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Introduction:
A mango is a stone fruit produced from numerous species of tropical trees belonging to the flowering plant genus Mangifera, cultivated mostly for their edible fruit. Most of these species are found in nature as wild mangoes. The genus belongs to the cashew family Anacardiaceae. Mangoes are native to South Asia,from where the "common mango" or "Indian mango", Mangifera indica, has been distributed worldwide to become one of the most widely cultivated fruits in the tropics. Other Mangifera species (e.g. horse mango, Mangifera foetida) are grown on a more localized basis.
Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango. Depending on the cultivar, mango fruit varies in size, shape, sweetness, skin color, and flesh color which may be pale yellow, gold, or orange.Mango is the national fruit of India and Pakistan,and the national tree of Bangladesh.
History and Developement:
The English word mango (plural "mangoes" or "mangos") originated from the Portuguese word, manga, from the Malay word, mangga, and from the Dravidian languages (Tamil) word, mankay, where man represents the "mango tree" and kay represents the "fruit".The name, mango, developed during the spice trade with South India in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Common Name and Scientific classification:
The Common Name for Mango is Mangifera indica
Category Name Kingdom Plantae Subkingdom Tracheobionta Division Magnoliophyta Class Magnoliophyta Subclass Rosidae Order Sapindates Family Anacardiaceae Genus Mangifera Species M.Indica
Description:
Mango trees grow to 30–40 m (98–131 ft) tall, with a crown radius of 10–15 m (33–49 ft). The trees are long-lived, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years.In deep soil, the taproot descends to a depth of 6 m (20 ft), with profuse, wide-spreading feeder roots and anchor roots penetrating deeply into the soil.The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15–35 cm (5.9–13.8 in) long, and 6–16 cm (2.4–6.3 in) broad; when the leaves are young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark, glossy red, then dark green as they mature.The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10–40 cm (3.9–15.7 in) long; each flower is small and white with five petals 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, with a mild, sweet fragrance.Over 500 varieties of mangoes are known,many of which ripen in summer, while some give a double crop.The fruit takes four to five months from flowering to ripen.
The ripe fruit varies according to cultivar in size, shape, color, sweetness, and eating quality.Depending on cultivar, fruits are variously yellow, orange, red, or green.The fruit has a single flat, oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, and does not separate easily from the pulp.The fruits may be somewhat round, oval, or kidney-shaped, ranging from 5–25 centimetres (2–10 in) in length and from 140 grams (5 oz) to 2 kilograms (5 lb) in weight per individual fruit.The skin is leather-like, waxy, smooth, and fragrant, with color ranging from green to yellow, yellow-orange, yellow-red, or blushed with various shades of red, purple, pink or yellow when fully ripe.
Ripe intact mangoes give off a distinctive resinous, sweet smell.Inside the pit 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) thick is a thin lining covering a single seed, 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) long. Mangoes have recalcitrant seeds which do not survive freezing and drying.Mango trees grow readily from seeds, with germination success highest when seeds are obtained from mature fruits.
Health Benefits:
Prevents anaemia: Mango is rich in iron
Improves digestion: Disorders of the digestive system are a major cause of poor health
Helps gain weight: Many individuals find it hard to gain weight
Boosts immunity: Apart from vitamin C, mango also contains folate, zinc and vitamin B6.
Side Effects:
Overeating mangoes may cause diarrhoea. ...
Since it has high natural sugar content so it may be harmful to diabetics. ...
Mangoes can be allergic to some people and they may experience watery eyes, runny nose, breathing problems, abdominal pain, sneezing etc.
Nutritional Value:
The Nutritional value of Mango from various sources:
Cultivation:
Mangoes have been cultivated in South Asia for thousands of years and reached Southeast Asia between the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. By the 10th century CE, cultivation had begun in East Africa.The 14th-century Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta reported it at Mogadishu.Cultivation came later to Brazil, Bermuda, the West Indies, and Mexico, where an appropriate climate allows its growth.
The mango is now cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates; almost half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone, with the second-largest source being China.Mangoes are also grown in Andalusia, Spain (mainly in Málaga province), as its coastal subtropical climate is one of the few places in mainland Europe that permits the growth of tropical plants and fruit trees. The Canary Islands are another notable Spanish producer of the fruit. Other cultivators include North America (in South Florida and the California Coachella Valley), South and Central America, the Caribbean, Hawai'i, south, west, and central Africa, Australia, China, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia. Though India is the largest producer of mangoes, it accounts for less than 1% of the international mango trade; India consumes most of its own production.
Many commercial cultivars are grafted on to the cold-hardy rootstock of Gomera-1 mango cultivar, originally from Cuba. Its root system is well adapted to a coastal Mediterranean climate.Many of the 1,000+ mango cultivars are easily cultivated using grafted saplings, ranging from the "turpentine mango" (named for its strong taste of turpentine) to the Bullock's Heart. Dwarf or semidwarf varieties serve as ornamental plants and can be grown in containers. A wide variety of diseases can afflict mangoes.
Production:
In 2019, global production of mangoes (report includes mangosteens and guavas) was 56 million tonnes, led by India with 46% (26 million tonnes) of the world total (see table).Indonesia, China and Mexico were the next largest producers.
At the wholesale level, the price of mangoes varies according to the size, variety, and other factors. The FOB Price reported by the United States Department of Agriculture for all mangoes imported into the US ranged from approximately US$4.60 (average low price) to $5.74 (average high price) per box (4 kg/box) during 2018.
Cultural significance:
The mango is the national fruit of India.It is also the national tree of Bangladesh.In India, harvest and sale of mangoes is during March–May and this is annually covered by news agencies.
The mango has a traditional context in the culture of South Asia. In his edicts, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka references the planting of fruit- and shade-bearing trees along imperial roads:
On the roads banyan-trees were caused to be planted by me, (in order that) they might afford shade to cattle and men, (and) mango-groves were caused to be planted.