Most mango cultivars are self-fertile but benefit from cross pollination, Flowers open in the morning about 8 am and anthesis is generally completed by noon; receptivity of the flowers usually lasts up to about 72 hr. Although only one stamen per flower produces pollen, the large number of flowers on the tree assures an abundant supply of pollen.
Mango is a highly cross –pollinated crop. Mango flowers may pollinated by flies, bees, thrips and other insects, with flies probably the most important.
Some fruit set may occur to wind pollination. In 1976 researchers found that mangoes were able to set fruit even though insects had been excluded by bagging, thus suggesting that at least some pollination is assisted by wind or gravity.
The percentage of fruit set in a mango panicle is less than 1% and independent on the pollination compatibility of the cultivars, the number of hermaphrodite flowers, pollen viability and the environmental conditions during pollination.
Pollination of mango
