In order to better understand what can be improved in the mango industry, one of the world’s most prestigious researchers, the international mango consultant and one of the greatest experts on this crop, Dr. Víctor Galán Sauco, has Some considerations and agronomic reflections.
Asked about the challenges and agronomic challenges facing the mango industry, he comments that “the main problem is, without a doubt, achieving greater productivity in mango plantations. Mango yields in the main producing countries barely exceed 10 t/ha, around 15-20 t/ha in Brazil, while the average yield in Israel is around 30 t/ha, with plantations where they exceed 50 t/ha, which gives an idea that with good cultural practices and an adequate selection of cultivars, high profitability can be obtained. Therefore, at first glance, it could be deduced that a great deal of research is not necessary in this crop. However, nothing is further from reality. The high yields of this species in Israel are a consequence, of course, of the remarkable research efforts made for the adaptation of the mango to subtropical climates, both in the selection of rootstocks and cultivars as well as in the control of flowering and cultivation techniques. An enormous amount of research work is still required to increase mango crop yields worldwide.”
NUTRITION AND FERTILIZATION
Regarding mango nutrition and fertilization, Dr. Víctor Galán points out in his considerations and agronomic reflections that “there is sufficient information on mango nutrition and fertilization. Specifically, the National Mango Board He commissioned me years ago to do an exhaustive work on this subject that is available to any company or mango farmer in Latin America. The problem is that there are many small farmers who do not apply this knowledge properly. In the field of research, it would be necessary to move towards the development of specific foliar fertilization standards for each cultivar”.
Regarding agronomic improvements in the mango industry, this expert points out that “there is also sufficient information on the website of the National Mango Board, on planting techniques, propagation, pruning, and other cultivation techniques, but, without a doubt, The great pending subject in the case of the mango is the study of patterns and rootstock-graft relationships, since the relatively little information that exists about the behavior of different cultivars on different rootstocks is very surprising, despite the notable impact that these have not only on yield, salinity tolerance, nutrient absorption, growth and development, and fruit quality.”
“Perhaps the most important thing at this time would be to continue with the work being carried out by the National Mango Board, by increasing the number of extension workshops it carries out in countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil and Haiti, extending them to other countries. producers that export mangoes to the United States, such as Colombia, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic”, emphasizes Dr. Galán.
WATER MANAGEMENT
Regarding the water management of this crop, Dr. Víctor Galán points out in his considerations and agronomic reflections that “adequate irrigation management is of vital importance both to increase the yield and the quality of the fruit. The problem is that many mango plantations in Latin America are not guaranteed an adequate supply of water and many still use irrigation systems that are not suitable for the mango, which must be irrigated by localized irrigation systems such as micro-sprinklers or drips that also allow to guarantee the supply of water to the plant at the right time the simultaneous contribution of nutrients dissolved in the irrigation water”.
In addition, he also adds that “the incidence of periods of water deficit is beneficial for the mango at some moments of its phenological cycle. Thus, in tropical regions, water stress favors the maturation of shoots, which is the main factor in the tropics where there are no low night temperatures for floral induction and even reinforces, when winter occurs, the intensity and synchrony of flowering in subtropical zones. There is still little scientific knowledge about the influence of an irrigation deficit at different moments of the phenological cycle and its consequence on the production and quality of the fruit, although it is known that the postharvest phenological period is the most sensitive to water stress and with the greatest impact on quantitative and qualitative production. Therefore, research efforts should be concentrated on this topic”.
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