Ever wondered why your mango tree drops fruit before it’s ripe? Each season, mango growers across Australia watch helplessly as millions of mangoes fall to the ground too early.

These mangoes never ripen properly, never reach consumers, and represent a major loss – both economically and environmentally.

Premature fruit drop is a major contributor to low mango yields, with as little as 0.1% of fruits reaching maturity. This costs growers millions and wastes valuable resources.

As climate stress intensifies, understanding why fruit is lost before harvest has global significance. It affects everything from food security to farm profitability.

Mangoes are a high-value crop for Australia, with more than 63,000 tonnes produced annually contributing around A$220 million to the economy each year.

But its sensitivity to environmental stress makes it vulnerable in a less predictable and more extreme climate. Drought, heatwaves, and even leaf loss can influence a natural process that leads to fruit drop.

Our yet-to-be-published research aims to better........

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