Metabolic changes associated with floral malformation of mango (Mangifera indica L.).
Singh Z., Dhillon B. S.
Author Affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141?004, India.
Tropical Agriculture 70 : 68-73
Abstract : Healthy and malformed panicles, and the shoots bearing them, were collected at different developmental stages from 7-year-old mango cv. Dusheri trees, dried and analysed. The C:N ratio was highest in malformed panicles and the shoots bearing them at all stages except the earliest (buds fully swollen), when it was highest in the healthy panicles and the shoots bearing them. In general, the malformed panicles and shoots bearing them had lower carbohydrate, orthodihydroxy phenolic, RNA, DNA and total free amino acids contents, but higher non-reducing sugars, starch and total phenolic contents than healthy panicles and the shoots bearing them. Malformed panicles had a lower arginine content and higher valine, tryptophan and aspartic acid contents than healthy ones at all stages. During the later stages of development (panicles fully grown prior to and during full bloom), levels of cysteine and methionine increased significantly in shoots bearing healthy panicles, but remained at trace levels in those bearing malformed panicles.