The term "North India" encompasses vast geographical area with very different climate zones. I think you and few others have pretty skewed idea and assume some kind of near temperate climate while in reality every famous mango growing region I can think of does not experience a drop below 40 F at any time of the year. Alphonso is just about worst candidate. It originates and primary grown in a very tropical climate even though the area is still considered North India.
i actually included Alphonso because it is one of the only seeds i can get from North India
but it is grown in Jammu which gets recent historical (low) temps of 27F
http://www.myweather2.com/City%E2%80%90Town/India/Jammu/climate%E2%80%90profile.aspx?month=1I looked at different areas within North India... Jammu, Himachal Pradesh
http://www.nhb.gov.in/report_files/mango/MANGO.htmMy time costs me nothing, mango seeds cost me a couple bucks each
the last time i had a real mango was 6 years ago.
$1.68 each at the store for crappy mango is my option. Twice a year i get mango i can palate.
To me, obviously there are upper ranges where mango can not be grown because its too cold, and areas where they are grown.
i would assume in between there are areas that mango encounter cold temps.
i would like to learn from those areas.
If i try and fail, nothing terrible is lost. If i dont try, then i have already failed.
In India, Hayes (5) reports that "some varieties" will withstand 22 °F. Singh and Singh
(9) report that, for a grass minimum of 25.5°F, vigorous trees suffered less than those of dwarf
varieties and that varieties behaved according to the size of their trees, the amount of late growth
and some "other" factors. Langra was found relatively resistant and Dasheri somewhat less
so. Jawada (4) found Langra and some other north-Indian varieties more resistant than others.
http://fshs.org/proceedings-o/1964-vol-77/379-384%20(OPPENHEIMER).pdfCool temperatures below 17°C produce abnormal and non-viable pollen grains.
The prevaculate stage of meiosis during microsporogenesis appears to be most sensitive to temperatures below 10°C.
Cool temperatures also adversely aect germination and pollen tube growth, which is completely inhibited at temperatures below 15°C
(Issarakraisila and Considine, 1994).Low sex ratio (proportion of hermaphrodite and male flowers) contributes significantly
to low yields in some cultivars (Singh et al. 1966, 1965). Cool temperature during inflorescence development reduces
the number of perfect flowers and these flowers may produce aborted, deformed and fused ovaries,
which does not happen above 17°C. Polyembryonic cultivars suffer more from low temperature than monoembryonic
(Whiley and Schaer 1997). Occasional low temperature during flowering causes embryo abortion in areas of Brazil,
Peru and Chile (Sauco 2000)
http://www.academia.edu/5000793/Tropical_Fruit_Tree_Species_and_Climate_Change_Phenological_Responses_to_Temperature_and_Rainfall_A_Case_Study_of_Mango