Question

Which of the following statements are true about mango ?
(A) Mango belongs to family Anacardiaceae and have 2N=40.
(B) Mango is a self-pollinated fruit.
(C) Mango is rich source of Vitamin A.
(D) In monoembryonic mango propagation is done through seed.
(E) Alphonso is a cultivar of mango.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

• A. (A), (C) and (E) only.
• B. (A), (B) and (D) only.
• C. (A), (B), and (E) only.
• D. (B), (C) and (D) only.

Hint:

- Polyembryonic mango varieties (primarily from South India) can be propagated by seeds because the adventive embryos arising from the nucellus are genetically identical to the mother plant.
- Monoembryonic varieties (primarily from North India) must be vegetatively propagated.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Mango (Mangifera indica), known as the "King of Fruits," is the national fruit of India.
Its propagation, botanical classification, pollination mechanism, nutritional profile, and major cultivars are fundamental topics in horticultural science.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze each statement to determine its accuracy:
- Statement (A): Mango belongs to the family Anacardiaceae and is an auto-tetraploid with a somatic chromosome number of \(2n = 40\), making this statement true.
- Statement (B): Mango is a highly cross-pollinated fruit crop.
Its flowers are entomophilous (pollinated by insects, primarily the housefly, Musca domestica), making this statement false.
- Statement (C): Ripe mango is one of the richest fruit sources of Vitamin A (beta-carotene), containing approximately 4800 International Units (IU) of Vitamin A per 100 grams, making this statement true.
- Statement (D): In monoembryonic mango cultivars (which produce seeds with only one zygotic embryo), propagation is done via vegetative methods (like veneer grafting or epicotyl grafting) to maintain genetic uniformity.
Sowing seeds of monoembryonic mangoes leads to extreme genetic segregation and undesirable variations, making this statement false.
- Statement (E): Alphonso (Hapus) is a world-renowned, premium commercial cultivar of mango grown extensively in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, making this statement true.
Therefore, statements (A), (C), and (E) are the correct and true statements about mango.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The true statements are (A), (C), and (E) only, corresponding to Option A.