Understanding Mangoes: Botany, Pollination, and Cultivation Challenges

Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, with most commercially important fruit trees classified under the species Mangifera indica. Other edible species within this genus are often referred to as wild mangoes, generally producing lower quality fruits not typically favored in commercial markets. These wild varieties play a role in biodiversity and ecological balance but are less significant in global agriculture.

Mango trees are impressive in their stature, often reaching heights of 35 to 40 meters, with a crown radius extending up to 10 meters. The evergreen leaves, which mature to a dark green hue, contribute to the tree's lush appearance year-round. The fruits of the mango tree are notably variable in size and color, presenting a palette of yellow, orange, red, and even purple hues. The coloration can be indicative of ripeness; for instance, a mango with a red hue on the sun-facing side and yellow on the shaded side often signals ripeness, while green typically indicates an unripe fruit, although this can vary depending on the cultivar.

Mango flowers are a hotspot for various pollinators including fruit bats, flies, wasps, wild bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, ants, and other insects seeking nectar. While these creatures assist in pollination, mango flowers also undergo a degree of self-pollination. Despite their ecological role, honeybees are not particularly attracted to mango flowers. Effective pollination by honeybees would necessitate 3 to 6 colonies per acre (6-12 per hectare), which is not always practical.

Many flowers that do not get pollinated are shed or fail to set fruit. Even when fruit sets, it may be shed if it is very young or due to environmental stresses. Heavy rains can disrupt the pollination process by washing away pollen, leading to poor fruit set. Some cultivars are prone to producing a significant percentage of small fruits without fully developed seeds, a condition often caused by unfavorable weather during the critical fruit-setting period.

The cultivation of mangoes is a delicate balance, requiring careful management of environmental conditions to ensure optimal fruit quality and yield. As global climates change, understanding and adapting to these factors will be crucial for the continued success of mango agriculture.
Understanding Mangoes: Botany, Pollination, and Cultivation Challenges

History of mango in India

Mango cultivation probably originated in India, and it was estimated that mango cultivation to have began at least 4000 years ago.

This fruit is intimately associated with the history of India agriculture and civilization and it enjoys a royal status in the country when compared to the other growing places. Ancient Sanskrit literature described the mango as ‘king of fruits'. Ayurvedic medicine recognizes mangoes as an aphrodisiac and in some ancient n texts it is written that the ripe mango increases sexual energy and stamina.

The first group of people to spill the beans and initiate trade of the fruit were peripatetic Buddhist monks four or five centuries BC. A mango tree is depicted in friezes on the stupa of Bharut, which was constructed around 100 BC.

Available records indicate that the soldiers of Alexandra the Great has come across grove in Indus Valley. 

Traders and monks from India possibly introduced superior elections of mango into South-east Asia: however, vegetative propagation was unknown in India until after the arrival of the Portuguese in Goa in the 15th century.

During Mughal time, Akbar the Great paid the greatest tribute to mango who established an orchard of one lakh mango trees, designated as ‘Lakh-Bagh’ in Darbhanga in erstwhile Bihar State.

The mango tree and fruit are referred in the travelogues of ancient travelers including Huan tsang, Ibn Hankal and Ibn Batuta of which the Chinese traveler Huan-tsang is the first one to bring mango to the notice of the outside world during 632-645 AD.
History of mango in India

Brief history of mango

The wild mango originated in the foothills of the Himalayas in India and Burma. The first group of people to spill the beans and initiate trade of the fruit were peripatetic Buddhist monks four or five centuries BC.

The mango was cultivated in Java at least as early as AD 900-1100, when the temple at Borobudur was built and faced with carvings of the Buddha in contemplation under a mango tree.

The Chinese traveler Hwen Tsang, who visited India during the first half of the seventh century AD, brought the mango home with him to China.

One theory holds that mangoes first reached Africa by way of Persia in the tenth century. Traders from Portugal introduced mangoes to Brazil in the 1700s and to Barbados in 1742. From there, mangoes then began popping up all over the world.

The cultivation of the fruits began in Mogul, India, where the fruit is still considered sacred and is thought to have aphrodisiac effects. In the 16th century, a special technique employing grafting was developed for propagating the mango.

As early as the sixteenth century, the name ‘mangas’ was used for the mango in the Greek Work, ‘Colloquies on Simples and Drugs of India’. The earliest mentioned of mango tree, Mangifera indica, which means ‘the great fruit bearer’, is found in Hindu scriptures dating back to 4000 BC.

The mango is a member of the Anachardiaceae family which includes poison ivy, cashews, and pistachios. It is also known as manga, mangga, mangot, mangou, and mangue in other parts of the world.

The mango comes in over 50 varieties, ranging in color from greenish, yellowish, to reddish, often tinged with purple, pink, orange-yellow, or red.
Brief history of mango