Qualitative and quantitative assessment of wild genotypes of mango (Mangifera indica L.) in coastal districts of Karnataka, India

Western Ghats are known for wild mangoes known for their distinctive flavours, tastes, and scents. The exploration of wild mangoes of coastal districts of Karnataka was undertaken. A total of 45 mango accessions were assessed for morphological characters (leaf and fruit) using numerical approach. The 14 traits including leaf blade length, leaf blade width, petiole length, fruit length, diameter, weight, and breadth, pulp, TSS, peel, and fruit thickness were analyzed. Fruit weight (g), stone weight (g), pulp (%), peel (%) and leaf blade length (cm) showed most diversity. The Moodbidri accession had most fruit weight (109.55 g), whereas, the Dakshina Kannada district’s Moodbidri accession had the lightest stone weight (12.72 g). It is the first documentation of the local mango germplasm variability in coastal Karnataka.