Inheritance of fruit characters in hybrid mangoes produced through controlled pollination

Mango fruit quality attributes have been evaluated in hybrids produced by the Australian National Mango Breeding Program. Since its inception in 1994 the program has generated more than 1800 hybrids from 33 parental combinations using controlled pollination methods. Characterisation of the fruit was carried out by assessing 24 internal and external attributes and an estimate was made of the heritabilities of characters for which the data were either quantitative or were scored on an evenly ordered hedonic scale. Analysis of the data indicated that many important fruit quality aspects such as fruit weight, fruit shape, ground skin colour, fruit width and pulp depth have high heritabilities, and can therefore be readily selected in a breeding programme. For non-ordered traits scored in discrete categories (blush colour, bloom, lenticel colour, embryo type and flavour), an estimate was made of data consistency from multiple scores for individual hybrids at different times and locations. A relatively high consistency value was recorded for fruit flavour, and in combinations involving Kensington Pride, between 24% and 47% of hybrids were scored as having Kensington Pride flavour. The embryo type of hybrids was also recorded and the data are discussed in the context of polyembrony being controlled by a single dominant gene.