S11 - Session P5 - Physiological responses to abiotic stress - Fruit quality and photosynthetic response of four cultivars of mango (Mangifera indica L.) in a greenhouse in South of Italy

Authors: Giovanni Gugliuzza *, Dario Scuderi, Vittorio Farina

Various scientific sources forecast a shift in mango cultivation towards the North within the end of the 21 st century, as a consequence of the ongoing climate change. In suitable areas in the island of Sicily, like in other regions in the Mediterranean basin, mango orchards are already present and expanding in surfaces. In this paper, we measured the photosynthetic activity of four international cultivars of mango of different origins (Keitt, Osteen, Tommy Atkins, Kensington Pride) grown inside a plastic greenhouse in Sicily during one reproductive season. Results were correlated with the external and internal temperatures and, after harvest, fruit physico-chemical and sensory quality was assessed. Temperatures within the greenhouse reached extreme highs of 50°C during the summer, but no apparent damage was observed on the studied plants. Overall, mango trees maintained a good level of photosynthetic activity, with an average between 10 and 20 μmol CO 2 /m 2 s. We present the observations on fruits' skin and flesh colour, which were not affected by the cultivation inside a greenhouse. Fruits of all studied varieties reached the optimal Total Soluble Solids Content (expressed in °brix) for their marketing, and a very high Sugars/Acid ratio. Sensory analysis, conducted by means of a panel test, confirmed the quality of the greenhouse-grown fruits, which presented themselves as attractive and free from defects. We conclude with a brief overview over possible protected cultivation techniques that can be put in place for the cultivation of mango in Sicily and the Mediterranean area, taking into account environmental and climatic factors and their economic feasibility.