For the mango farmer, choosing a mango cultivar to plant will depend on factors such as climate, time of ripening (i.e. late or early-season mango), fruit size and yield, tree size and resistance to bacterial black spot and other diseases.
For example, some cultivars are sensitive to warm, dry climates and may be prone to sunburn. These include Sensation and Keitt. More tolerant cultivars are Tommy Atkins and Kent.
Early to mid-season mangoes in South Africa are Tommy Atkins, Zill, Sabre, and Irwin. Middle season cultivars include Kent, Shelley and Heidi, and the late-season mangoes are Sensation and Keitt.
Main cultivars planted in the Western Cape are Kent, Joa, Sensation, Heidi, the new Tropica and Keitt.
New cultivars are being tested by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). When establishing new cultivars, it is often grafted onto an already growing rootstock. Sabre is the most widely used rootstock in South Africa.
Early to Mid-season Mangoes
Tommy Atkins is an early cultivar with large oval to oblong, dark red fruit with green and yellow accents and a thick skin. It has firm, fibrous flesh and a mild sweet flavour. It has a good shelflife. The cultivar is suitable for all production areas and tolerant to bacterial black spot and anthracnose.
Zill is another early cultivar and has small to medium oval fruit. Zill has a greenish skin with green and yellow accents but turns red in colour when ripe. Zill has good taste and firm flesh. The fruit is fibreless but does not store well.
Sabre is a traditional fibre mango, which is small to medium in size. It is yellow with red cheeks.
Irwin is medium to large and an oblong-shaped mango. It is yellow to red in colour.
Mid-season Mangoes
Kent is a medium to large green mango that stays green even when ripe. It has a very good taste and firm, smooth flesh. Kent is often used for drying and juicing.
Heidi is a medium to large heart-shaped mango with a distinct ‘mango’ flavour.
Shelley is a mid-season cultivar from Israel. It is a medium-sized apple-shaped fruit with firm flesh and a mild, sweet taste.
Late Season Mangoes
The mango season in South Africa ends with small Sensation and large Keitt. Sensation is a small to medium-sized green mango with a purple-red tinge. It has a firm, fibreless flesh and a sweet flavour. It is a relatively old cultivar prone to internal decay and quality issues.
Keitt is a large mango with a small pip and stays green even when ripe. Keitt is popular in Asian cultures where it is used as a green (unripe) fruit and in pickles. Keitt is a large yield cultivar that produces on average 30 tonnes/ha.
By Marinda Louw