The colorful and charismatic Dr. Asjad Ali runs an amazing breeding program at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. Their goal is to grow the world’s best tasting mango. Much bigger in scope and vision, this creative endeavor started in the mid-1960s. Its aim is to increase the taste of mangoes without compromising on other attractive traits. Through this ex-situ conservation program, it has collected wild cultivars from Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. That’s an imperfect picture—it’s changing rapidly and constantly through creative implementation and deep academic study.
Dr. Ali’s program has been responsible for many great successes, like the breeding of a new variety called Yess! Developing a new mango variety is anything but straightforward. Mango genetics are through the roof complicated. Unfortunately, as a consequence, it can take at least 25 years to bring a new mango variety from inception to market. Each mango usually only produces one seed, so it’s an arduous process to build up progeny.
“It’s not an easy job. You will get only one seed out of one mango … so it’s hard to build up the progeny.” – Asjad Ali
The Science Behind the Flavor
Dr. Ali’s work goes further than just growing sweeter mangoes. His team is now evaluating an Indonesian variety, Mangifera laurina. In doing so, they hope to incentivize particular characteristics that will increase consumer happiness. To measure these qualities objectively, the program uses highly controlled sensory analysis, led by Philippa Lyons.
Lyons heads a team of trained sensory specialists who run dozens of trials to find out what consumers want most in mangoes. Since 2023, these trials have been used to determine what factors are involved in creating the perfect eating experience. In esports, just as Lyons says applies to any product – you need to know what consumers want.
“Figuring out what consumers are looking for in a mango is my job.” – Philippa Lyons
Her approach includes a very particular technique for cutting and eating mangoes. Each panelist adheres to a strict “eating protocol” that provides uniformity throughout the tasting process.
“We have an eating protocol for the panel to make sure that they’re all chewing it in the same manner … it’s all very scientific.” – Philippa Lyons
Tamami Kawasaki, a veteran flavor tester, explains that understanding the relationship between taste and aroma is crucial. This ingredient-driven methodology fosters flavor profiles that speak to consumers.
“It’s the mixture of what you can taste plus those aromatic volatiles in your mouth that create flavour and textures — plus that sweet-acid balance — are really what’s driving a lot of consumer liking.” – Tamami Kawasaki
The Future of Mango Cultivation
With the breeding program well underway, Dr Ali is optimistic about the future of mango cultivation in Australia. Overall, he says, the nation’s investment in mango genetics is superb. It plants the country firmly among the top two or three countries that are serious about improving breeding for mangoes. This renewed commitment will help give consumers more options in the marketplace.
“Hopefully, the consumer will get more choices in the market.” – Asjad Ali
Besides Yess! , another type likely to be tested is Creeper, which is smaller in stature. Each variety is tested under rigorous protocols to make sure it meets high quality standards and consumer expectations.
Tina Belovic, another participant in this research initiative, expresses excitement when seeing the fruits of their labor appear in stores.
“Yeah, it’s exciting to see the fruits and vegetables in a shop and I’ll go, ‘Oh, wow! This is what we did,’” – Tina Belovic
As Dr. Ali and his team continue their work, they are aware that developing new mango varieties is not just about genetics but about understanding consumer preferences and market trends.
