Spain is the only European country with a considerable tropical production

Spain is the only European country with a significant commercial production of subtropical fruits, especially avocados and mangoes. In the Iberian Peninsula, this production concentrates in the Andalusian Mediterranean coast, in the provinces of Malaga and Granada.

The growth of such crops is such that, in recent years, producers have already reached 10,000 hectares of avocados, with an average production of 50,000 tonnes, and 5,000 hectares of mangoes, which yield 22,000 tonnes per year. The third fastest growing fruit is cherimoya, with 2,700 hectares.

Profitability is the main motivation behind the growth of these crops. Last season, avocado producers received an average of 1.60 Euro per kilo; in the case of mangoes, the price reached 1.30 Euro.

The Subtropical Fruit Growing Group of the Experimental Station La Mayora, Malaga, has been working non-stop in recent decades to optimise the cultivation techniques of the major subtropical fruit species grown in the peninsular south east.

In this research and subsequent transfer of knowledge and technology to producers, the professional group of the Technical Agricultural Engineers, with the support of the Professional Associations of Malaga and Granada and the General Council of Agricultural Engineers of Spain, has gained great prominence, and these are the main conclusions after years of fieldwork.

Avocados have become established as an alternative crop in the coastal area of ​​Malaga and Granada to traditional crops offering a low profitability, such as olives, almonds and grapes. The commercial production is mainly focused on the Hass variety, the most common worldwide. In Spain, production starts in October with the early varieties, the Bacon, Zutano and Fuerte, and continues with the Hass variety from January to June. The Hass can remain unharvested on the tree for months without any quality loss, so the tree becomes a kind of natural refrigerator. This makes it possible to choose the best time for harvesting and sale based on supply and demand in the market.

The only pest of some importance which may affect avocados in the country's growing conditions is the crystalline mite. Soil fungi, namely Phytophthora cinnamomi and Rosellinia necatrix, constitute one of the main problems.

It is also essential to consider their water needs, which amount to 7,000 m³/ha/year, with higher demand in the summer months.

The European market is supplied mainly by Peru, Chile, Spain and Israel, with the latter three coinciding in the October-March period. Despite this and the questionable management of some fruit growers, Spanish avocados are prestigious in the European market; therefore, prices yield a profitability that makes the crop really attractive.

The experimental work with mangoes in La Mayora started in the early eighties with more than 40 varieties, most of which failed to meet the requirements in terms of quality and production. Currently, about 95% of the commercial acreage corresponds to Osteen cultivars, with about 80% of the total, and the rest to Keitt and Tommy Atkins, although the latter is in a conversion process to cv. Osteen.

Mango cultivation in southern Spain extends over 100 km along the coastal belt stretching from Rincón de la Victoria, Malaga, to Motril, Granada, and 25 km inland, with the region of Axarquia accounting for the largest acreage. To the north, this area is protected by the Penibaetic mountain system, so the winters are mild and the areas nearest to the sea are free from frost. Most mango plantations are usually located on slopes at a height of between 0 and 350 metres above sea level, always oriented south, south east and south west.

The production period lasts from mid-August to late November, with a peak from mid-September to mid-October, especially when it comes to the Osteen variety. In this period, Spanish mangoes compete on the European market with fruit from Puerto Rico, Israel and Brazil.

The highly productive and great tasting Keitt variety makes it possible to have mangoes until December, but in very specific locations.

The cv. Osteen tree is vigorous and highly productive, generating, with good management, more than 20 tonnes per hectare, with an average fruit weight of 500 grams.

The main issue to tackle with mangoes is the internal breakdown of the pulp, caused by a nutritional imbalance in the tree when it has high levels of nitrogen and low calcium.

The future of mangoes in southern Spain will depend on overcoming a number of challenges, including the need for varieties that do not generate soft pulp, varietal diversification to extend the harvest season and making sure that the right ripeness level has been reached at the time of the harvest.

Spain, as a producer of avocados and mangoes, has many possibilities on the European market. Compared with third countries, Spain can supply a product of excellent appearance and taste, and with minimal pesticide treatments, which has an impact on their quality and acceptance by importing countries. Moreover, the country's proximity to the European market results in lower transport costs and, environmentally speaking, a lower carbon footprint.