Phenological cycle of three mango cultivars in the Mediterranean climate

Abstract

Mango cultivation is expanding at latitudes further away from the equator. It is necessary to describe the behaviour of the species in response to the new environmental conditions and cultivation techniques it undergoes. Three years of phenological observations on mango (cvs. Keitt, Osteen, Tommy Atkins) grown in open air and greenhouse orchards located in Sicily, Italy, were clustered and synthesized into the main phenological phases of the species’ annual cycle, together with their duration. An accurate depiction of the environmental conditions and of the phenological phases on the mango tree throughout the year in the Mediterranean climate is presented. All three cultivars behaved similarly, and differences have emerged between the phenological cycle of mango in the Mediterranean and the one of its traditional cultivation areas: vegetative flushes in the open air happen after flowering rather than after harvest and are less intense. Flowering is consistently anticipated in the greenhouse with respect to open air, beginning before the end of winter, but this does not reflect in an earlier harvest. Mango trees in the open air remain quiescent for many months, while in the greenhouse the fruit development period is prolonged by the high temperatures. The description of the phenological cycle of mango in two different cropping conditions in the Mediterranean climate constitutes a reference for growers and researchers interested in the adaptation of the species to different growing conditions and allows to reconsider the thresholds for its cultivation.