Sustainable mango (Mangifera indica L.) production depends on balanced soil fertility and adequate nutrient availability. However, information on the integrated soil fertility status of mango plantations in Guimaras Province, Philippines, remains limited. This study provides the first province-wide assessment of soil physical and chemical fertility across sixteen mango plantations in five municipalities to identify key constraints affecting nutrient availability. Surface soils (0–30 cm) were analyzed for texture, pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and their plant-available fractions. The soils were predominantly sandy loam and strongly acidic (pH 4.14–5.82), with generally low organic matter (0.47–2.57%) and total nitrogen (0.06–0.22%). Although total phosphorus and potassium reserves were moderate to high in several plantations, plant-available phosphorus remained consistently low (6–14 ppm), indicating widespread phosphorus limitation associated with soil acidity, low organic matter, and nutrient leaching. Exchangeable potassium, calcium, and magnesium varied considerably among plantations, reflecting differences in parent material and management practices. The disparity between total nutrient reserves and plant-available fractions indicates hidden hunger, where nutrients are present but poorly available for plant uptake. These findings highlight that soil fertility constraints in Guimaras mango orchards arise primarily from limited nutrient availability rather than nutrient depletion. Integrated soil management, including liming, organic matter enhancement, and soil test-based fertilization, is therefore recommended to improve orchard productivity.
mango; soil acidity; nutrient availability; hidden hunger; soil fertility assessment; sitespecific nutrient management