Glossary

A clone is a plant or group of plants produced from one source through asexual reproduction and generally sharing its genotype, apart from possible mutations. Mango grafting preserves the scion as a clone of the selected source rather than creating a new seedling genotype. Clonal identity does not make all trees perform identically: rootstock, soil, climate, health, and management still matter. A clone is also not automatically disease-free, so propagation hygiene and trustworthy source material remain important.

Cross-pollination is transfer of pollen between genetically different plants. For grafted mangoes, two separate trees of the same cultivar may still be the same genotype, while two different cultivars can provide genetically different pollen. Cross-pollination affects the embryo's parentage rather than changing the cultivar identity of the flesh on the current crop. It may be useful in breeding, but adding another tree does not automatically solve every flowering or fruit-retention problem.