Abstract
The mango has been an important commercial crop in South Florida, USA for more than a century. However; as the face of agriculture has changed in Florida, the challenges and opportunities for the mango within the state have evolved. Estate agriculture and patio gardening are rapidly expanding market opportunities for tropical fruit in Florida. These horticultural activities have distinct advantages due to the separation from direct foreign competition and land use pressures. A unique horticultural approach is needed in order to adapt the mango to estate and patio garden production. Over the last decade at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden there has been a concentrated effort into the selection, propagation, study and promotion of mango cultivars uniquely suited for this market. A suite of mango cultivars, including 'Cogshall', 'Fairchild', 'Ice Cream', 'Graham', 'Mallika', 'Manilita', 'Neelum', and 'Rosigold' have been promoted to provide the estate and patio grower with highly manageable, quality alternatives to traditional commercial Florida cultivars. The search continues for additional cultivars offering greater manageability, a smaller tree size, and superior quality and horticultural traits.
