Winter sprinkling of mangoes: is this of any advantage?
Mostert P. G., Wittwer A. N.
Author Affiliation: Instituut vir Tropiese en Subtropiese Gewasse, Privaatsak X11208, Nelspruit 1200, South Africa.
Yearbook - South African Mango Growers' Association 12 : 58-60
Abstract : Six overhead-irrigation treatments were compared for 4 consecutive seasons, beginning in 1988 with 12-year-old cv. Fascell trees. They comprised (1) no sprinkling (control), (2) sprinkling only in winter, (3) sprinkling when the soil water tension was -30 kPa, with a break during the winter, (4) sprinkling at -30 kPa throughout the year, (5) sprinkling at -60 kPa with a winter break, and (6) sprinkling at -60 kPa throughout the year. Data on yield/tree, amount of water applied (in m³/tree annually) and monthly rain fall each season are tabulated. The results (averaged over 4 seasons) indicated that sprinkling at -30 kPa, when water stress was not severe, with a winter break was more beneficial than continuous treatment at -60 kPa. Treatment (3) yielded an average of 135.17 kg/tree, followed by (2) 119.50 kg, (4) 118.33 kg, (6) 113.83 kg, (5) 111.83 kg and (1) 108.17 kg. Although these average differences were not statistically significant they had economic implications with regard to returns/ha and costs of pumping water.