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🥭 Mango

King of fruits — origin, varieties, cultivation, physiology, disorders and exam facts

Introduction

  • Botanical Name: Mangifera indica
  • Family: Anacardiaceae
  • Origin: Indo-Burma region (Primary centre of origin)
  • Chromosome number: 2n = 40
  • Fruit type: Drupe (fleshy mesocarp with stony endocarp)
  • National fruit of India and known as the King of Fruits
  • India is the largest producer of mango in the world, contributing approximately 45% of world production
  • Uttar Pradesh is the largest mango-producing state in India
  • Highest productivity in the world: Venezuela
  • Pollinator: House fly and other dipteran insects (not bees)
  • Mango hybridization work was first started by Burns & Prayag in 1911 at Pune
  • Caging technique of breeding was used by Dr. R.N. Singh
  • Good mango varieties have a TSS of 20%
  • Only 0.1% of perfect flowers develop fruits to maturity

IMPORTANT

Mango is a drupe (not a berry). India contributes ~45% of world mango production. Chromosome number 2n = 40. These are the three most frequently tested facts.

Climate & Soil Requirements

  • Type: Tropical fruit crop
  • Optimum temperature: 24-27°C for flowering, fruit set and development
  • Altitude: Can be grown up to 1400 m above sea level
  • Rainfall: 75-250 cm well-distributed rainfall is ideal
  • Soil: Deep, well-drained alluvial or laterite soils with pH 5.5-7.5
  • Mango is highly susceptible to frost and low temperature injury
  • Storage temperature:
    • Mature fruit: 6-7°C
    • Ripened fruit: 20°C
    • Fruits should be stored above 5°C to avoid chilling injury
  • Longevity of mango seed: 30 days (4 weeks) — recalcitrant seed
  • Mango can withstand deficiency of P but not K (potassium is critical for fruit quality)

NOTE

Mango is a tropical fruit but can tolerate subtropical conditions. It cannot tolerate waterlogging or frost. The variety Malbhog is most susceptible to waterlogged conditions.

Important Varieties by State

State Important Varieties
Uttar Pradesh Dasheri, Langra, Chausa, Bombay Green, Lucknow Safeda, Mallika
Bihar Gulabkhas, Jardalu, Himsagar, Bombai
Gujarat Kesar, Alphonso, Rajapuri
Maharashtra Alphonso (Hapus), Pairi, Totapuri
AP / Telangana Benishan (Banganapalli), Suvarnarekha, Neelum
Karnataka Totapuri, Mulgoa, Neelum, Alphonso
Tamil Nadu Neelum, Rumani, Banganapalli
West Bengal Himsagar, Langra, Fazli

Types of Mango Varieties

  • North Indian cultivars: Alternate bearer, monoembryonic, self-incompatible
  • South Indian cultivars: Regular bearing, polyembryonic
  • Regular bearing varieties: Neelum, Totapuri, Pairi, Gulabkhas, Himsagar
  • Alternate bearers: Langra, Dasheri, Chausa
  • Off-season bearing: Niranjan, Madhulica
  • Polyembryonic varieties: Goa, Mulgoa, Olour, Bellary, Chandrakaran
  • Exotic coloured cultivars: Tommy Atkins, Haden, Sensation, Julie
  • Mulgoa is mother of all coloured cultivars
  • Rosica — mutant variety of mango
  • Madhulica — most precocious cultivar
  • Two crops of mango are taken in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu

TIP

  • North: Alternate bearer + monoembryonic
  • South: Regular bearer + polyembryonic
Comparison board of important mango varieties such as Alphonso, Banganapalli, Chausa, Bombay Green, and Dashehari with quick exam notes
This variety board helps connect the cultivar names in the text with the quick traits exam questions usually ask about.

Polyembryonic Rootstocks

Rootstock Dwarfing Effect on
Rumani Dasheri
Olour Langra & Himsagar
Villicolumban Alphonso
  • Salt-resistant rootstocks: Kurukkan, Moovandan, Nekkare

Hybrid Varieties

Hybrid Cross Notable Feature
Mallika Neelum x Dasheri Regular bearer, excellent quality
Amrapali Dasheri x Neelum Dwarf, regular bearer, suitable for HDP
Arka Aruna Banganapalli x Alphonso Free from spongy tissue
Arka Anmol Alphonso x Janardhan Pasand Free from spongy tissue
Arka Puneet Alphonso x Banganapalli Free from spongy tissue
Ratna Neelum x Alphonso Regular bearer
Sindhu Ratna x Alphonso Seedless mango

IMPORTANT

Mallika = Neelum x Dasheri and Amrapali = Dasheri x Neelum — note the reciprocal crosses. Amrapali is the most important hybrid for high density planting due to its dwarf habit.

Mango hybrid table showing Amrapali, Mallika, Sindhu, and Ratna with their crosses and notable characters
The hybrid section becomes easier to revise when each important cross is paired with its key exam trait, especially dwarf habit and seedlessness.

New Varieties Released by IARI

  • Pusa Surya
  • Pusa Arunima: Amrapali x Sensation (USA variety) — attractive colour
  • Akshay: Selection from Dasheri
  • Sai Sugandha: Totapuri x Kesar — regular bearer, free from malformation, suitable for pulp

Propagation

Method Details
Veneer grafting Most popular commercial method
Epicotyl / Stone grafting 95% success rate, done in June-July, uses 10-15 day old seedlings
Inarching Traditional method, approach grafting
Softwood grafting Used in South India
  • Graft union must be kept 15 cm above ground level to prevent scion rooting
  • Rootstock: Polyembryonic varieties (Goa, Olour, Bellary, Chandrakaran) are preferred as rootstocks because nucellar seedlings are genetically uniform

NOTE

Epicotyl grafting is also called stone grafting because grafting is done on very young seedlings when the stone (seed) is still attached. It is the cheapest and fastest method with 95% success.

Mango epicotyl or stone grafting steps showing young seedling, beheaded rootstock, scion insertion, and wrapped graft union
Epicotyl grafting is easiest to remember when you see the young seedling, scion insertion, and tied union as one short sequence.

Planting

Mango orchard planting layouts comparing conventional spacing, high density planting, and double hedge row system
This layout makes the three planting systems easier to compare: conventional 10 x 10 m, HDP 5 x 5 m, and the double hedge row pattern.
  • Spacing: 10 m x 10 m (square system) — 100 plants/ha under conventional planting
  • High Density Planting (HDP): 5 m x 5 m (400 plants/ha) using dwarf varieties like Amrapali
  • Double hedge row: 5 m x 5 m within rows, 10 m between double rows (266 plants/ha)
  • Planting season: June-July (onset of rainy season)
  • Pit size: 1 m x 1 m x 1 m filled with topsoil + 10 kg FYM
  • Flowering occurs in January; harvesting in May-June

Physiology & Disorders

Alternate / Biennial Bearing

  • On year: Heavy flowering and fruiting — exhausts carbohydrate reserves
  • Off year: No or very little flowering — tree recovers reserves
  • Major problem in Dasheri, Langra, Chausa (North Indian varieties)
  • Management:
    • Application of Paclobutrazol (Cultar) @ 5-10 g/tree as soil drench in September
    • Planting regular bearing varieties (Amrapali, Neelum, Ratna)
Mango alternate bearing comparison showing on year heavy crop with reserve depletion and off year reserve recovery with paclobutrazol soil drench
The on-year versus off-year view shows why a heavy crop drains reserves and why paclobutrazol is used to manage alternate bearing.

Mango Malformation

  • First observed in 1891 in Bihar
  • Caused by the fungus Fusarium mangiferae
  • Two types:
    • Vegetative malformation — bunchy top in young plants
    • Floral malformation — compact, distorted panicles that do not set fruit
  • Management: Pruning of affected panicles, spray of NAA @ 200 ppm

Spongy Tissue (Internal Breakdown)

  • Major problem in Alphonso variety
  • First observed by Cheema & Dhani in 1934
  • Fruits appear normal outside but flesh becomes spongy, yellowish and sour inside
  • Caused by inactivation of ripening enzymes due to high temperature and post-harvest sun exposure
  • Resistant varieties: Neelum, Dasheri, Arka Aruna, Ratna, Arka Puneet
Cut Alphonso mango showing internal spongy tissue disorder with apparently normal skin but damaged pulp inside
Spongy tissue is an internal breakdown problem, so this cut-fruit view is the quickest way to remember that the outside can still look normal.

Black Tip

  • First observed in 1909 by Woodhouse
  • Near brick kilns — distal end of fruit turns black and hardens
  • Caused by SO₂, CO, CO₂ and acetylene gases from brick kiln fumes
  • Management:
    • Plant orchards at least 1 km away from brick kilns
    • Spray Borax (0.6%) three times — before flowering, during flowering, at fruit set

TIP

  • Black tip is linked with brick kiln fumes.
  • The most important gas mentioned is SO₂.
  • A standard management step is Borax 0.6% spray.
Mango black tip disorder showing distal fruit blackening linked with brick kiln fumes and borax spray management
Black tip becomes easier to recall when the symptom is linked visually with brick-kiln fumes, orchard distance, and Borax 0.6% spray.

Other Disorders

Disorder Cause / Details
Fruit drop Hormonal imbalance — spray NAA @ 20 ppm or 2,4-D @ 10 ppm
Jelly seed Over-ripening on tree, flesh near stone becomes jelly-like
Clustering (Jhumka) Cluster of fruitlets at panicle tip, drop at pea stage
Leaf scorching Potassium (K) deficiency — spray K₂SO₄ @ 5%
Internal necrosis Boron (B) deficiency — apply Borax @ 0.6%
Little leaf Zinc (Zn) deficiency
Mango clustering or jhumka disorder showing tightly grouped fruitlets at the panicle tip
The clustering symptom is easier to remember when the jhumka-like bunching at the panicle tip is seen directly.

Maturity Indices

Method Details
Tapka Fruit sinks when dropped in water (specific gravity > 1.0)
Shoulder development Shoulders of fruit rise above the stalk level
Specific gravity Alphonso: 1.01-1.02, Dasheri: 1.0
Colour change Skin colour changes from dark green to light green/yellowish

IMPORTANT

Tapka is the most important maturity index for mango — fruit is mature when it sinks in water. This is asked very frequently.

Mango maturity indices showing tapka sink test and shoulder development above stalk level
Tapka and shoulder development are easier to remember when the mature sink test and raised shoulders are seen side by side.

Growth Regulators

Chemical Purpose Dose
Paclobutrazol (Cultar) Flowering induction in off-year 5-10 g/tree (soil drench, September)
NAA Prevent fruit drop, increase retention 20 ppm spray at flowering
2,4-D Reduce premature fruit drop 10 ppm spray
KNO₃ Increase fruit set and retention 2% spray at mustard stage
Ethrel (Ethephon) Uniform ripening Post-harvest dip/spray
  • VHT (Vapour Heat Treatment) is recommended for disinfection of mango against fruit flies and stone weevil for export purposes
Commercial forms of paclobutrazol used in mango for flowering induction and alternate bearing management
Paclobutrazol is repeatedly asked with alternate bearing management, so this small visual anchors the regulator name to its orchard-use context.

Pests & Diseases

Key Pests

Pest Scientific Name Details
Mango mealy bug Drosicha mangiferae Major pest, sucking insect — band trunk with alkathene sheets
Mango hopper Idioscopus spp. Sucks sap from panicles, causes flower drop & sooty mould
Mango stone weevil Sternochetus mangiferae Larvae bore into seed; VHT used for export control
Mango fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Maggots feed inside pulp; VHT required for export
Stem borer — Tunnels into trunk and branches

Key Diseases

Disease Pathogen Details
Anthracnose Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Black spots on leaves, flowers and fruits; major post-harvest disease
Powdery mildew Oidium mangiferae White powdery coating on panicles and young fruits
Mango malformation Fusarium mangiferae First reported 1891 in Bihar
Sooty mould Capnodium spp. Black coating on leaves due to honeydew from hoppers
Die-back Lasiodiplodia theobromae Drying of twigs from tip downwards

GI-Tagged Mango Varieties

Several mango varieties have received Geographical Indication (GI) tags, providing legal protection and premium market value:

State-wise table of GI-tagged mango varieties including Malihabadi Dasheri, Gir Kesar, Banganapalle, Alphonso, and Jardalu
This state-wise GI image supports the list by showing the mango names that are most often asked with their protected regional identity.
Variety Region
Dasheri Lucknow (UP)
Langra Varanasi (UP)
Alphonso (Hapus) Ratnagiri (Maharashtra)
Banganapalli Andhra Pradesh
Jardalu Bhagalpur (Bihar)
Kesar Junagadh (Gujarat)
Himsagar & Laxman Bhog West Bengal

Summary Cheat Sheet

Concept / Topic Key Details / Explanation
Identity and importance Mango is Mangifera indica of family Anacardiaceae, originated in the Indo-Burma region, has 2n = 40, bears a drupe fruit, and India contributes about 45% of world mango production.
Core exam facts It is the national fruit of India and king of fruits, Uttar Pradesh leads Indian production, Venezuela is noted for highest productivity, and house fly plus other dipterans are major pollinators.
Climate and soil Mango is a tropical fruit preferring 24-27°C, can grow up to about 1400 m, does best in deep well-drained alluvial or laterite soils of pH 5.5-7.5, and is sensitive to frost, waterlogging, and chilling below 5°C.
Seed and storage facts Mango seed is recalcitrant with about 30 days viability; mature fruits are stored around 6-7°C and ripened fruits around 20°C.
Important varieties by state Dasheri, Langra, and Chausa are key in Uttar Pradesh, Kesar in Gujarat, Alphonso in Maharashtra, Benishan in Andhra Pradesh, Totapuri in Karnataka, Neelum in Tamil Nadu, and Himsagar in West Bengal.

Summary Continued

Concept / Topic Key Details / Explanation
Bearing and embryo type North Indian cultivars are mainly alternate bearers, monoembryonic, and self-incompatible, while South Indian cultivars are mostly regular bearers and polyembryonic.
Special varieties Regular bearers include Neelum, Totapuri, Pairi, Gulabkhas, and Himsagar; alternate bearers include Langra, Dasheri, and Chausa; Madhulica is precocious, Rosica is a mutant, and Mulgoa is mother of coloured cultivars.
Rootstocks and hybrids Polyembryonic rootstocks such as Rumani, Olour, and Villicolumban are important; key hybrids are Mallika (Neelum x Dasheri), Amrapali (Dasheri x Neelum), Ratna, Sindhu, Arka Aruna, and Arka Puneet.
Propagation Veneer grafting is the main commercial method, epicotyl or stone grafting in June-July on 10-15 day seedlings may give about 95% success, while inarching and softwood grafting are also used.
Planting and HDP Conventional spacing is 10 x 10 m, HDP with dwarf types like Amrapali uses 5 x 5 m, double hedge row gives about 266 plants/ha, planting is mainly in June-July, flowering occurs in January, and harvest is in May-June.

Summary Continued

Concept / Topic Key Details / Explanation
Alternate bearing management Biennial bearing is serious in Dasheri, Langra, and Chausa and is managed with regular bearers and paclobutrazol soil drench at 5-10 g/tree in September.
Mango malformation Mango malformation was first observed in Bihar in 1891, is caused by Fusarium mangiferae, occurs as vegetative or floral malformation, and is managed by pruning affected panicles and spraying NAA 200 ppm.
Spongy tissue Spongy tissue is mainly a problem of Alphonso, was noted by Cheema and Dhani in 1934, is linked to high temperature and post-harvest sun exposure, and resistant varieties include Neelum, Dasheri, Ratna, Arka Aruna, and Arka Puneet.
Black tip Black tip was reported by Woodhouse in 1909, occurs near brick kilns due to SO2, CO, CO2, and acetylene fumes, and is managed by keeping orchards 1 km away plus Borax 0.6% spray three times.
Other disorders Fruit drop is managed with NAA 20 ppm or 2,4-D 10 ppm, leaf scorching indicates potassium deficiency, internal necrosis indicates boron deficiency, and little leaf indicates zinc deficiency.
Maturity indices Important maturity signs are shoulder development, colour change, specific gravity near 1.0, and especially Tapka, where a mature fruit sinks in water.
Growth regulators and export Paclobutrazol induces flowering, NAA and 2,4-D reduce fruit drop, KNO3 2% improves set and retention, Ethrel aids ripening, and VHT is used for export disinfestation against fruit fly and stone weevil.
Major pests Key pests are mango mealy bug, hopper, stone weevil, fruit fly, and stem borer.
Major diseases Important diseases are anthracnose, powdery mildew, mango malformation, sooty mould, and die-back.
GI-tagged varieties GI-protected mangoes listed here include Dasheri, Langra, Alphonso, Banganapalli, Jardalu, Kesar, and Himsagar with Laxman Bhog.

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