Mangoes In Kenya

The mango is best adapted to a warm tropical monsoon climate with a pronounced dry season (>3 months) followed by rains. However, information from other countries indicates that crops cultivated for a long time over an extended area show a high degree of diversity due to varied environmental influences. This was likely also true for the mango seedlings first introduced in Kenya which were all polyembryonic. They can be multiplied by seeding and generally produce true-to-type progeny. Some of these are still productive, e.g. along the Tana River, and some of them have been given names which to this day are still valued. Kitoovu, Kimji, Klarabu, Punda and Mayai are of poor quality but better known are cultivars like Apple, Ngowe, Boribo, Batawi and Dodo. Of these, a few have steadily lost ground to a generation of cultivars introduced in the 1970s and 1980s distinguished by greater resistance to anthracnose (Colletotrichum), powdery mildew (Oidium), their very attractive colour and good shelf life.

USES AND FOOD VALUE

The mango compares favorably in food value with both temperate and tropical fruits. Indeed the fruit contains almost all the known vitamins and many essential minerals. Studies have shown that one mango fruit can provide a large proportion of the daily human requirements of essential minerals, and vitamins (see Table below). The calorific value of mango is mostly derived from the sugars. It is as high as that of grapes and even higher than that of apple, pears or peaches. The protein content is generally a little higher than that of other fruits except the avocado. Mangos are also a fairly good source of thiamine and niacin and contain some calcium and iron.