Mango breeding in Israel
1996
Tomer, E.
The mango industry in Israel consists of about 2,000 hectares in four main regions: Sea of Galilee, the coastal plain, the Bsor and the Arava valley. Most of the commercial mango cultivars grown in Israel originated in Florida. In Israel they have several undesirable horticultural traits. The aim of our mango breeding project is to select cultivars with better fruit quality and appearance, with a long harvest season and high yield. The breeding project consists of 5 hectares of mango seedlings planted in two locations at high density (2*4). Each year 1000-2000 new seedlings have been planted. Evaluation of the seedlings has been carried out mainly during the first year or two of fruiting. The interesting types are grafted and tested in the main mango growing areas. The origin of the seedling parents is diverse; it includes 15 Floridian cultivars, 18 local selections, and several South African, Australian and Indian cultivars. As a result of the mango breeding program, we have identified 24 seedlings which are characterized by good-high fruit quality and attractive appearance, covering the mango season in Israel (July to November). Most of them have been grafted and tested in the main mango growing areas. The selections 'Shelly' and 'Tango' are being tested in semi-commercial plots.
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