21425 SW 232 Street. Miami, Florida 33170

Mamey Production Facts Mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) and sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) are both tropical plants in the Sapotaceae family. Acreage of mamey sapote has held fairly constant, with approximately 300 acres in production. There are over a dozen cultivars of both mamey sapote and sapodilla, with various fruit sizes, flavors, colors, and maturity dates. The average yield of mamey sapote in Florida can approach 5,000 pounds per acre. At a wholesale price between $2.50 and $4.95 per pound, the Florida crop is worth approximately $3.8 million+, depending on market conditions. There are approximately 30 acres of sapodilla in production. Production Regions Mamey sapote and sapodilla are grown exclusively in southern Florida. One hundred percent of the acreage of both crops is located in Miami-Dade County.

Mamey sapote trees are relatively difficult to propagate vegetatively. Although seed is used, it is often used to produce seedlings for rootstock. Seeds are also only viable for a few weeks after they are mature. In the countries of origin, superior plants have been grafted and propagated as named cultivars. In Florida, 'Pantin' and 'Magaña' comprise up to 95 percent of the commercial acreage. The most satisfactory time of the year to graft the plant is during warm days, cool nights, and low humidity. This corresponds to March to May and October to November in south Florida. Veneer or cleft grafting may be used, but care must be taken during scion preparation. Properly propagated and cultured trees may start to bear within three to five years, and a mature tree will produce from 200 to 500 fruit per year.

Veneer and cleft grafting are used most successfully for both trees. Grafted trees may start to bear within two to four years while seedlings may take up to six or seven years to begin production. After ten years, a good cultivar may bear 150 to 400 pounds of fruit per year. Isolated sapodilla trees may not be productive because some cultivars are self-incompatible. Other cultivars may not require cross-pollination but produce more fruit when this occurs.

Both mamey sapote and sapodilla have high water requirements, although sapodilla is somewhat drought tolerant. Planting should be done just prior to the rainy season for good root development. Susceptibility to cold weather restricts mamey sapote and sapodilla growing in Florida to the southern portion of the state. Small trees may be killed by temperatures of 30–32°F. Older trees can withstand short periods of temperature as low as 26°F without much damage.

Under Florida conditions, mamey sapote plantings are spaced 25 to 30 feet between rows and 15 to 20 feet between trees (75 to 145 trees per acre). This spacing is also used for sapodilla. For young trees of both species, main trunk growth should be encouraged by removing all other leaders when the tree is in the nursery or newly planted. Mamey sapote has the tendency to form multiple branches close to one another on the trunk. It is advisable to prune these areas down to one branch. Shoot tip removal (one or two inches) between spring and summer will force more branching and make the trees more compact. It is also recommended that narrow V-shaped crotch angles be pruned out, as wide-angled branches support greater weight and are less likely to suffer wind damage. Since different cultivars of mamey sapote and sapodilla have different peak bearing dates, and all stages may be found on the same tree, harvest may occur largely year-round, except in March.

Worker Activities Mamey sapote and sapodilla trees are picked by hand or by using a long picking pole which has at its distal end a canvas or nylon bag attached to a metal ring with a cutting blade. Ladders and hydraulic lifts are also used to enable pickers to reach fruit high in the tree canopy. A worker can generally pick up to three acres daily. Workers may also spend several weeks a year pruning tree limbs.