Flooding, leaf gas exchange, and growth of mango in containers.
Larson K. D., Schaffer B., Davies F. S.
Author Affiliation: Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA.
Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 116 : 156-160
Abstract : Four-year-old trees of mango cv. Tommy Atkins on Turpentine or an unknown seedling rootstock or 1-year-old trees of mango cv. Peach grown in containers were flooded for 14 or 28 d. In general, flooding simultaneously reduced net CO2 assimilation and stomatal conductance after 2-3 d. However, flooding did not affect leaf water potential, shoot extension growth, or shoot DW, but stem radial growth and root DW were reduced, resulting in larger shoot:root ratios for flooded trees. Mortality of flooded trees ranged from 0 to 45% and was not related to rootstock/scion combination. Hypertrophied lenticels were observed on trees that survived flooding but not on trees that died. The reductions in gas exchange, vegetative growth, and the variable tree mortality indicate that mango is not highly flood-tolerant but appears to possess certain adaptations to flooded soil conditions.