MANGOS

Presented by
 MANGOS
This production summary provides an overview of mango growing, harvesting, and post harvesting practices. There
are some common practices that many large commercial growers use when producing mangos, and though there are
variations in these practices, having an understanding of the most common methods used will be helpful when carrying
out regulatory activities.

By the end of this summary, you will be able to:

1. List the top producing regions in the U.S. and world for mango production.
2. Identify the most common farming practices used in the production of mangos including the use of equipment
and manual labor.

The mango is a stone fruit which belongs and 10 percent, respectively. Asia, where the mango is
to the Anacardiaceae family, which are native, is the largest mango-producing region, producing 77
INTRODUCTION
flowering plants that produce fruits. percent of global supply annually. Within the U.S., a limited
Mangos are native to south Asia and is number of mangos are grown in Florida, Hawaii, California,
the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and and Puerto Rico (Fig 1). U.S. commercial production of
the Philippines. Since the mango leaves mangos began with the introduction of the Haden variety of
are considered toxic and can kill cattle or other grazing mango in 1863 in Miami.
livestock, mango growers and livestock owners need to be
mindful about not locating grazing areas near mango groves International mango trade is increasing, with exports sold
and not feed production discards to animals. to European and U.S. markets. Most of the mangos sold
in the United States are imported from Peru, Ecuador,
Global production of mangos has doubled in the last thirty Brazil, Guatemala, Haiti, and Mexico. Eighty-six percent
years. Most mango production is centered in India, China, of the mangos imported into the U.S. are supplied by
Thailand, Pakistan, and Mexico, but there are currently Mexico, making this country the largest supplier to the
more than 90 countries that grow mangos commercially. United States.
Countries in the Americas and Africa produce a small
percentage of the world’s mango crop each year—13 percent Mango trees are deep-rooted evergreens that can grow to be
very large. Depending on the variety, these trees can grow as
tall as 90 feet with a canopy width of up to 80 feet and have
leaves that are 12 to 16 inches long. Today the most popular
cultivated mango varieties include: Tommy Atkins, Keitt,
Kent, Osteen, Haden, and Valencia Pride.

Mangos have two growing seasons - spring through summer

and fall through winter. Due to the alternate harvest times
in the various growing regions around the world, the fruit is
available year-round to U.S. consumers.

The immature fruit has green skin that gradually turns

yellow, orange, purple, red, or combinations of these
colors as the fruit matures. Mature fruit has a characteristic
fragrance and a smooth, thin, tough skin. The pale
yellow or orange flesh of ripe mangos is juicy, sweet, and
Fig 1 - Top Mango Producing States in the US sometimes fibrous.

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 Mangos can be grown in a wide range of
GROWING
soil types, from light sandy loams to red
clay. Deep, rich, well-drained soils provide
the best production and fruit quality. Some
producers plant trees on sloping sites to
prevent waterlogging the root system. Mangos grow best in
ambient temperatures ranging
between 70º to 75ºF.

Commercial mangos are propagated vegetatively, meaning

the trees are reproduced via asexual reproduction by grafting
onto rootstock.

There are several main mango cultivars used in commercial

production of the fruit. These cultivars are described as
either polyembryonic or monoembryonic. Polyembryonic
varieties can be grown from seed and produce trees that are
true to type. Monoembryonic cultivars contain one embryo different heights, and to remove any branches that are less
that has genes from both parents and produce a hybrid tree than two feet from the ground. Mature trees are periodically
(mix of both parents), and therefore, must be reproduced trimmed to allow for better penetration of sunlight,
vegetatively by grafting onto a root stock. Polyembryonic spraying, and ease of picking.
cultivars are often used as rootstock because they tend to be
better adapted to local growing regions and soil conditions, Mango trees are annually fertilized with nitrogen,
and the grafted monoembryonic cultivars tend to produce phosphorus, and potassium. Newly planted trees should be
fruit with characteristics that are preferred by consumers. watered at planting and every other day for the first week,
Grafted trees usually begin producing fruit in three to five and then irrigated once or twice a week for the first couple
years, while trees planted from seeds usually take at least of months. Mature trees do not need frequent watering
five years before bearing fruit. Mango trees can remain in because of the tropical climate in the regions where mangos
production for 40 years or more. are grown. Irrigation may be necessary during occasional
dry periods, but the roots can become water logged if
Mango trees require space to grow and are generally planted over irrigated.
in rows with 10 to 30 feet between individual trees and 20
to 30 feet between rows. Developing trees are pruned so Insect and fungal diseases are controlled by pruning
that there are three to four main branches on the trunk at diseased branches or spraying with insecticides or
fungicides. Fruit flies can be a problem in certain growing
regions and may limit distribution of the harvested fruit.
For example, mangos produced in Hawaii are not permitted
in the U.S. mainland, Japan, or other markets because of
quarantine restrictions due to fruit flies and mango seed
weevil. Mangos from other regions are treated in a hot water
bath following harvest to eliminate pests and protect the
fruit from decay.

Mango trees begin blooming in the winter months and

continue through spring. Most blossoms function as males
by providing pollen, but some are bisexual and are self-
pollinating. Insects such as flies, wasps, and bees help
accomplish pollination. Depending on the variety, the fruit
may take from 100 to 150 days to mature, resulting in a late
summer and fall harvest. The weight of the mature fruit may
vary from one-quarter pound to two pounds and may be
round or oblong depending on the variety.

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 ripening and shortens potential shelf life. On most farms,
the fruit may wait from 30 minutes to 6 hours before they
are transported to the packinghouse.

Mangos can either be offloaded to the packinghouse in

field crates or from trucks with large cargo holds. Upon
arrival at the packinghouse, mangos are transferred into a
water flume system, where they are sprayed and brushed
to remove soil, latex and other organic materials. Next, the
fruit is pre-sized and placed back into crates. Then, in order
to control fruit flies, mangos are immersed in a hot water
dump tank for a time period that can range from 65 to 110
minutes, depending on fruit variety, weight, and size. The
hot water tank is filled with potable water at 115ºF. Some
packinghouses will then conduct a post-water treatment
Mangos marketed in the United States are cooling, known as hydrocooling, after the hot water
HARVESTING
usually picked at the mature green stage treatment to rapidly decrease the flesh temperature and
to withstand postharvest handling reduce injury to the fruit. Hydrocooler water temperatures
practices. Mangos are picked by hand or
by using a long picking pole which has a
canvas or nylon bag attached near a cutting blade to catch
the fruit. Ladders and hydraulic lifts are also used to help
pickers reach fruit high in the tree canopy. Mango fruits are
usually picked before they are fully ripe with the stem intact
and after they develop red, orange, or yellow color. The
long stem assures that the internal latex, or juice, does not
leak. The fruit are stored stem end down on racks to further
prevent latex from dripping on other fruit. The fruit bruises
easily and must be handled carefully to avoid damage.

Industry harvesting guidelines

PACKING
recommend that mangos be protected
from exposure to direct sunlight while
they wait transport to the packinghouse.
Direct sunlight results in sunburn and
higher flesh temperatures, which in turn accelerates are usually maintained between 70º to 72ºF and the mangos
are exposed to the cool water for about 30 minutes. Industry
guidelines provide time and temperature recommendations
for hydrocooler use with mangos to prevent water uptake
into the harvested fruit.

The fruit is transferred back to a packing line and graded by

weight and size in accordance with USDA standards and/or
buyer requirements. Grading allows for removal of mangos
that are misshaped, bruised, cut, or have signs of decay. Some
fruit may undergo a coating of wax to improve natural fruit
gloss and reduce water loss during holding and transport.

Mangos are packed into ventilated, single-layer cartons with

or without lids. The openings in the cartons are important
to ensure uniform temperature and humidity during storage
and shipping.

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 Prior to shipping, mangos are held in
HOLDING forced air-cooling rooms where the
temperature is maintained at 54ºF.

Mangos produced in other countries are

often picked at the mature-green stage in order to withstand
the postharvest handling steps required to export them from
the production areas to the retail market. Upon arrival, this
fruit can be treated with ethylene gas in holding chambers in
much the same way bananas are held in ripening rooms to
induce faster and more uniform ripening and provide ready-
to-eat mangos that consumers prefer.

Having a basic understanding of the way mangos are grown, harvested, and cooled will provide
the basic background information that will be helpful to regulators when completing inspections
CONCLUSION or investigations in the ield.

The agricultural practices described in this production summary are common on most large commercial
farms like those found in major mango producing regions, and in the United States. There are undoubtedly
variations in these practices depending on the region, operation size and individual grower preferences.
This is especially true of farms outside of the U.S.

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REFERENCES

“Commodity Profile - Mango.” MANGO - An INFOCOMM Commodity Profile (n.d.): n. pag. UNCTAD, 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 13
July 2016.

Gilman, F. Edward and Dennis G. Watson. “Mangifera indica: Mango” University of Florida, IFAS Extension, Feb. 2013. Web. 12
July 2016.

Govindarajan, Reaganathan M. “Interesting Facts About Mangos.” About Mangos. N.p., 24 July 2008. Web. 13 July 2016.

“Mango Fruit Facts Page Information.” Grown in California, n.d. Web. 13 July 2016.

“Mango: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality.” University of California Postharvest Technology Center – UC
Davis. Feb. 2015. Web. 12 July 2016.

“Mango Poisoning.” Right Diagnosis. Health Grades, n.d. Web. 13 July 2016

“Mango Varieties.” Mango.org. University of Florida, IFAS Extension, n.d. Web. 13 July 2016.

Mossler, A. Mark and Jonathan H. Crane. “Florida Crop/Pest Management Profile: Mango” University of Florida, IFAS Extension,
Jul. 2013. Web. 09 June 2016.

Simonne, Amy, Linda B. Bobroff, Anne Coper, Sandra Poirier, Mildred Murphy, Mary Jo Oswald, and Chris Procise. “South Florida
Tropicals: Mango.” University of Florida, IFAS Extension, Aug. 2007. Web. 12 July 2016.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to the National Mango Board for images.

Funding for this presentation was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through Cooperative Agreement 1U54FD004327. Views expressed in
this presentation do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial
practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

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