Identification of Mango Cultivars’ Resistance Against Red Spider Mite: Impact of Climate Elements on Resistance Performance

The use of resistant plants is recognized as an environmentally friendly measure for mite control. Oligonychus mangiferus, known as the mango red spider mite (MRSM), is a dangerous pest for mango production. To date, the resistance levels of the mango germplasms against the MRSM remain largely unknown. Furthermore, the environmental factors potentially influencing resistance performance have been seldom discussed. To fill those knowledge gaps, this study aimed to identify the resistance level of twelve mango cultivars against the MRSM. Based on three rounds of greenhouse and five seasons of field tests, cultivars with distinct resistant levels were identified. When exploring the climate impact, we found that for the susceptible cultivars, precipitation is the primary external environment factor altering the resistance performance, while temperature presents a secondary effect, and air humidity did not show a significant impact on MRSM resistance. By contrast, MRSM-resistant cultivars were not prone to be affected by changing climate conditions. Furthermore, yield tests indicated that the resistant cultivars can better reduce the yield losses compared with the susceptible ones. This study illustrated the climate element-driven effect on mango tree resistance performance against the MRSM, which can provide insight into insect pest management under changing climate conditions.