The mangosteen is native to Southeast Asia and known as the "Queen of Fruits". It is very difficult to cultivate outside the tropics due to its need for high humidity, consistent temperatures between 50-80°F, and annual rainfall over 127cm. The mangosteen tree grows slowly, is evergreen, and bears purple fruit segmented like an orange with sweet white flesh. Propagation is challenging as seeds lose viability quickly and grafting results in asymmetric trees. Mangosteens are usually eaten fresh but lose flavor when canned.

1. HOR19201 PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGY OF TROPICAL AND
SUBTROPICAL FRUIT CROPS
PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF MANGOSTEEN

2. Origin and Distribution
• Its origin is in Southeast Asia, probably the Malay Archipelago.
• It can now be found in Northern Australia , Brazil, Burma, Central
America, Hawaii, Southern India, Indonesia, Malaysia, SriLanka,
Thailand, Vietnam, and other tropical countries.
Introduction
• Mangosteen is one of the most widely recognized tropical fruits and
has universal appeal because of its quality in color, shape and flavor.
Demand often exceeds supply.
• The fruit is 2 - 3 cm in diameter. A thick reddish-purple rind covers the
aril or pulp which is segmented like that of an orange.

3. Folklore
• In the mangosteen’s native lands and abroad it is often referred
to as ‘The Queen of Fruits’.
• According to folklore, this nickname comes from Queen
Victoria’s strong liking for the mangosteen and the idea that she
would readily reward anyone who could bring the fruit to her in
England.
• The task proved nearly impossible, however,since the fruit and
its seed are perishable and sensitive to dry and cold weather.

4. Tree
The mangosteen tree is very slowgrowing,
• Erect,
• Pyramidal Crown;
• Dark-brown Or Nearly Black,
• Flaking Bark,
• The Inner Bark Containing Much Yellow

5. Leaves
• The evergreen, opposite, short-stalked leaves are ovate-oblong or
elliptic, leathery and thick, dark-green, slightly glossy above, yellowish
green and dull beneath; 9 - 25 cm long, 4.5 - 10 cm wide,with
conspicuous, pale midrib.
• New leaves are rosy in colour.

6. Flowers
• Flowers, 4 - 5 cm wide and fleshy, may be male or
hermaphrodite
• Mangosteen usually flowers only once annually,
however, flowering can occur twice annually
following a dry period.
Pollination Requirements
• Mangosteen is an obligate apomict in which
reproduction is entirely asexual (parthenogenesis).

7. Fruit
• The sub-globose fruit, which is 4 – 8 cm in
diameter ripens a dark reddish-violet to purple
color. It may be smooth or marked with brownish
scars.
• The thick tough pericarp or rind exudes a bitter
yellowish resin, especially when unripe.
• The rind is 6 - 10 mm thick,red in
crosssection,purplish-white on the inside.It
contains bitter yellow latex and a purple, staining
juice.There are 4 to 8 triangularsegments of snow-
white, juicy,soft flesh

8. Climate
• Classified as an ultra-tropical plant, the mangosteen tree is very hard
to cultivate in areas far from the tropics. For proper growth the tree
needs high humidity, plentiful precipitation and a consistent
temperature between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Many efforts have been made to cultivate the mangosteen outside of
the tropical range with very little success.
• The stubborn seed does not keep more than a few days when taken
out of a very humid habitat, and even if the seed is transported safely
(usually in peat moss), the tree will not grow unless the climate is
strictly maintained.

9. Conti…
• It cannot tolerate temperatures below 5º C, nor above 38º C. Nursery
seedlings are killed at 7.5 C.
• It ordinarily requires high atmospheric humidity and an annual rainfall
of at least 127 cm, and no long periods of drought

10. Soil
• The tree is not adapted to limestone and does best in deep, rich
organic soil, especially sandy loam or laterite.
• Sandy alluvial soils are unsuitable and sand low in humus contributes
to low yields.
• The tree needs good drainage and the water table ought to be about
1.8 m below ground level.
• The mangosteen must be sheltered from strong winds and salt spray,
as well as saline soil or water.

11. Propagation
• Mangosteen is difficult to propagate vegetatively, most trees are produced
from seeds which remain viable for only a few days.
• The juvenile phase may last 5 to 15 years depending on growing conditions
• The process of reproduction being vegetative, there is naturally little
variation in the resulting trees and their fruits. Some of the seeds are
polyembryonic, producing more than one shoot.
• In as much as the percentage of germination is directly related to the
weight of the seed, only plump, fully developed seeds should be chosen for
planting.
• Even these will lose viability in 5 days after removal from the fruit, though
they are viable for 3 to 5 weeks in the fruit.

12. Uniform young seedlings raised from seeds

13. Nursery and Transplanting
• Because of the long, delicate taproot and poor lateral root
development, transplanting is very difficult. It must not be attempted
after the plants reach 60 cm.
• At that time the depth of the taproot may exceed that height.

14. Cantuman baji (bud grafting)
• Of several vegetative propagation techniques conducted (with
the objective of shortening the juvenile stage), bud grafting is
the most successful.
• However, the resulting plants from bud grafting are
asymmetrical and take a much longer period to grow when
compared with those planted from seeds.
• Grafted plants mature late and require constant care in the field.

15. Bud-grafted seedling

16. Culture
• A spacing of 10 -12 m is recommended.
• Planting is preferably done at the beginning of the rainy season.
• Pits 1 x l x l.5 m are prepared at least 30 days in advance,
enriched with organic matter and topsoil and left to weather.
• The young tree is put in place very carefully so as not to injure the
root and given a heavy watering.
• Partial shading with palm fronds or by other means should be
maintained for 3 to 5 years.

17. Trees grown under shade provided
by bamboo baskets

18. 5-yr old plant
• Some of the most fruitful mangosteen trees are growing on the banks of
streams,lakes, ponds or canals where the roots are almost constantly wet.

19. Drip irrigation

20. Harvesting
• Ripeness is gauged by the full development of color and slight
softening.
• Picking may be done when the fruits are slightly under-ripe but
they must be fully mature(developed) or they will not ripen after
picking.
Storage
• In dry, warm, closed storage,mangosteens can be held 20 to
25 days.Longer periods cause the outer skin to toughen and
the rind to become rubbery; later, the rind hardens and
becomes difficult to open and the flesh turns dry.

21. Pests and Diseases
• Few pests have been reported. A leafeating caterpillar of the moth
family Noctuidae, Stictoptera sp has been reported to attack new
shoots and young leaves.
• Heavy infestation will result in complete defoliation.

22. Leaf miner (Pelombong daun)
• Young seedlings quite frequently
attacked by larvae of the citrus moth
Phyllocnitis citrella, the adult of which
is characterized by its dull yellow
wings.

23. Fruit borer (Curculionid beetle)
• Attacked developing fruit by laying eggs on the surface and young
larvae that emerged gradually penetrate into the fruit.
• Larvae complete its life cycle together with the ripening fruit.
• As many as 8 larvae may be present in one fruit.

24. Curculio sp (Kumbang)
The fungus, Zignoella
garcineae, gives rise to
"canker"– tuberous growths on
the branches, causing a fatal
dying-back of foliage, branches
and eventually the entire tree.

25. Gummosis

26. Food Uses
• To select the best table fruits, choose those with the highest number
of stigma lobes at the apex, for these have the highest number of
fleshy segments and accordingly the fewest seeds.
• The numbers always correspond.
• Mangosteens are usually eaten fresh as dessert.
• The fleshy segments are sometimes canned, but they are said to lose
their delicate flavor in canning, especially if pasteurized for as much
as 10 minutes.