The Nam Doc Mai mango variety originated in Thailand. Nam Doc Mai is the most popular mango variety and generally eaten when soft ripe. It is a major variety of commerce in Asia. Nam Dok Mai immediately stands out among other mangoes because of its shape. The fruit has a unique oval appearance. The fruit quality is excellent, with a pale green/yellow fibreless flesh and a rich, sweet flavour. The aroma of the Nam Doc Mai mango is also very special. Inside you will find soft flesh, dark yellow in colour and deliciously sweet in taste.
Tree Characteristics
The Nam Doc Mai tree is of medium-to-high vigour with an upright, dense canopy. The newly emerging leaves are initially light green, turn tan as they expand and become dark green as they mature. The leaves have a characteristic wavy edge. Six-year-old trees can reach heights of 6 m or more and a diameter of 4-6 m if left unpruned.
Nam Doc Mai Varieties/Types
There are typically three varieties of Nam Doc Mai grown
- Green
- Gold
- Red
Flowering characteristics
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| Nam Doc Mango Flowering |
panicle length - 30-40 cm
panicle width - 20-30 cm
hair density - medium
colour - faint pink
colour of wilted petals – brown.
Fruit characteristics
fruit shape - elongate slightly sigmoid
ground colour - green/yellow
blush colour - faint pink
average weight - 250-400 g (avg 340 g)
average length - 130 mm
average width - 61 mm
average depth - 71 mm
lenticel size - small
lenticel colour - yellow/white
flesh colour - green/yellow
skin thickness - thin
flesh fibre - low to none
firmness - medium to soft
stem end shape - elevated
beak shape - prominent
flesh recovery - 75 per cent
flavour - mild and very sweet
embryo type – polyembryonic.
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| Thailand Gold Nam Doc Mai Mangoes |
Propagation
Nam Doc Mai is a polyembryonic* mango and when planted, the seed will produce several seedlings most of which will produce fruit that is true to type. Trees propagated by grafting will come into production earlier, producing fruit 1-2 years after planting. Seedlings can take up to 5 years to fruit.
Plant density
Although the Nam Doc Mai tree is of medium-to-high vigour, its upright branch habit allows it to be planted at closer spacings than Kensington Pride. Recommended spacings are 4-6 m in the row and 9 m between rows (185-278 trees/hectare). Closer plantings can be managed, though they require heavy annual pruning to maintain a smaller canopy size.
Pruning and Shaping
During the first few years after planting, branches should be tipped after every second flush to encourage the canopy to spread and develop a well-branched frame capable of holding heavy crops in later years. When the tree begins to bear fruit, an annual thinning of the canopy is necessary to reduce foliage density. Dense canopies harbour pests and prevent spray penetration. Topping to keep the tree at a height of 3-5 m and skirting to remove low branches for under tree access should also be carried out annually.
Flowering and Fruit Set
The trees are mature enough to yield fruit after four years. The harvest time for Nam Dok Mai mangoes is 90 to 100 days after the flowers are fertilized. Nam Doc Mai is a strong, regularly flowering tree . However, in some years, fruit set is a problem and nubbins (fruit without seed) may be produced. Nubbins are either shed during late fruit development or, if held full term, develop to half or three-quarters the size of seeded fruit. Nam Doc Mai is an irregular bearer and tree yields vary greatly from year to year. Proper nutrition helps the tree to give healthy mangoes.
Pest and disease
Nam Doc Mai is more susceptible to the fungal disease powdery mildew than most other varieties. Powdery mildew (Oidium sp.) infects the flower panicles during late flowering and early fruit-set stages, causing the fruit to drop off.
Nam Doc Mai has moderate-to-high resistance to bacterial black spot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae) and is susceptible to post-harvest diseases including as anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), a major cause of fruit blackening, and stem end rot (Botryosphaeriaspp. and Lasiodiplodia theobromae).
Nam Doc Mai is affected by major insect pests such as mango scale (Aulacaspis tubercularis), pink wax scale (Ceroplastes rubens Maskell), mango shoot caterpillar (Penicillaria jocosatrix), mango tipborer (Chlumetia euthysticha), fruit flies and mango planthopper (Colgaroides acuminata).
Fruit disorders
Nam Doc Mai does not suffer sapburn to the same extent as Kensington Pride; however, the sap will still mark the fruit if left on the skin. Nam Doc Mai suffers from the internal disorder jelly seed. Fruit with jelly seed has over-ripe flesh around the seed when the rest of the flesh is just beginning to soften.
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