction to such far flung places as Florida, Hawaii, Fiji, Queensland and Natal.
History of Mangifera indica (Mango)

Mango Clustering

2009-10-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Mango Clustering
Clustering of fruits after fruit at the tip is not conducive for the development of fruits.

This is characterized by a cluster of fruitlets at the tip of the panicle, giving a bunchy appearance.

These fruitlets are dark green with a deeper curve in the sinus beak region than in normal developing fruits.

After attaining pea or marble size, further growth of fruits is retarded and they remain on the panicle for some time.

This disorder in mango has not been well documented.

Preliminary observation suggested that it may be physiological in nature as no pest or disease was found to be associated.

The failure of fruit set due to adverse climatic conditions might have led to the increase of hermaphrodite flowers.

These fruits grow parthenocarpically up to the marble size.

It was shown that 92% of such fruits originated from aborted embryos.

Those panicles which showed clustering did not carry any fruit on the side rachis, and those panicles which carried fruits on the side rachis generally did not show the symptom of clustering. Mango Clustering

History and Origin of Mango

2009-10-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

History and Origin of Mango
The mango has been known in India since very early times. It is referred to in Sanskrit literature as Amra and has been under cultivation by man for over 4000 years.

It appears, however, that Hsiian-tsang, one of the early travelers to India (632-645), was the first person to bring mango to the notice of people outside India.

This fruit occupied an important place in horticulture during the rule of the Mogul emperors in India, and Akbar the Great (1556-1605) planted an orchard of 100,000 mango trees.

The origin of most o the improved varieties in India have been traced to those days, and the encyclopedia Ain-e-Akbari (1590 AD) contains a good account of the mango regarding its quality and varietal characteristics.

Phytogeographical data studies of the phylogenetic taxonomy of species of Mangifera indicate that this genus originated in the Indo-Burma region.

Most of the cultivated varieties have arisen from four main species – Mangifera indica, Mangifera sylvatica, Mangifera odorata, and Mangifera zeylanica.

Mango cultivation is found in many countries of Southeast Asia – the Philippines, Indonesia, Java, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Introduction of the mango to East and West Africa and subsequently to Brazil is said to have occurred in the sixteenth century.

Mexico acquired the mango in the nineteenth century, and it entered Florida in 1833. The cultivated mango varieties are the result of constant selection by man from original wild plants for over 4000 years.

The wild progenies are still available in India in two species, Mangifera indica and Mangifera sylvatica, which have small fruits with a big stone, thin acidic flesh and long fibers.

The knowledge of vegetative preparation gained in the sixteenth century made it possible to produce a large number of cultivars which were far superior to the wild forms.

This fruit have little fiber, and are sweet in taste with more flesh.
History and Origin of Mango

Breeding Objective of Mango

2009-09-14T03:31:00.001-07:00

Breeding Objective of Mango
Most of the commercial mango cultivars have a strong bienial bearing tendency. Thus the main objectives of breeding have been regular bearing and good fruit quality.

An ideal mango variety should possess tree dwarfness; attractive (golden apricot) color on ripening, medium size (5 in a kg) and good quality fruit (high pulp: stone ratio, firm and fibreless flesh); precocious and regular in bearing; highly tolerant to various diseases including malformation and pests; and high keeping quality.

Although at present none of the commercial varieties of mango has all these characteristics combined into one, it would be futile to take up all these objective s at a time in any mango breeding programme.

Therefore, these characters are to be incorporated at stages and the variety is to be built up gradually.

There is suggestion that the ease with which a cultivar can be spoon eaten among the evaluating criteria while breeding a superior among cultivar.

A good mango variety should have a high ration (3.31 to 4.0 of edible to non edible matters.
Breeding Objective of Mango

Mango malformation

2009-08-31T03:41:00.000-07:00

Mango malformation
Mango malformation is widespread in subtropical regions of northern India.

The malformed panicles remain unproductive and are characterized by a compact mass of male flowers, greenish in color and stunted in growth.

The main and secondary rachis are thick and short and bear flowers with relative larger bracts, and petals are compared to normal flowers.

The malformed panicles remain intact on the tress for a considerable period which sometimes extends even to the next flowering season.

Though research efforts made hitherto have not been able to ascertain its etiology, the complexity of the disorder is attributed largely to cultural variation, nutritional, pathogenic, vital and hormonal imbalances.

While comparing the morphactin-induced malformed with healthy and naturally malformed panicles, it was observed that IAA-oxidase activity was higher in malformed panicles and much more in morphactin-induced malformation.

Catalase activity was also low in malformed panicles.

However, it may be pointed out that in morphactin-induced malformation, the bunch was much smaller than in naturally malformed panicle.

Some remedial measures include application of:

Planofix at the rate of 200 ppm spray followed by deblossoming of early emerged panicles in the in the heavily infested orchards

Deblossoming of early emerged panicles in the months of December and January in orchards where incidence is low.

Avoiding taking a excessive number of scion sticks from the same tree.

Mango malformation