Next generation mangos, Dr. Noris Ledesma and Pete Kanaris

[simon_grow]

I just saw this video regarding next generation mangos with speaker Dr. Noris Ledesma. The video was taken by Pete Kanaris. In this video, Dr. Ledesma talks about how they are trying to use lowland mangos such as Kasturi and Wani(White mango) to cross with Haden and other mangos to create a hybrid that is more genetically diverse and potentially more disease resistant.

Dr. Ledesma talks about how they are putting a cage over a Kasturi and Haden and releasing bees for cross pollination. She mentions that the Kasturi has a waxy coating on the fruit that resists Anthracnose and potentially other diseases.

I can't put into words how much respect I have for Dr. Noris Ledesma, Dr. Richard Campbell and others out there that are pushing the boundaries in regards to cultivation and the future of mangos. The incorporation of new genetics may add new flavor profiles that have never been tasted before. The smell, taste, color and texture may be something new and exciting for us to look forward to in the near future.

I'm really hoping that her team will be able to come up with a rootstock that has high resistance to, especially fungal diseases such as Anthracnose and Powdery Mildew so we can decrease or altogether eliminate the need for fungicides.

Here's the video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PJLlj_An48g

Simon

[skhan]

Awesome find Simon.

They are releasing 5 hybrids in 2018 (if I heard correctly)
I guess I'll plant (graft to seedlings) all 5 on my canal bank

[simon_grow]

Hopefully the new hybrids will taste good. It would be cool if the new varieties could impart disease resistance onto the grafted scions. I hope the Zills will incorporate these new varieties into their breeding program.

Simon

[skhan]

Hopefully the new hybrids will taste good. It would be cool if the new varieties could impart disease resistance onto the grafted scions. I hope the Zills will incorporate these new varieties into their breeding program.

Simon

Unless I'm mistaking, I think that's the whole point of their breeding program. 650 hybrids so I'm thinking these 5 are the best of the bunch.
I don't suspect they are aiming to market these to us mango snobs . Seems more for commercial success.

[ricshaw]

Hopefully the new hybrids will taste good. It would be cool if the new varieties could impart disease resistance onto the grafted scions. I hope the Zills will incorporate these new varieties into their breeding program.
Simon

Did she suggest the possibility of a cold hardy Mango... maybe a Mango for Canada? 

[simon_grow]

It wasn't mentioned in the video. In the video, Dr. Ledesma did mention that the lowland mangos grow in mucky waterlogged soils IIRC. If you think about it, it would probably be too big a leap to select or develop a cold Hardy mango that has significant cold tolerance without the use of genetic engineering. I wouldn't be surprised if a mango could be selected that had a few degrees extra of cold hardiness but growing mangos in marginal climates would be economically unfeasable on a commercial scale so I doubt researchers would invest the time and money to achieve such a goal.

Simon

[Tropicdude]

Haden is like the father of the Florida mangoes,   so making a hybrid with Casturi and Indica cv. Haden,  probably a good start.

as for cold hardiness,  if only we could cross Mango with Sumac ( not the poisonous one )  and get some kind of Interesting fruit.  after all you it is of the same  Anacardiaceae and has a "fruit" that a "lemonade" is made from.

[skhan]

Hopefully the new hybrids will taste good. It would be cool if the new varieties could impart disease resistance onto the grafted scions. I hope the Zills will incorporate these new varieties into their breeding program.
Simon

Did she suggest the possibility of a cold hardy Mango... maybe a Mango for Canada? 

Yep, I heard her say that as well. I think the Canada part was an exaggeration though.
She did seems pretty confident on getting them to Tallahassee, FL. 

[gnappi]

Very cool work unless they come up with another "Lemon Meringue" type or worse still a mango like the Cotton Candy grapes, yuk!

I'll be taking my mango with a little mango, overpowering non mango other fruit over/under tones are not interesting to me.

Here's a cold climate mango variety :-)

[Tropheus76]

I would be happy with a good tasting, cold hardy variety that those dang weevils don't like.

[simon_grow]

If rootstocks can help with fruit fly, it wouldn't be too far a stretch to find a rootstock that weevils don't like.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221800292_Effect_of_Rootstock_on_Mango_Fruit_Susceptibility_to_Infestation_by_Anastrepha_obliqua

Simon

[JoeP450]

Thanks for posting this...have to watch till 12 min mark where she starts talking about the Hybrid, that mango looks really interesting. Hope to try one someday.

-joep450

[Future]

Doc NL presented again at the mango Festival on the wild mangoes.  She detailed the inter-rootstocks used and the caging technique.  They use bees in the cage.  Apparently mangoes are most often pollinated by flies, not bees.  The mango flower's earthy smell attract flies, not bees.  The wild mangoes currently used have floral smells to the flowers, which does attract bees.  They cut some mango flowers and place it at the hive base, orienting the bees to it's smell on hive departure.  This is said to get them to visit both trees in the cage.

Among other things, she also mentioned a company selling 0-0-50 fertilizer in homestead.

Pictures and stories from their travels to collect wild species is always great...

[druss]

Theres actually alot of possibilities to be explored using non indica sp in breeding. Having seen some good pics of kasturi  (mines not fruiting yet) I can see the advantages of incorporating that trait into commercial mango varieties. There are other wild sp that could contribute as well. Mangifera rubropetala flowers on rainy days and doesnt need a distinct dry season whereas mangifera timorensis and zeylanica can be semi deciduous and will tolerate extended dry seasons. These could be used to breed early and late season varieties.  Then theres mangifera dongnaiensis and orophila that grow up to 1700m altitude and sylvatica ssp which will grow up to 1900m. These could be used to incorporate cold hardiness into true mangos. However unless someone has a commercial incentive I doubt it will happen. Cold hardiness is not a trait most breeders would be after.