Mango breeding

Abstract

The common mango (Mangifera indica L.) and closely related genera (Mangifera spp.) belong to the family Anacardiaceae that consists of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs. Mango trees are evergreen with branched, upright to spreading dense canopies that can grow to heights of 30m. The tree is supported by one to several deep taproots and abundant surface feeder roots. Trees are long lived with many specimens living for more than 100 years. The canopy consists of dark green, simple, alternate leaves, oval-lanceolate to roundish-oblong in shape. New leaves are produced in periodic flushes with the colour tone of expanding leaves varying between tan and red. Hundreds of hermaphrodite and male flowers are borne on branched conical panicles that grow from the terminals of branches. The fruits are fleshy drupes that vary in size, shape and colour, with the fleshy mesocarp being the most attractive edible proton of the fruit. Each fruit contains a single seed enclosed in a stony endocarp. Seed embryos can be either monoembryonic or polyembryonic dependant on genotype. Mango by production is the fifth largest fruit crop in the world behind bananas, grapes, apples and oranges and the second most important tropical fruit crop. Global production is estimated to be around 27 million tonnes per annum. India dominates global production accounting for some 40% of total production. Mango production plays an important role in the rural economy of many tropical countries. However, in spite of the large volume of mango production almost all of the product is consumed domestically in its country of origin: less than 4% (908,000 tonnes) of production is exported. Many of the reasons for the low export volumes lie in the highly perishable nature of mangoes. Of the mangoes that are grown and traded internationally, the majority are cultivars originating in Florida which are renowned for their strong blush colour and longer shelf life. Cultivars such as Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt dominate global trade. Markets with close proximity to the country of origin have enabled export markets to develop based on more perishable cultivars such as Carabao from the Philippines and Sindri from Pakistan. Recent developments in Plant Breeders rights (PBR) have seen the exclusive commercial development of many new mango varieties and a renewed interest in breeding and selection programmes.