Author Topic: Saigon Mango Tree Seedling: Still the same variety?  (Read 482 times)

djseaquist

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Saigon Mango Tree Seedling: Still the same variety?
« on: June 26, 2022, 12:37:12 AM »
I bought a Saigon mango tree seedling from a nursery that grows a bunch of other mango varieties. I know Saigon mangoes are polyembryonic mangoes, meaning they generally grow true to seed. I am just wondering the possibility of the parent plant hybridizing with another meaning my seedling is not a true Saigon?

Jagmanjoe

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Re: Saigon Mango Tree Seedling: Still the same variety?
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2022, 05:54:10 AM »
I think you know that answer as you used the word "generally" in your question.  My understanding is that all poly mango seeds have the potential to produce something other than a clone of the original.  From what I read, sometimes it is the weakest and sometimes not.  There is a recent video from Mango Men Homestead relative to selecting rootstock to remove the sexual embryo and retain the clonal ones  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d42Gzs86Gk8  .  I believe this video provides the basic answer to your question as, in my thinking, the plant from the sexual embryo would be the one you want for a hybrid.

I think others with more scientific knowledge in the field will be chiming in soon to provide you with more info.

djseaquist

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Re: Saigon Mango Tree Seedling: Still the same variety?
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2022, 03:33:34 AM »
Thanks for the info.  :)

So in your opinion would it be worth it to graft it to guarantee a true Saigon or just leave it as is?

Jagmanjoe

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Re: Saigon Mango Tree Seedling: Still the same variety?
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2022, 05:30:36 AM »
Thanks for the info.  :)

So in your opinion would it be worth it to graft it to guarantee a true Saigon or just leave it as is?

My thinking is that if you want a true duplicate of the Saigon, perhaps you wait until your seedling develops some branches and then graft on to a couple of those branches.  That way you are more assured of having the exact same variety for part of the tree and still see fruiting from the original seedling down the road.

With cloning you should see fruit more quickly by at least a couple of years, albeit probably not a lot early on.  Be sure to label the grafted branches so that when they do start producing fruit, they are easier to identify.

Just my thoughts and with a little luck others will chime in soon with their insights.