Introduction
  Mango is called the king of all fruits because of its rich, luscious, aromatic flavour and a delicious taste in which sweetness and acidity are delightfully blended. It is the most popular and the choicest fruit and occupies a prominent place among the fruits of the world. The Encyclopædia Britannica (2008) reports that the mango is "considered indigenous to eastern Asia, Myanmar (Burma), and Assam state of India". Now mango is cultivated in many tropical regions and distributed widely in the world. 
   Mangoes are juicy with a sweet taste and high water content. The fruit flesh of a ripe mango is very sweet, with a unique taste. In many parts of India, people eat squeezed mango juice (called Ras) and the ripe mango is used in the preparation of a dish. Mango is used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, raspados, aguas frescas, pies and sweet chili sauce, or mixed with chamoy, a sweet and spicy chili paste. 
   Mango is an  excellent overall nutritional source, rich in dietary fiber and 
carbohydrates. The mango is also  very rich in medicinal properties.

  
 Mango is the most popular and the choicest fruit and occupies a prominent place among the fruits of the world. 
  

  Mango Plant
  The mango tree is an erect approximately 30 to 100 ft (10-30 m) high, with a broad,  rounded canopy  In deep soil, the taproot descends up to a depth of 20 ft. The tree is long-lived, some specimens being known to be 300 years old and still fruiting. The leaves are evergreen and alternate leaves are borne at the tips of 
the branches. The new leaves, appearing periodically and irregularly on a few branches at a time, are yellowish, pink, deep- rose or wine-red, becoming dark- green and glossy above, lighter beneath. Full- grown leaves may be 4 to 12.5 in (10-32 cm) long and 3/4 to 2 1/8 in (2-5.4 cm) wide.
  The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10-40 cm long; each flower is small and white or yellowish or reddish flowers with five petals 5-10 mm long, with a mild sweet odor suggestive of lily of the valley.  
  There is great variation in the form, size, color and quality of the fruits. They may be nearly round, oval, ovoid-oblong, or somewhat kidney-shaped, often with a break at the apex, and are usually more or less lop-sided. They range from 6.5 to 25 cm in length and from a few grams to more than 2 kg. The skin is leathery, waxy, smooth, fairly thick, aromatic and ranges from light-or dark-green to clear yellow, yellow-orange, yellow and reddish-pink, or some variation, when fully ripe. Some have a "turpentine" odor and flavor, while others are richly and pleasantly fragrant. The flesh ranges from pale-yellow to deep-orange. 

  Varieties of Mangos
   There are as many as 1365 varieties of mango all over the world. Over 1000  varieties of mango have been described in India. Perhaps some are duplicates by different names, but at least 350 are propagated in commercial nurseries. Some famous varieties are:   
 'Bombay Yellow' ('Bombai')–high quality , 'Malda' ('Bombay Green'),  ' 01our' (polyembryonic)–a heavy bearer,  'Pairi' ('Paheri', 'Pirie', 'Peter', 'Nadusalai', 'grape', 'Raspuri', 'Goha bunder') , 'Safdar Pasand' 
'Suvarnarekha' ('Sundri'),  'Langra' , 'Rajapuri' ,  'Alampur Baneshan'–high quality but shy bearer 'Alphonso' ('Badami', 'gundu', 'appas', 'khader')–high quality, 'Bangalora'('Totapuri', 'collection', 'kili-mukku', abu Samada' in the Sudan)–of highest quality, 'Banganapally' ('Baneshan', 'chaptai', 'Safeda')–of high quality, 'Dusehri' ('Dashehari aman', 'nirali aman', 'kamyab')–high quality,  'Gulab Khas',  'Zardalu' , 'K.O. 11',  'Rumani' (often bearing an off-season crop), 'Samarbehist' ('Chowsa', 'Chausa', 'Khajri')–high quality 'Vanraj',  'K.O. 7/5' ('Himayuddin' ´ 'Neelum') , 'Fazli' ('Fazli malda')–high quality, 'Safeda Lucknow' 
 'Mulgoa'–high quality, 'Neelum' 

  Plantation and Cultivation
  Climate: The mango is naturally adapted to tropical lowlands between 25°N and 25°S of the Equator and up to elevations of 3,000 ft (915 m). It is grown as a dooryard tree at slightly cooler altitudes but is apt to suffer cold damage. The best climate for mango has rainfall of 30 to 100 in (75-250 cm) in the four summer months (June to September) followed by 8 months of dry season.
  Soil: The mango tree is not too particular as to soil type, providing it has good drainage.  Rich, deep loam certainly contributes to maximum growth, but if the soil is too rich and moist and too well fertilized, the tree will respond vegetatively but will be deficient in flowering and fruiting. The mango performs very well in sand, gravel, and even oolitic limestone.
  Propagation: Mango trees grow readily from seed. Germination rate and vigor of seedlings are highest when seeds are taken from fruits that are fully ripe, not still firm. Seeds of polyembryonic mangos are most convenient for local and international distribution of desirable varieties. However, in order to reproduce and share the superior monoembryonic selections, vegetative propagation is necessary. Inarching and  approach- grafting are traditional in India. Tongue-, saddle-, and root-grafting (stooling) are also common Indian practices.
 Dwarfing: Reduction in the size of mango trees would be a most desirable goal for the commercial and private planter. In India, double-grafting has been found to dwarf mango trees and induce early fruiting.
 Culture: About 6 weeks before transplanting either a seedling or a grafted tree, the taproot should be cut back to about 12 in (30 cm). Inasmuch as mango trees vary in lateral dimensions, spacing depends on the habit of the cultivar and the type of soil, and may vary from 34 to 60 ft (10.5-18 m) between trees. Closer planting will ultimately reduce the crop. The young trees should be placed in prepared and enriched holes at least 2 ft (60 cm) deep and wide, and 3/4 of the top should be cut off. 
  Harvesting: Mangos normally reach maturity in 4 to 5 months from flowering. Fruits of "smudged" trees ripen several months before those of untreated trees. The fruits will be larger and heavier even though harvested 2 weeks before untreated fruits.
 Blooming and Pollination: Mango trees less than 10 years old may flower and fruit regularly every year. 
Thereafter, most mangos tend toward alternate, or biennial, bearing. In most of India, flowering occurs in December and January; in northern India, in January and February or as late as March. Mango flowers are visited by fruit bats, flies, wasps, wild bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, ants and various bugs seeking the nectar and some transfer the pollen but a certain amount of self-pollination also occurs.

  History of Mango
  Mangoes have been cultivated in the Indian Subcontinent for thousands of years  and reached East Asia between the 5th-4th century BC. By the 10th century AD, they were transported to East Africa  and subsequently introduced to Brazil, West Indies and Mexico, where climate allows its appropriate growth. 
  The origins of mango are thought to have been from a plant from Malaysia, India and Indonesia. It probably was grown in southeast Asia before the seventh century, although the only references found are from Cambodia. The 14th century Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta, reported it at Mogadishu. 
  Mango is now widely cultivated as a fruit tree in frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is now cultivated in southern China, Malaysia, Indonesia, warmer parts of Australia, Philippines, Hawaii, and West Indies, Madagascar and along the coast of tropical Africa. In North America, it is grown to a limited extent in Florida and California. In Bangladesh Mango occupies about 60% area under fruits.   
                                                                                                                                     

  Chemical Compounds in Mango
  Analysis of the edible flesh (per 100gms.) of the green mango gave the following average values:  moisture 87.5; minerals 0.4; fibre 1.2; energy, 44k calorie; protein 0.7, fat 0.1; carbohydrates 20.1grms. calcium 10; iron 5.4; vitamin B-1, 0.04; vitamin B-2, 0.01; vitamin-C 3 mgs. and carotene (as vitamin A) 90 ugm. 
 Ripe mango: moisture 78.6; mineral matter 0.4; fibre 0.7; energy, 90 k calorie; protein 1.0; fat 0.7; and carbohydrates 20.0 grms.; calcium 16; iron 1.3; vitamin B-1, 0.10; vitamin B-2, 0.07; vitamin C 41mgs. and 
carotene 8,300 ~lgm/l00grms. 
 The fruit is a rich source of potassium. Analysis of pulp ash (ash content, 0.53%) gave the following values; 
47.37; calcium 6.38; magnesium 1.62; phosphoms 6.49; sulphur 3.67; chlorine 3.88/g. Analysis of mangoes gave the following ranges of vitamin (other than vitamin A) values: thiamine, 40.82130.50 ugm; riboflavin,  89.39-198.20 ugm; niacin, 1.38-6.27mg.; and ascorbic acid, 4.38-39.96 mg/l00g.   
  Uses of Mango
  Mangoes are widely used in chutney, which is usually made with sour, unripe mangoes and hot chilis or limes. In India, ripe mango is often cut into thin layers, desiccated , folded, and then cut and sold as bars that 
are very chewy known as amavat or halva. Dried unripe mango used as a spice and is known as amchur or amchoor in India and ambi in Urdu. 
   Mango juice may be spray-dried and powdered and used in infant and invalid foods, or reconstituted and drunk as a beverage. The dried juice, blended with wheat flour has been made into "cereal" flakes, A dehydrated mango custard powder has also been developed in India, especially for use in baby foods. Half-ripe or green mangos are peeled and sliced as filling for pie, used for jelly, or made into sauce. Ripe mangos frozen whole or peeled, sliced and packed in sugar and quick-frozen in moisture-proof containers.
   Mango is an excellent overall nutritional source rich in dietary fiber and carbohydrates. It contains diverse essential vitamins and minerals, many of which are particularly high in content. The antioxidant vitamins A, C and E comprise 25%, 76% and 9%, respectively. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, 11% DRI), vitamin K (9% DRI), other B vitamins and essential nutrients such as potassium, copper and 17 amino acids are at good levels. Mango peel and pulp contain other phytonutrients, such as carotenoids, polyphenols, and omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Antioxidants of the peel and pulp include numerous carotenoids, polyphenols such as quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechins, tannins, and xanthone, mangiferin etc.
                                                                                                                                         
  Medicinal Properties
 All parts of the mango plant from the seeds and flowers to the leaves and gum are used in traditional South Asian medicine, but the fruits are most important. The mango is very rich in medicinal properties.  The root and bark are acrid; cooling; astringent to the bowels. The leaves are acrid; astringent to the bowels~ cure "vata", "pitta", and "kapha" according to Ayurveda. The flowers are cooling and astringent to the bowels; improve taste and appetite; cause "vita"; cure leucorrhoea, bad blood; good in dysentery, bronchitis, biliousness, urinary discharges. The unripe fruit is acrid, sour, tasty; cures "vata", "kapha", biliousness, "tridosha", blood impurities; astringent to the bowels; cures throught trubles, ulcers, dysentery, urinary discharges, vaginal troubles. The ripe fruit is sweet and oily; aphrodisiac, tonic; increases appetite; cooling; beautifies the complexion; astringent to the bowels; cures "vata"; heart troubles, urinary discharges, ulcers, blood impurities. The seed is sweet, sour, acrid; cures vomiting, dysentery, burning in the region of the heart. The oil from the seeds is acrid, sweet, bitter; cures stomatitis and " vata" (As per Ayurveda). 
  The bark is astringent and styptic; stops vomiting and diarrhoea. The leaves cure piles; their smoke stops hiccough. The flowers improve "kapha" and enrich the blood. The fruit has flavour and taste; sweet; tonic to the 
body, the liver, the spleen; laxative, diuretic, stomachic; improves the complexion; removes bad smell from the mouth; clears the brain; dispels langour and burning of the body; good in cough, piles, thirst, and pain in the liver. The seed is astringent to the bowels and used in chronic diarrhoea; cooling, aphrodisiac; a good collyrium (Yunani). 
   The unripe fruit is said to be useful in opthalmia and emptions, and the seeds in asthma. The ripe fruit is considered laxative, and therefore much prized by persons labouring under habitual constipation. The bark and the kernel are known as astringent and used in hemorrhage, diarrhea and other discharges. The juice of the kernel, if snuffed, can stop nasal bleeding. The kernel is also described as an anthelmintic and containing a large quantity of gallic acid, highly useful in bleeding piles and menorrhagia.  
  The unripe fruit roasted, dissolved in water and made into syrup with sugar is freely taken by the Indians to prevent sunstroke. Unripe mangoes toasted and made into syrup form a reputed remedy for heat apoplexy. The dried kemel of the ripe fruit is used in native India as an astringent in diarrhea. The gum of the mango tree is used for cracked feet with good effect. 
  Ripe mango is a suitable choice for hypertensive patients as it is a good source of potassium and only contains traces of sodium. The mango is highly recommended for pregnant women and individuals suffering from anemia because of its iron content. Mango helps the skin become softer, gives it a shining glow and is effective in opening clogged skin pores. Mango contains a large amount of tryptophan, the precursor to 
the 'happiness-hormone' serotonin. Mango products are a good complementary food for children of weaning age  as they contain necessary vitamins. Mango improves the appetite and is an effective antidote for various body toxins. Mango juice helps prevent mental weakness and improves concentration and memory. In the Ayurvedic text Bhavaprakasa, a syrup made of the juice of the ripe fruit, sugar and aromatics is recommended as a restorative tonic.
  Mango leaves have anti-inflammatory, diuretic and cardiotonic properties. Dried and powdered mango leaves are a good treatment for excreting renal stones and improving hair growth. Mango leaves are also an effective treatment for burns.
  Mango bark  is effective in treating hemoptysia, hemorrhaging, nasal catarrh, diarrhea, ulcers, diphtheria, rheumatism and diphtheria. A decoction of mango bark added to one gram of black salt helps treat diarrhea. 
  Mango root paste can reduce fever when applied to the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. 
  Dried mango seed is a good toothpaste. It strengthens the gums and helps in curing dental problems like pyorrhea and halitosis. 
                                                                                                                                            
  Diseases and paste 
  The fruit flies, Dacus ferrugineus and D. zonatus, attack the mango in India. mango seed weevils, Sternochetus  (Cryptorhynchus) mangiferae and S. gravis, are major pests, undetectable until the larvae tunnel their way out. The leading predators of the tree in India are jassid hoppers (Idiocerus spp.) variously attacking trunk and branches or foliage and flowers, and causing shedding of young fruits. The mango-leaf webber, or "tent caterpillar", Orthaga euadrusalis, has become a major problem in North India, especially in old, crowded orchards where there is excessive shade. Around Lucknow, 'Dashehari' is heavily infested by this pest; 'Samarbehist' ('Chausa') less. There are 14 types of mango galls in India, 12 occurring on the leaves.      
   One of the most serious diseases of the mango is powdery mildew (Oidium mangiferae), which is common in most growing areas of India.The fungus affects the flowers and causes young fruits to dehydrate and fall, and 20% of the crop may be lost. It is controllable by regular spraying. A number of organisms in India cause white sap, heart rot, gray blight, leaf blight, white pocket rot, white spongy rot, sap rot, black bark and red rust.
  Storage and Trading
  In India, mangos are picked quite green to avoid bird damage and the dealers layer them with rice straw in ventilated storage rooms over a period of one week. Quality is improved by controlled temperatures between 60° and 70° F (15° -21° C). Ethylene treatment causes green mangos to develop full color in 7 to 10 days depending on the degree of maturity, whereas untreated fruits require 10 to 15 days. One of the advantages is that there can be fewer pickings and the fruit color after treatment is more uniform.  Washing the fruits immediately after harvest is essential, as the sap which leaks from the stem bums the skin of the fruit making black lesions which lead to rotting. 
  Some cultivars, especially 'Bangalora', 'Alphonso', and 'Neelum' in India, have much better keeping quality than others. In Bombay, 'Alphonso' has kept well for 4 weeks at 52° F (11.11° C); 6 to 7 weeks at 45° F (7.22° C). Storage at lower temperatures is detrimental inasmuch as mangos are very susceptible to chilling injury. 
  In India, large quantities of mangos are transported to distant markets by rail. To avoid excessive heat buildup and consequent spoilage, the fruits, padded with paper shavings, are packed in ventilated wooden crates and loaded into ventilated wooden boxcars. 
 Green seedling mangos, harvested in India for commercial preparation of chutneys and pickles as well as for table use, are stored for as long as 40 days at 42° to 45° F (5.56°-7.22° C) with relative humidity of 85% to 99%. Some of these may be diverted for table use after a 2-week ripening period at 62° to 65° F (16.67° 18.13° C).
  Mango seeds and Food value
  The fresh kernel of the mango seed (stone) constitutes 13% of the weight of the fruit, 55% to 65% of the weight of the stone. The kernel is a major by-product of the mango-processing industry.  After soaking to dispel the astringency (tannins), the kernels are dried and ground to flour which is mixed with wheat or rice flour to make bread and it is also used in puddings. 
  The fat extracted from the kernel is white, solid like cocoa butter and tallow, edible, and has been proposed as a substitute for cocoa butter in chocolate. The peel constitutes 20% to 25% of the total weight of the fruit. Researchers  have shown that the peel can be utilized as a source of pectin. 
    Indian analyses of the mango kernel reveal the amino acids–alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cystine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, at levels lower than in wheat and gluten. Tannin content may be 0.12-0.18% or much higher in certain cultivars.
                                                                                                                                      
  Economy
  India, with 2,471,000 acres (1,000,000 ha) of mangos (70% of its fruit-growing area) produces 65% of the world's mango crop–9,920,700 tons (9,000,000 MT).  India far outranks all other countries as an exporter of 
processed mangos, shipping 2/3 of the total 22,046 tons (20,000 MT). Mango preserves go to the same countries receiving the fresh fruit and also to Hong Kong, Iraq, Canada and the United States. Following India in volume of exports are Thailand, 774,365 tons (702,500 MT), Pakistan and Bangladesh, followed by Brazil. Mexico ranks 5th with about 100,800 acres (42,000 ha) and an annual yield of approximately 640,000 tons (580,000 MT). The Philippines have risen to 6th place. Tanzania is 7th, the Dominican Republic, 8th and Colombia, 9th. Leading exporters of fresh mangos are: the Philippines, shipping to Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan; Thailand, shipping to Singapore and Malaysia; Mexico, shipping mostly 'Haden' to the United States, 2,204 tons (2,000 MT), annually, also to Japan and Paris; India, shipping mainly 'Alphonso' and 'Bombay' to 
Europe, Malaya, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait; Indonesia, shipping to Hong Kong and Singapore; and South Africa shipping (60% 'Haden' and 'Kent') by air to Europe and London in mid-winter. Chief importers are England and France, absorbing 82% of all mango shipments. Mango consumers in England are mostly residents of Indian origin, or English people who formerly lived in India. 
 Yield:  The yield varies with the cultivars and the age of the tree. At 10 to 20 years, a good annual crop may be 200 to 300 fruits per tree. At twice that age and over, the crop will be doubled. In Java,, old trees have been known to bear 1,000 to 1,500 fruits in a season. Some cultivars in India bear 800 to 3,000 fruits in "on" years and, with good cultural attention, yields of 5,000 fruits have been reported.
  Toxicity
  The sap which exudes from the stalk close to the base of the fruit is somewhat milky at first, also yellowish- resinous. It becomes pale-yellow and translucent when dried. It contains mangiferen, resinous acid, mangiferic acid, and the resinol, mangiferol. It is a potent skin irritant, and capable of blistering the skin of the normal individual. As with poison ivy, there is typically a delayed reaction. Hypersensitive persons may react with considerable swelling of the eyelids, the face, and other parts of the body. They may not be able to handle, 
peel, or eat mangos or any food containing mango flesh or juice. If eaten in excess it causes loss of appetite, typhoid, blood impurities, eye sores. Mango wood should never be used in fireplaces or for cooking fuel, as its smoke is highly irritant.
  New technique makes mango trees bear earlier
 The Thanjavur based Mr. Kulandaisamy developed a new technique for growing grafted mango seedlings. He maintains a nursery in 90 acres called Tari Bio-Tech. The nursery supplies close to 12 lakh plantings annually and home to nearly 50 mango varieties.
 Usually the grafted seedlings are planted in the field and grown, but the farmer says, “through this new technique (polybag growing), mango seedlings come to commercial bearing in 2- 3 years.” Giving details about how he does the grafting the farmer says: “Good, bearing mother plants are selected and the desired variety is grafted together and grown for 45 days in plastic bags in a controlled environment. After the first flush of leaves emerge, the seedlings are moved to open conditions and kept under shade and watered.”
 “Grafting ensures purity in variety, till date many growers simply plant the grafted seedlings they buy straight into the open field. The investment, maintenance and labour for growing the plants is quite high. Whereas, in the poly bag method, the plants are grown for 1 to 2 years and then planted in the main field. “The cost of cultivation drastically comes down. Farmers need to take care of the tree only for 2 to 3 years, after which it comes to bearing and can be harvested,” explains Mr. Kulandaisamy.
 "I use my own bio plant growth promoters while I plant my grafted seedlings in the poly bags. The plants are regularly sprayed with our own bio growth promoters and grow quite well. So far we have been sending our seedlings to several parts of the country and are receiving encouraging feedbacks," he says. More than half a dozen mango varieties are being grafted in his farm and grown to be sold.
 Even a single tree, if grown by this method and taken care of properly, can yield more than 150 fruits. For an acre about 80 seedlings are required and in a year a farmer can get an income of at least Rs. 1,50,000 (minimum), assures Mr.Kulandaisamy. (Source: hindu.com on 3/25/2010 )

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