Mango (Mangifera indica L.) breeding in the Cerrados ecosystem of central Brazil through hybridization.
Queiroz Pinto A. C. de
Author Affiliation: Área Téc. Prod. Vegetal/Fruticultura, EMBRAPA/CPAC, km 18 BR 020, Caixa Postal 08223, CEP 73301-970 Planaltina-DF, Brazil.
Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 30 : 369-374
Abstract : Large areas of monoclonal orchard have been established in the Brazilian Cerrados with Florida varieties Tommy Atkins and Haden, whose yield and fruit quality are low. A programme of hybridization using controlled hand-pollination was initiated in 1980 with the objectives of improving fruit yield, quality and bearing consistency, and developing dwarf cultivars. Since hand-pollination of mango is time-consuming and expensive, a new polycross method for decreasing the cost of hybridization is proposed and discussed. It involves grafting Indian varieties onto the North American ones and controlling pollination in a 2 m tall fruit cage.