Mango Trees Under Stress: Premature Fruit Drop Causes Millions in Losses

• Premature dropping of raw mangoes is a major challenge for farmers, leading to significant financial losses and environmental impact.
• Globally, only 0.1% of mango fruits fully ripen, with the rest dropping prematurely, causing millions of dollars in losses, especially in Australia.
• Climate change, including droughts and heatwaves, puts mango trees under severe stress, exacerbating fruit drop.
• Scientists explain that stressed trees reallocate resources, prioritizing self-preservation and sending a 'Quit Signal' to abandon fruit due to lack of essential sugars.
• Researchers are studying pedicel tissue to identify gene activity under stress, aiming to develop solutions to control premature fruit drop.

Why It Matters: Climate change-induced stress causes mango trees to drop fruit prematurely, leading to massive losses; scientists seek solutions.