Screening of mango varieties at Bowen, Queensland.
Beal P. R.
Author Affiliation: Redlands Hort. Res. Sta., Ormiston, Qld., Australia.
Queensland Journal of Agricultural and Animal Sciences 38 : 71-85
Abstract : The performance of 43 local and recently introduced varieties was compared during 1974-77. Thirty-three lines fruited by their third or fourth year, and all by the sixth year after planting out. The date when 50% of fruit were soft ripe and length of ripening season were relatively stable in most varieties and the former character is recommended as a criterion for determining maturation time in variety evaluation. High yield in most varieties (particularly Common T, Julie and Smith) was associated with a high percentage of hermaphrodite flowers (30-50%) and heavy flowering. A high fruit quality rating was recorded for 11 of the 26 introduced lines and 11 of the 17 local ones. Monoembryonic seed occurred in 17 of the introduced lines and four of the local ones, the rest being polyembryonic. All varieties showed some susceptibility of fruit to Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes [Glomerella cingulata], although new foliage of Zill, Palmer, Kent, Roberts Special and Samar Behist Chausa had nil to slight incidence. Of eight varieties screened against Pseudomonas mangiferae-indicae, Keitt, Smith, Roberts 3 and Zill had intermediate resistance, while Palmer and Kensington were resistant. Nine lines with acceptable fruit quality, maturing between two weeks earlier and four weeks later than the commercial variety Kensington Pride, were selected for commercial trials.