Irwin (mango)

Mangifera 'Irwin'
Mature Irwin mangoes
Genus	Mangifera
Species	Mangifera indica
Cultivar	'Irwin'
Origin	Florida, US

The 'Irwin' mango is a commercial mango cultivar which was developed in South Florida. This variety has a smooth bright red colored fruit with sweet aroma along with juicy pulp. TSS was measured above 20%.

History

The original Irwin tree was a seedling of the Lippens cultivar that was open-cross pollinated with Haden, ^[1] planted on the property of F.D. Irwin in Miami, Florida in 1939. ^[2] The tree first bore fruit in 1945 and was named and described in 1949. ^[3] The fruit gained commercial acceptance due to its good production, flavor, relative disease resistance, and attractive color. 'Irwin' has also been sold as a nursery stock tree for home growing in Florida.^{[ citation needed ]}

Today, Irwin is grown on a commercial scale in a number of countries, including South Korea, (particularly on Jeju Island), Japan, Taiwan, and Australia, where it was introduced in the 1970s. ^[4]

The Irwin mango was first grown in Taiwan in 1962 by Cheng Han-chih (鄭罕池) in Douliuzai Village, Yujing District, Tainan, Taiwan. In 1973, the government designated Douliuzai Village as a mango special agricultural zone. By the 1970s the residents of Douliuzai Village were known for their wealth due to mango cultivation. Cheng Han-chih is considered to be the godfather of Taiwan's lucrative modern mango industry. Irwin mangos have been the most popular mango in the Taiwanese market for fifty years. ^[5]

Irwin trees are planted in the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository in Miami, ^[6] the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida, ^[7] and the Miami-Dade Fruit and Spice Park, ^[8] also in Homestead.^{[ citation needed ]}

Description

Irwin fruit is of ovate shape, with a rounded base and a pointed apex, lacking a beak. The smooth skin develops an eye-catching dark red blush at maturity. The flesh is yellow and has a mild but sweet flavor and a pleasant aroma. ^[9] It is fiberless and contains a monoembryonic seed. The fruit typically mature from June to July in Florida ^[10] and is often born in clusters.^{[ citation needed ]}

The trees are moderately vigorous growers capable of exceeding 20 feet in height if left unpruned, developing open canopies.^{[ citation needed ]}

See also

• List of mango cultivars

References

1. Olano, C. T.; Schnell, R. J.; Quintanilla, W. E.; Campbell, R. J. (2005). "Pedigree analysis of Florida mango cultivars" (PDF). Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. pp. 192–197. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
2. "Mango".
3. Ledin, R. Bruce (1954). "Mango Varieties" (PDF). Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. pp. 284–290. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
4. "Mango variety: Irwin". Archived from the original on 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
5. Cheung, Han (30 May 2021). "Taiwan in Time: The godfather of Taiwan's mangoes". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
6. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
7. TREC Fruit Collections. Archived 2018-04-08 at the Wayback Machine Page 3, #48
8. "Friends of the Fruit & Spice Park - Plant and Tree List 2008". Archived from the original on 2010-07-11. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
9. Campbell, Richard J. (1992). A Guide to Mangos in Florida. Fairchild Tropical Garden. p. 81. ISBN   0-9632264-0-1.
10. Table 1