Effect of growth regulators on the malformed inflorescence and stunting growth of mango.
Azzouz S., Khalifa A., Hamdy Z. M., Elmasry H.
Author Affiliation: Agricultural Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt.
Agricultural Research Review 58 : 1-14
Abstract : Mango growing in Egypt is threatened by the malformed inflorescence disorder. When adult trees (cv. Taymour) were treated every month from November to March with NAA at 250 p.p.m., November application led to the production of the fewest malformed inflorescences compared with 83% in the untreated control. Buds sprayed with GA3 at 10, 50 or 100 p.p.m. produced 23, 26 and 13% malformed inflorescences, respectively, compared with 48% for the control. When seedlings showing stunting were treated with GA3 at 100 p.p.m. (3 times from May to July) they showed 30% stunted growth compared with 55% in the control by the following March. Removing stunted growth by pruning (combined with GA3) could have a beneficial effect. When the growth retardants Ethrel [ethephon], 2,4-D, B99 [daminozide] and CCC [chlormequat] at various concentrations were applied to apparently normal seedlings, CCC at 4000 p.p.m. led to 50% stunted growth.