MANGO PRODUCTION

Mango is the “queen fruit” in tropical areas of the world. It is an evergreen tree grown for its large, colorful and delicious fruit. It also gives an attractive shape in the home landscape due to its rounded canopy shape.

Climate

• Mango grows well in the tropical regions with distinct dry and wet seasons.
• In the equatorial region, it grows very vigorously but bears little fruit despite profuse flowering.
• Poor fruit setting is due to abundant rainfall and high relative humidity, which are conducive for disease development.
• The optimal temperature is between 23 degrees and 27 degrees Centigrade.
• Growth stops at about 11 to 12 degrees centigrade.
• Due to its ability to withstand fairly large differences in temperature, mango can grow in tropical Africa up to 1200 MASL but 600 MASL and below give optimum results.
• The distribution of rainfall is more important than the annual amount.
• Commercial mango production cannot be envisaged without irrigation if the average rainfall lies below 700mm.
• Below this average, mango can be grown in a family orchard or backyard depending on the depth of the water table.
• A period of vegetative rest is indispensable to induce flowering.
• This is provided by a dry season of 2 to 3 months.
• After flowering, if the water reserves are insufficient, many young fruits will shed while the remaining fruit won’t develop properly.
• During flowering, rain may destroy any hope of harvest. Heavy dew and cloudy periods at the time of flowering will also interfere with pollination and fruit formation.